Lenders get tough on refinancing 

Home-equity lenders are starting to say no to homeowners with good credit who want to refinance their primary mortgages, something that was once routine. Getting a new home-equity loan to replace the old one in order to get a refinancing approved has become difficult, after the credit crunch forced lenders to tighten standards. That has left some borrowers unable to lower their rates or lock in a fixed-rate mortgage by refinancing.