Entering Mortgage & Need Car Refinance

[Anthony Fecarotta]

I'm closing on a property May 1st, so I will be officially applying for a mortgage April 1st. I'm under the impression that I will be locked into that rate for 30 days. If this holds true, can I apply to refinance for my car during this time without effecting my mortgage rate?

The reason I ask is because I currently have an old car loan at a 7.14% interest rate and I can get that down about 3%. With that said, after I close on my new home I will be using credit cards for some home upgrades and I'm sure my score will suffer some points.