Archive for May, 2010

Do You Qualify for a Home Equity Loan?

Carrie Reeder asked:




When you apply for a home equity loan, lenders consider your creditworthiness when deciding whether or not to extend a loan. Your creditworthiness is assessed based on three things: credit history, income, and loan-to-value ratio.

Credit History

As with any loan, your credit history will have a major effect on home equity loan availability and loan interest rates. Fortunately, qualifying for financing on a home you already own is much easier than qualifying for a new home loan. If you have good credit, you should have no trouble qualifying for a home equity loan. You should also be able to obtain a relatively good rate. If you have bad credit, you should still be able to obtain a home equity loan, but your rate will probably be a bit higher. Before applying for a home equity loan, take time to pull your credit report. If possible, improve your credit rating by removing mistakes and old debt.

Income

Even though the equity that has built up in your home belongs to you, lenders will still want to make sure that you can pay back any amount that you borrow. To determine your ability to repay, lenders will assess your monthly income and your total debt-to-income ratio. (Debt-to-income ratio is a term used to describe how much of your monthly income goes towards paying your mortgage, credit card debt, loan installments, and other financial obligations, including the home equity loan for which you are applying.) Most lenders will want to make sure that your total debt does not exceed 38 percent of your monthly income.

Loan-to-Value

The loan-to-value ratio is the amount you owe on your house versus the amount your house is worth. For example, if your house is worth $100,000 and you still owe $70,000, your loan-to-value ratio is 70 percent. When you get a home equity loan, the value of your home is re-assessed. The lender will add your current mortgage balance to the requested home equity loan amount, and divide the sum by your home’s current value. The final amount is the new loan-to-value ratio. Many lenders want to keep this amount below 80 percent. However, some lenders are willing to loan you 100 percent of your home’s value or more. Here is a list of recommended Home Equity Lenders online. It’s important to use a reputable lender online to make sure your personal information is secure.

Monica
 

No Doc Home Equity Loan

Gressly Stevens asked:




Are you in the right situation to use a home equity loan to add on to your home, fix it up, consolidate some debt, or for any other reason you might have? If so, then you might consider using a no doc home equity loan if your situation is the right one. Here is what you need to know about the no doc options.

First, if you are self employed, then you are the prime candidate for this type of home equity loan. This type of loan was actually created to make it easier for self employed individuals to get a mortgage because it is very rare that someone that runs a business has an easy time proving all of their income. With business expenses and cash payments not getting documented it can be difficult to come up with your real income.

Second, if you are a tipped employee or someone that works mainly for cash, then you already know how hard it will be to prove your income and that makes it very difficult to get a good mortgage. However, if you have very good credit or at least pretty good credit, then you can use the no doc options and you will have a much easier time getting approved for your home equity loan.

Last, if you work a steady job and you get paid a regular paycheck, then you would be making a terrible mistake to get a no doc home equity loan. This is not for you and any mortgage broker or account executive that tries to talk you into this type of loan will be setting you up for failure. This is just not a good situation and this could be the cause of a foreclosure so be very careful if you find yourself in this category.

Bruce
 

Investment Finance Tips : How Do Home Equity Loans Work

eHow asked:


Home equity loans are secondary loans made to the principle mortgage on a house. Understand how home equity loans work on both ends withtips and advice from an experienced financial adviser in this free video. Expert: Patrick Munro Contact: www.northstarnavigator.com Bio: Patrick Munro is a registered financial consultant (RFC) with outstanding sales volume of progressive financial products and solutions to the senior and boomer marketplace. Filmmaker: Reel Media LLC

Laura

 

Unthaw Frozen Home Equity Lines of Credit

Mary Wise asked:




You may have taken out a home equity line of credit to help you cover the expenses of life – anything from adding an additional bedroom to your home to putting your twins through four years of grad school. But if you suddenly received a letter stating that your home equity line of credit has been frozen, you are probably wondering where to turn next.

Most home equity credit lines bear the stipulation that the creditor can freeze your line under situations that are outlined in Regulation Z, under the Federal Reserve Board’s codes. For many home equity lenders, this is interpreted as being able to shut you off from your available line of home equity credit if market conditions in your area make the value of your home decline, or if your income has been reduced to where they feel you are at great risk of defaulting on payment to them for credit already extended.

Get Around Regulation Z

You have several options. You can argue with your lender to attempt to persuade them to reinstate your credit line. You can back up your argument by pointing out your good payment history (if payments have come due under your agreement); or by listing homes in the area that have recently sold at or above market value. Discussing the freeze with customer service for your lender has a small, but not impossible, chance of getting your credit line unfrozen.

Your best option is to vote with your feet by choosing a different lender. True, you may have to pay additional closing costs over what you have already paid for your current, now-useless credit line, but you can switch lenders.

In fact, there are online lenders who deal very effectively with taking on borrowers who have had a frozen credit line. With less strict stipulations regarding market values, these lenders can refinance your current line while making the additional credit you need available to you.

Apply Online For the Credit Line You Need

To apply, you will need to gather all the information pertinent to your current home equity line of credit. Visit the lender’s secure online site where you can begin the application process. You will be asked to verify certain things – like your income, employment, etc. Most of the needed documentation can be either emailed or faxed to the new lender.

As with a your original home equity line of credit, your new credit line will allow you to use your home equity line of credit for up to twenty five years. At the end of that period, you will have the opportunity to renew your credit line, or begin repayment. Oftentimes, you can pay during the time that your home equity line of credit is open; this greatly reduces the amount that you will owe at the end of the term.

If you have had your home equity credit line frozen, voting with your feet by choosing a new lender can not only make a bold statement to the lender that you have other options, but can also save you money by the possibility of getting better rates online.

Franklin
 

Provides information about Mortgages, Mortgage Rates, Home Refinancing, Home Equity Loans and many other Mortgage related topics

Demontay544678 asked:


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Jared

 

Home Equity Loans | Smart Tip No. 118 from Citadel

Lukens1937 asked:


At Citadel we have easier ways to get money when you need it. With a Home Equity Loan or Line of Credit. Go to CitadelFCU.org/SmartLiving today for smarter ways to borrow money.

Margaret

 

Home equity loans

Constructionlenderca asked:


www.lendinguniverse.com find top 10 home equity loans lenders on http contact Mortgage Lenders, private investors, hard money brokers and credit union who can potentially refinance while house is in foreclosure and arrange your loan fast. In addition to being directly connected to the…

Kelly

 

Kansas City Mo Mortgage Refinance Home Equity Loans Kansas City Missouri Mortgage Jake Ferder

jakeferder asked:


savemycashnow.com Jake Ferder, Kansas City Mortgage Rates, Refinance, MO Mortgage Companies, Home Equity Loans, Kansas City Mortgage

Maria

 

Lending loan home equity loans

Constructionlenderca asked:


www.lendinguniverse.com Lending loan home equity loans and lenders equity loan is reputable website for mortgage brokers and mortgage lenders since 2000 which foster thousands of banks, credit union as well as thousands of brokers and private hard money lenders in every state of United State…

Holly

 

Facing the Mortgage Crisis: The Next Steps, Using Home Equity Loans for other living expenses

ThinktvMortgagCrisis asked:


A panel discussion on the mortgage crisis at the Cox Media center.

Constance