The law works on ‘nits’ (those nitpickers!!) This may be the clause that states that the refi is a recourse.

580b. No deficiency judgment shall lie in any event after a sale of real property or an estate for years therein for failure of the purchaser to complete his or her contract of sale, or under a deed of trust or mortgage given to the vendor to secure payment of the balance of the purchase price of that real property or estate for years therein, or under a deed of trust or mortgage on a dwelling for not more than four families given to a lender to secure repayment of a loan which was in fact used to pay all or part of the purchase price of that dwelling occupied, entirely or in part, by the purchaser.

The refi is not the purchase. The money is being used to pay off the old loan. The nit being “purchase price” and whether that includes the action of purchasing. Another part might be last paragraph of section 580d. The refi is to secure payments to close out the previous mortgage(secure payment for)

This section does not apply to any deed of trust, mortgage or other lien given to secure the payment of bonds or other evidences of indebtedness authorized .