Home Equity Loans – second mortgage

Derek Farley asked:




A home equity loan is a loan that is secured by the equity of the borrower’s home. Because the borrower’s home is used as security, the lender will usually offer an interest rate that is lower than it would be for an unsecured loan. The most common reasons for getting a home equity loan are paying for home improvements, paying off other debts that have a higher rate of interest, and paying for other expensive items such as a college education or medical bills.

A borrower should only seek a home equity loan if they are sure that they can repay it. If the borrower defaults then the lender could foreclose on the borrower’s home and sell it to recover their losses. A borrower must have equity in their home before applying. If the borrower’s home is worth less than the balance on their current mortgage(s) then there is no equity to borrow against.

There are two types of home equity loans – a closed end, and a line of credit. A closed end home equity loan is a lump sum that is repaid in monthly payments over five or ten years, and usually has a fixed interest rate. If the rate is fixed then it is easy to create a loan amortization schedule that shows the balance remaining on the loan after each payment. Variable rates are uncommon for this type of loan because the payments are fixed, so a change in the interest rate might mean that the payments are no longer enough to cover the interest expense. This would lead to a negative amortization, where the unpaid interest is added to the balance.

A home equity line of credit works like a giant credit card, except that there are minimum withdrawal amounts as well as fees for each withdrawal. The interest rate on this type is usually variable. Therefore, the monthly payment amount will change depending on the current interest rate and the current loan balance.

Currently, home equity loans are difficult to get unless the borrower has excellent credit and a lot of equity in their home. This is because the home equity loan will be in second position behind the first mortgage, which makes it difficult for a lender to recover any money if the borrower defaults. However, it is much easier to get if the borrower does not have a first mortgage because the equity loan would then be in first position. In that situation a borrower may find it easier to get than a traditional mortgage.

There is also a tax advantage to getting a home equity loan. The interest is usually tax deductible if the borrower’s primary residence is the home offered as security. The borrower should check the tax code or ask a tax professional for advice if they want to take advantage of this tax deduction.

Hazel

MoneyTalksNews asked:

While the credit crunch has made borrowing for… or against… your home more difficult, home equity loans and lines of credit remain popular for those with equity. Stacy Johnson explains what these loans do and if you should consider them.

Billy

Analogy4155 asked:

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Judy

Gertrude J Fellows asked:




Credit equity home loan refinance is a refinance loan that you can have by giving the lender equity in your property or sometimes in your business as well. Loan refinance works in a similar manner to the equity loan, where you will be entitled to get a loan to the value of the collateral that you provide.

Refinance works in a very simple manner. You could pickup one of these loans to repay or refinance any other loan Usually you would want to refinance another loan or mortgage that you have taken with a loan that has a lower rate of interest.

It might seem that these loans are given out with out to much worry and that they are simple to get, the answer to that is a big no. There are a number of considerations to take into account before lenders would consider, before accepting an application for a Loan.

One of these considerations is the percentage of equity that is available to the lender and if this percentage is not enough then it is good by refinancing.

Another consideration is the income and credit rating or credit history, now as you must know the more healthy your credit history the more chances you will have in your home loan refinancing.

There are two types of refinancing available one is with a fixed rate of interest and a variable rate of interest.
The application procedure for the loan refinance is obviously a bit lengthy, as you would have to submit quite a few papers.

However, today banks try and keep the procedure short and simple. You could also apply online for a refinancing loans.

Maria

FacingMortgageCrisis asked:

The only time you should consider taking out a home equity loan is if it will increase the value of your home. While taking out a home equity loan to help pay down other debt may help in the sort term, it is not a long term solution to a debt problem. Ifyou have more questions, you can call the United Way’s helpline at 1-800-427-4626 or 2-1-1 for information about trusted community resources in the Greater St. Louis area you can turn to.

Duane

Bill Stone asked:




There are home equity loans for people with poor credit. If you own a home and have been paying down the mortgage you, most likely, have equity. The balance between what you owe and the current market value of your home is your equity. For example, if your home is valued at $100,000 and you now owe $80,000, then you have $20,000 in equity. This would satisfy most lenders’ requirements of at least 20% equity for home equity loans for people with bad credit.

If you don’t know what your homes’ market value is, many online lenders have home value calculators on their websites. If there is one available, you can use it to get an instant estimate of what your homes’ market value is.

Once you know the market value of your home, a home equity loan calculator can help you figure out the percentage of equity you have. An equity loan calculator can also help figure out interest rates and monthly payments on home equity loans for people with poor credit. By entering different repayment terms like 10, 15 or 20 years into the calculator, you can see how it will affect your monthly payments.

The longer the repayment term is, the lower your interest rates and monthly payments will be. Home equity loans for people with poor credit can often be as competitive as their good credit counterparts. This is due to a drastic increase in lender competitors who are now offering lower interest rates and loan terms.

