If you need to refinance, a home equity loan lest you cash in on the value you have built up in your home. The amount of equity is the difference between what you owe on your mortgage and what your home is worth on the real estate market. This option for refinancing is really great for homeowners who have been paying on their mortgage for quite some time and have a significant amount of the principal of the loan repaid. With a home equity loan, you can usually get about 80% of the equity as a loan.
The money you get through a refinance home equity loan is yours to do whatever you like. If you want to make further improvements to your home, then you are building up even more equity. There are some lenders that will approve a home equity mortgage loan where you don’t have to make any payments as long as you still live there. When you sell the home you have to repay the loan in full, plus interest of course. If you die, then your estate is responsible for the repayment.
As with a mortgage, your home is the collateral when you refinance. Loan payments have to be made each month, which could mean you have two mortgage payments to make. You have to make sure that you can afford this before you jump into it and the lender will require you to have an excellent credit record. If you default on the payment for the home equity loan, you could lose everything you have worked so hard for.
Many homeowners use the option of refinance in a home equity loan to consolidate all their bills. Then they use the total of the payments they were making each month to make the payment for the loan. Most of the time, this amount is much less than the total of all the other payments, giving you cash to work with each month. The rate of interest on a home equity loan is much lower than a normal loan and in some cases the interest may be tax-deductible.
When you want to refinance, a home equity mortgage loan has two options for you to choose from. You can have a fixed-rate loan where you make fixed monthly payments each month for a specified term. You can also have an adjustable rate line of credit with a home equity loan. If you choose the fixed rate option because you want to be able to budget each month, once you pay the loan in full, you cannot get another home equity loan. This is a one time thing. However, with a home equity line of credit, you can use the money over and over.
When you repay the line of credit, you can borrow money on it as you need it. You don’t have to have it repaid in full to do this and can use it as you see fit. You only pay the interest each month on the outstanding principal and you can pay it off in full whenever you want.
Posts Tagged ‘cash’
Home Equity Can Equal Cash: Understanding Home Equity Loans
December 26th, 2009While cash-strapped homeowners sometimes struggle to make ends meet, our real estate has seemingly morphed into the local bank. We can tap into our home equity for everything from cars to vacations to college funds. Though tapping into your home’s value is one of the smartest ways to borrow money, there are still drawbacks. Moving Forward with Caution Drawing on your home’s equity is often suggested by financial advisers who show that the tax-free interest you pay on a home loan is much lower than what you’d pay on mounting credit card or consumer debt. However, it’s possible to overdo it. While there’s no law that says you have to pay off your mortgage before your retirement, it’s not always pleasant being left with home equity debt once you’ve stopped working. On the other hand, if you retire with a healthy nest egg and lots of home equity, you’ll limit your major expenses and have cash to fall back on. Timing is Critical The best way to access home loan financing while still retaining your retirement savings is to time the loan appropriately. Basically, you want to tailor the loan’s end date to coincide with your expected retirement. You can shorten a loan’s length significantly simply by adding $100 or $200 to your monthly payments. Extra payments can also mean major returns. For example, let’s say you take out a home equity loan with a 7 percent interest rate and you’re in the 27 percent income-tax bracket. After you figure in your mortgage-tax deduction, you’ll still bring in a 5. 11 percent return just by making extra principal payments. Consider the Advantages On top of added returns and despite rising interest rates and retirement risks, home equity loans are still more advantageous than other forms of credit. They offer quick access to funds at a cost that’s at least 5 percent less than a traditional low-interest credit card. In addition, that interest is often tax-deductible. A second consideration when deciding between an equity loan and a line of credit are your monthly payments. Typically, home equity loans offer a fixed rate of interest and a steady monthly payment that’s predictable. A home equity line of credit normally uses an adjustable interest rate that can go up and down with the changing market. So, if you prefer the stability of a steady rate, a home equity loan may be the better option for you. Preparation Ahead of Time Before you commit to a home equity loan, you ideally want to have owned your home long enough to build up equity, not be planning to move soon, have a stable employment situation and actually need the money that a home equity loan can give you. If you’re using the funds to pay off credit card debt, don’t let your consumer debt run back up during the ten or so years it will take you to pay back your equity loan. Finally, make sure you can afford the monthly payments. Any borrowing, especially on a home, needs to be part of a total household plan and worked within your family’s budget.
Would You Like To Pay For That With Cash, Credit Or A Home Equity Loan?
December 22nd, 2009Everyone wants to know the answer to the same question. So how much can I get? How much you can borrow is directly related to your equity which is simply estimated by subtracting the outstanding balance you owe on the home from the current market value. Equity simply refers to the cash value that has grown in your home while you have been making your monthly payments over time. Equity loans enable homeowners to borrow money against their home’s calculated value.
At the same time as home equity loans are a great approach to free up extra cash which is tied up in your home, borrowers must be fully aware that they are using their home as collateral. If a situation arises and their loan obligations aren’t met, they could lose their home. Historically, home equity loans were strictly used for home repairs that would increase the value of your home. Nonetheless, these loans have become a feasible selection for large, non-home improvement related purchases or even for consolidating outstanding debts into one monthly payment at an affordable interest rate.
These loans, secured by real estate, are generally considered safer by lenders. Because of this your interest rates are likely lower than credit card rates or consumer loans. In addition, regardless of the rate, the interest on debt secured by the mortgage or lien on your personal residence is commonly tax-deductible. Please consult your accountant for more detailed information.
Equity loans are great in that they use the collateral of your home to secure the loan, helping you to get a better rate out of the deal and make smaller payments than you would to a credit card or even on a personal loan. Home equity loans can be used for consolidating consumer debt or covering a large expense such as a wedding, college tuition, or home renovations to your existing home. Home equity loans are desirable to borrowers because they oftentimes have a lower interest rate, they are easier to qualify for even if you have bad credit and payments on a home equity loan may be tax deductible.
Even if most lenders feel comfortable with home equity lending, and may be more liberal because they view home equity loans as comparatively safe, it’s still a loan. Lenders consider many factors such as your credit history, ability to repay the loan, and your homes equity (noted above) when making a decision on how much money to lend. Home equity lending, often referred to as a second mortgage or borrowing against your existing home, can open up a lot of avenues as a funding source for a current homeowner.
Because they normally have a lower interest rate, are easier to qualify for (even with weak credit) and the interest may be tax deductible, home equity loans are a great alternative for individuals. Home equity loans are, when all’s said and done, fixed rate home loans that allow you to take advantage of the money you’ve already invested in your home to finance larger debts at a typically lower interest rate than most revolving credit choices.
Home equity loans are a great option if you are sure of your ability to pay them off. Like anything else however, buyer beware. Hidden fees and confusing rate calculations can make a bad situation get even worse. Less reputable lenders frequently target people in vulnerable circumstances with troubled credit by proposing what appears to be an easy way out.
