Home equity loans

After a number years of your home purchase, a reasonable amount of equity builds up in it. Availing a loan against the equity available in your home is known as home equity loan. Being secured against your home a home equity loan diminishes the risk of the lender. So, he offers the loan in a favorable manner and that is with flexible terms and conditions.

A home equity loan helps you to let go the equity tied-up in your home. Unless this equity is gone, it remains not in use and does nothing for you. On the other side of this matter, by taking out a home equity loan you can transform the equity into hard cash. With the cash in hand you can find for any financial venture. There are many things which you can do with the amount advanced through a home equity loan.

As discussed above a home equity loan is secured against the equity in your home. So it comes with low rate of interest and provides you an opportunity to take out a big amount. But, the borrowable amount is basically dependent on the value of the equity available in your home. Then the repayment term will be extended over a long period of time; therefore you can repay the loan in small monthly installments. Continue reading →

Many of us today are turning to equity lines of credit or equity loans to help meet our family's financial needs! Over the last few years here in the U.S. property values have risen dramatically! In some area's they have actually gone through the roof! At the same time living costs have also risen, without the same raise in our salaries? So many of us are looking towards home equity lines of credit type loans to help us through these tuff and difficult times.

We first need to educate ourselves about home equity loans? Let's start with the extra value that your home currently has? Its called equity: Equity is the value of your home minus the remaining mortgage balance that is outstanding. While you live, eat and sleep in your home worrying about debts or wishing you could refurnish the living room you may be sitting on the cash that will grant you your wishes.

Is a Home Equity Loan/Line of Credit right for you?

Unlike a typical loan which deposits a set amount of money in your account and begins charging you interest and payments at a fixed rate until repaid, a line of credit acts as a revolving credit (like your credit card). You do not need to pay interest on the full amount you have access to—you only pay for what you have used. Also, like a credit card, when the debt is repaid you still have access to the credit.

Using an equity line of credit (also known as a Home Equity Line of Credit or HELOC) gives you greater flexibility with the least cost. Not only can you access the credit only as you need it, but you're monthly payments will reflect only the balanced used. The less used the lower your payment. Some lines of credit have only the interest as the minimum payment, which can be helpful, when finances are tight.

An equity line of credit is great when you don't have a large fixed amount to spend in one place that will take many years to repay and you want access to the credit without asking for a new loan when you have paid it back.

Can I Use My Home Equity Loan/Line Of Credit, Whatever Reason I Want?
While you can no doubt find numerous uses for your line of credit, here are samples of the more common reasons for obtaining an equity line of credit.

Consolidate Debts
Using your home equity loans to consolidate other debts can not only eliminate the stress of multiple bills but can also give you a more favorable interest rate or tax benefit. For example: monthly credit cards bills, especially the cards with high interest payments! You might even think about paying off your vehicle, but of course only if your interest on your vehicle is higher then the one on your home equity loan?

Second Mortgage
Use your line of credit to pay off the existing mortgage for better interest rates. Pay-off the high interest rate loan you currently have on your home or rental property? This could be a tax write-off if you use it to pay-off your 2nd loan on your rental property? First discuss this with your accountant to be sure?

Upgrades to your home?
Maybe you would like to add a 2nd or 3rd bedroom or bathroom to your home? Maybe even a 2nd story? Enlarge the garage? These would all be good uses of a home equity loan! Which would bring additional valve to your home!

When Should You NOT Use a Home Equity Loan/Line of Credit? Continue reading →

Home equity loans or lines of credit allows you to borrow money, using your home's equity as collateral where equity is the difference between how much the home is worth and how much you owe on the mortgage. A home equity loan (or line of credit) is a second mortgage that lets you turn equity into cash, allowing you to spend it on home improvements, debt consolidation, college education or other expenses.

Advantages and Disadvantages of the home equity loans

Advantages: There are many other advantages of home equity loans. The loan payments on these loans are tax deductible. Home buyers can take bigger sum equity loans. These loans also carry a low rate of interest. But it’s best to heck the prevailing interest rates from many lenders and banks before you actually go in for a loan. It’s also important that the borrower check the credentials of the lenders before applying for a loan. They are many scam and con artists who can take away your home in lieu of giving you a home equity loan. The borrower also risks losing the home in case they default on the loan.

The two major advantages of borrowing with a home equity loan are lower interest rates and potential tax savings:

- The interest rate you will pay on the average home equity loan is generally lower than the interest rate you will pay on the average credit card or any other type of non-secured debt.

- For home equity loans, you can generally deduct the interest you pay. The interest you pay on credit cards and other types of personal loans is generally not tax-deductible.

Disadvantages:

Risk of losing home. If you can’t repay or refinance the loan, then you may be forced to sell or lose your home. Your home is the collateral for the loan. Being late or missing loan payments can trigger foreclosure within 60 to 90 days.

Rising interest rates. With a variable interest rate, most home loan rates change when the economy changes. This means your monthly payments can rise and fall. Be sure you know what the cap is on the loan’s interest rate. The cap sets how high your interest rate can increase each year as well as how much it can increase over the whole loan time period.

Fees. Lenders can charge a variety of fees including origination, application, and withdrawal fees. Be sure to ask about all possible fees.

The major disadvantage of a home equity loan is that you are using your house to get approved for the loan. For some people who have flawless credit this might not be a problem, because they can insure themselves that they will do whatever it takes to pay off their loan. However, instances have arisen where individuals have forgotten or were they are not financially able to pay for their loans. So at this point you’re wondering what happens if you cant pay your home equity loan? With all financial decisions come risk and the risk of losing your home wouldn’t be an option, especially if you have a family.

Home equity loans are best used for home improvements that will increase the value of your home. Some improvements, such as swimming pools, don't usually increase the value upon resale. Others, such as additional bathrooms, living space, renovated or updated kitchens, etc., generally do increase the value of your home.

The bottom line is this: if your home is worth more than you owe on it, a home equity loan can be a great way to take advantage of this, but it can also get you into serious financial trouble, and should be used wisely. Why not use the equity in your home as part of your retirement fund instead of spending it on things that may not last?

Over the life of home loans - sometimes up to thirty years - your financial circumstances can change dramatically. Starting a family, changing jobs, children leaving home and many other factors can alter your financial circumstances over the term of the loan. A home loan that is right for you at the beginning has the potential to become the worse mistake you ever made.

Refinancing can be useful and financially rewarding but it can also carry risks. It takes time and costs money, so before you decide to change to another lender, ask yourself if it is really the right thing for you.

• Are you happy with your existing lender? Have they been professional and helpful in all the dealings you've had with them?

• Are you happy with your existing loan? Is the interest rate comparable to other lenders? Could you use some extra features offered with other products?

Has your financial situation changed? Maybe you've started a new job or become unemployed.