Searching for Loans

There are many places to find home equity loans for people with poor credit. You can search through many lenders online. With many lenders offering borrower incentives such as no closing costs, low fees, low interest rates and flexible repayment terms, you can see up front which ones are right for you.

There are also many lenders who specialize in lending to people with poor credit. These lenders will often have higher interest rates. Being that your loan will be secured with your house, you can apply to a variety of lenders to see what offers will best suit your needs and budget. Knowing your credit score can help by eliminating lenders who have credit score requirements that you don’t meet.

If you don’t know your credit score, you can obtain one online from any of the major credit bureaus. Many offer you a free look at your credit score when you subscribe to a free 30-day trial to their credit monitoring services. Another option for home equity loans of this nature is their mortgage brokers.

Often, a mortgage broker can get you interest rates comparable to that of your mortgage. If you have a good history with them, and you are using your house to secure the loan they are sometimes better able to approve you for a home equity loan. The equity in a home can be the deciding factor in acquiring home equity loans for people with poor credit.

Lucille

James T Allen asked:




Is a home equity loan a smart debt management decision? The short answer is – it can be. But BEWARE!! Discipline is the key to successful debt management with a home equity loan. Not to be mean but lack of discipline probably played a bit of a role in you getting into debt in the first place.

With that being said, lets take a look at what exactly a home equity line of credit (HELOC) is and how it could possibly work in debt management. First of all – Do you qualify for a HELOC loan? In this economic climate, that could be tough especially if your finances and debt is a little out of whack. Before you get too wrapped up in the process, check with a bank or two to see if an equity loan is even a possibility.

If it is or might be, some individuals have successfully used a home equity loan as part of their debt management program. You can use the collateral in a home equity loan to help with your debt consolidation and ultimately manage your debt a little easier. Keep in mind though that you still have the debt, it is just structured in what is hopefully a more manageable way.

When you have a this type of loan, you can use secured debt to pay off your outstanding bills. A credit card debt is unsecured collateral. A home equity loan, however, uses the collateral of your home to give you the equity you need for debts like bills.

You can take advantage of the lower interest rates available through your bank with a loan of this type. The interest rates will help you pay off your debts at a faster rate, which is smart debt management. You will be able to get out of debt more efficiently and will pay less in interest over time.

Like I said before if you are using a home equity loan for debt management, you will need to be very disciplined. If you are late with a credit card payment, you will receive a call from a collection agency. But if you are late with a home equity loan, the bank can take away your home. Nevertheless, if you are disciplined, you can use your home equity loan to help pay your debts through superior debt management.

One last thing – Pay off your debt with a HELOC and that’s all. Don’t allow yourself to increase your debt when you receive the additional funds or spend the money on anything but your debt. Don’t compound you current problem. This is that discipline thing I keep harping on.

Eva

ema7534 asked:

MORTGAGE LOANS Bad Credit Mortgage If you’re a first time home buyer, we offer a variety of loan programs to assist you in making your first time home purchase decision – even with bad credit problems or after bankruptcy. Bad Credit Home Equity Loan Our online application is the fastest and…

Mathew

Adam Hefner asked:




If you don’t have a great credit score you shouldn’t give up on the home ownership dream. There are poor credit home loans for you. You just have to know where to look and which programs might be applicable to your situation. The benefits of home ownership justify the research necessary for you to find the right loan.

Most normal private loans have minimum credit score standards. Some are firm with this and will not budge. Others might make exceptions assuming you come up with a higher down payment. It might also be possible to get a cosigner. It is worth the time to inquire about such possibilities if they are applicable to you.

The current real estate market condition also presents other opportunities for creative buyers with bad credit. Taking over a mortgage could be a possibility. It might otherwise be possible to sign a long term lease with an option to buy the property at current market value.

Some owners might even allow rent payments to be applied towards the purchase price should the option be executed. This is a great way for those with bad credit to get into an equity building situation. It also avoids any down payment.

If those paths prove fruitless, then all is not lost. There are loans backed by what is called the Federal Housing Administration. These are commonly referred to as FHA loans. FHA loans do not require minimum credit requirements. Aside from not having minimum credit score requirements, FHA loans also provide other advantages which are usually needed by those with less than stellar credit.

Credit isn’t an issue with an FHA loan unless you have filed for bankruptcy within the previous two year period or have had a foreclosure within the previous 3 year period. FHA loans also do not require the traditional 20% down payment. Most often, they only require a 3% down payment making it much easier for those with bad credit to close on their property.

Another advantage is the waiving of the stipulation that closing costs be borne by the borrower due in full at closing. These can often add up to thousands of dollars. With an FHA loan, the lender pays half of these fees, and the other half is tacked onto the principal of the mortgage.

Do not make the assumption that there are no poor credit home loans available for you. There very well may be. You just have to know where to look. The above ideas are just a few out of many. Do your research and you might discover that home ownership is within your reach.

Curtis