Posts Tagged ‘Extra Cash’

Home Equity Loans: Taking What’s Rightfully Yours!

December 11th, 2009

Few of us are familiar with the idea of selling our household items to earn money—if you’re not too sure, let’s take a recap. Ever remember having your furniture items sold in a garden sale? Ever sold things from your home to earn a little extra cash? Well, not most of us but there are some who can certainly relate to these situations. These are little instances that put us in the ‘dire need of money’ category. Why not use a slightly different concept to make your money instead? —Take a Home Equity Loan!

Taking a Home Equity Loan is like taking what’s rightfully yours. Home Equity Loans can be taken by homeowners only. They involve borrowing money against your home; for which you do not have to sell your house. Most of us live in houses that are bought on mortgage—partly paid for and the remaining still on repayment. The value of your home is the equity it holds.

In a Home Equity Loan, homeowners can borrow money against that value of the house that has already been paid for. You can estimate this amount by calculating the current value of your home and taking away from it that value that you currently owe through your mortgage. Typically, you would stand to get 80% of the amount already paid on your home and not a full 100%. However, there are 125% Home Equity Loans too, where you can even get 125% of the value that you have already paid on your home. These loans would typically charge a higher interest rate compared to Home Equity Loans offering 80% of your home’s paid value.

A Home Equity Loan is therefore taking what’s already yours! What better than to borrow against your own assets?

The money obtained from Home Equity Loans can be put to use for any purpose you think important. It can be used to pay up your outstanding bills, pay your insurance premium, make your credit card payment, medical bills, etc. Although the money can be used in any direction you think necessary, it is important that you use it to clear your dues and not for a luxury vacation. Borrowing money against you home may be simple, but taking advantage of easy opportunities would be silly. Ensure that you use this money to repay a bill or make an urgent payment. Remember that you are paying interest on the amount you borrow, so make sure it’s for the right reason.

Home Equity Loans – Source of Cheap Rate Finance to Meet Needs

December 11th, 2009

Over the years you have made timely repayment towards the loan you took against your home. There is a greater price of the home in the market now. This clearly means that in the eyes of lenders your home is now a safer property if you take a loan against it. There is a good amount of equity build up in home which can enable in borrowing money at cheaper rate. Home Equity Loans are given against equity in the borrower’s home that is pledged as collateral. Equity is the amount that is arrived at by subtracting balance payments towards the home from market price of the home. You have repaid many installments of the home loan and in the mean time market price of your home has substantially increased. So there is a good amount of equity in the home. It is this equity that the lender will approve a loan against. This clearly means that you would be given loan almost equal to the equity. These are safer loans for lenders as in case of payment default; the lender will get back the loan on selling borrower’s home.

The advantage is that the borrower can release equity in home. The extra cash in the home can be used of variety of purposes like home improvements, holiday tour, wedding, paying for child’s tuition fee.

Because the loan amount approved is restricted to the equity, the lender feels more secured and so the rate of interest on the loan is kept low. These loans are therefore best suited option when it comes to searching a cheaper loan.

What is more if you have a bad credit history, then also a loan based on your home equity is easier to take and with better rate of interest. Since you have been making regular payments for past many months towards home loan, your credit score may have improved a lot. So the lender will seldom hesitate in giving you the loan.

Prefer online lenders over banks or financial institutions. Online lenders not only have lower interest rate but they process the loan without many additional costs and the loan approval comes within days.

The Basics of Home Equity Loan

December 9th, 2009

If you are a homeowner, you surely have heard so much about home equity loan. What is this all about? Owning a home is not only a major turning point in your life, but is actually an investment that will increase in value over time. In time, your home value would increase. This means that your house which originally cost you $150,000 10 years ago can now be sold for $200,000.

Consequently, if you purchase a home and pay for it through home mortgage, you are slowly building on home equity. It is simply the difference between the current value of your home and the value you still owe your lender on the mortgage. You can then expect your home equity to increase in two ways – it increases as you pay your monthly mortgage payments, and as the market value of your home increases in time.

Home equity is actually one of the most important advantages you can get when buying a home. It is a great financial resource and your money stored in the bank. You can borrow against it through a home equity loan in cases when you badly need some extra cash. If you want to take on a home equity loan for college tuition, home renovation or to pay off your debts, you have two types to choose from: a second mortgage (known as the traditional home equity loan) and the home equity line of credit loan. What are these two all about?

A second mortgage loan merits you lump sum money which is based on the equity built on your home. On the other hand, a line of credit loan entitles you to a credit card or a check book with a corresponding maximum credit amount that you can use for purchases. The amount you can spend is again based on your home’s equity.

Whichever type it is, is low interest and tax deductible. Thus, with all else being equal, the choice of which one to choose is entirely up to you. It will depend on your needs for the moment. If you need the lump sum cash to pay for big purchases, then a second mortgage will do. On the other hand, if you need to spend it in small but regular amounts, then you might find a line of credit more suitable.

However, it is still very important for you to bear in mind that when taking out a home equity loan, your lender can repossess your home anytime if you fail to pay the necessary dues. If you fail to pay your monthly payments for a while or if you fail to pay your home equity loan in full as agreed upon, your lender or your bank can take your house away and use its current value to get what you owed them. As in all mortgages, make sure that you assume the responsibility to pay for what you need to, or you stand the risk losing your home.