When you took the adjustable loan, the intro rate probably felt like a gift. Now the index — usually the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) — has jumped from 0.05% in 2021 to over 5% today. Add the lender’s margin of 2.5–3% and your new rate can sail past 7%, pushing principal-and-interest payments up 40–60%. Most borrowers tell us the letter arrives with only 60–90 days before the higher amount debuts, creating panic.

Here’s the part servicers don’t highlight: you are not stuck. Rate caps protect you from unlimited hikes, but they still allow pain. A 2% first-adjustment cap on a $350 k balance means a $400 jump overnight. If cash flow is already tight, that extra $400 can feel like choosing between the mortgage and everything else.

NMHL watches the same indexes every morning. We model exactly where your loan is headed and benchmark it against today’s fixed programs — usually 6.25–6.75% for FHA and 6.75–7.25% for conventional. The result is a stable payment that ends the roller-coaster forever.

Maria, Phoenix: Current 5/1 ARM at 3.125% resetting to 6.75%. Payment headed from $1,850 to $2,460. NMHL locked a 30-year FHA fixed at 6.375% — new payment $2,020, saving $440 a month and $123 k in lifetime interest.

Devon & Luis, Tampa: Jumbo 7/1 ARM jumping from 3.5% to 6.5%. Payment spike: $2,950 → $3,780. Refinanced into a 30-year fixed at 7% with lender-paid PMI — payment lands at $3,280, still $500 lower than the ARM reset.

Shana, self-employed in Denver: Bank-statement refi took her from a 4% ARM to 6.625% fixed. Because we used gross deposits, her DTI stayed under 43% and she skipped tax returns entirely. Monthly savings: $312.

Every scenario is different, but the pattern is the same: stopping the adjustment beats riding it.

Today: Gather your last three mortgage statements and take 30 seconds to upload them via NMHL’s secure portal. No need for tax docs yet — we just need to verify current balance, rate, and adjustment date.

Tomorrow: A dedicated loan officer calls you at the time you choose. We run credit (soft pull), run the math on every program you qualify for, and email a plain-English comparison. Most borrowers know within 15 minutes which path feels doable.

Day 3: You e-sign the initial disclosures; we order payoff and schedule appraisal (if needed). For FHA streamlines, we often skip this step, moving straight to underwriting.

The key is speed: every day you wait is a day closer to the higher debited payment. Even if closing stretches 3–4 weeks, we can backdate the new loan to the day before the adjustment, legally blocking the increase.

• FHA Streamline: No income check, no appraisal, credit scores to 580. Perfect if you already have MI and want the simplest path.
• VA IRRRL: For veterans — 0.5% funding fee, close in 21 days, skip the COE hassle if we service your current loan.
• Non-QM Bank-Statement: Use 12 or 24 months of business deposits. DTI up to 50% allowed. Great for gig workers and agency owners.
• FHA Cash-Out: If you need to consolidate cards to afford the new payment, go to 80% LTV and roll high-interest debt into one fixed payment.
• USDA Streamlined-Assist: Rural borrowers with a USDA Guaranteed loan can drop the rate without credit review or appraisal — close in 14 days.

NMHL keeps every program in-house, so we don’t broker your file out. That means one underwriter, one processor, and a closing ratio above 96%.

Once you close, NMHL sets up autopay from any account and gives you a 0.25% ACH rate discount on most programs. You’ll get a one-page summary showing lifetime interest saved versus staying in the ARM — most clients see six-figure savings.

We also schedule an annual mortgage review. If rates drop more than 0.75% in the future, we reach out to refinance again with zero lender fees. Think of it as a lifetime membership: we stay on your side even after the crisis passes.

Finally, we report your new on-time payments to all three bureaus. Many borrowers see credit scores jump 30–60 points within a year, opening doors to car loans, credit cards, even investment-property financing on better terms.