Home Equity Loans – second mortgage

lilmisssassy_48125 asked:


I already own a home but am looking into buying another just for the property. It’s very cheap but needs lot of repairs and would just tear it down. I am also in quite a bit of credit card debt. Is there anyway to get a second mortgage and wrap up my debt in the equity of that property?
When the time is right I plan on selling my current home and building on this property. I just would like to snatch it up cuz it’s about 60% cheaper than any other property in my area.

DONNY

Alan Lim asked:


 

A loan taken out for the purpose of transforming the equity in your house into cash that can be used for other purposes is known as a home equity loan.  A loan taken with the equity in your home as collateral can be structured in many ways. It is actually a second mortgage in many ways, and will result in less of your home’s value being accessible should you decide to sell the property.  It is an excellent way to obtain access to a sizable amount of cash, depending on the amount you owe on your home and the market value of your home.  The difference is your home equity.

 

Advantages

 

Most borrowers determine that the home equity loan works to their advantage.

 

Single Payment

 

Using a loan against the equity in your home as opposed to trying to take out a combination of personal loans and increased credit card debt means that you will only have one payment monthly for the loan rather than a half dozen or dozen small ones.  The home equity loan as a single unit is probably going to be easier to obtain than numerous smaller loans all at the same time.  You only need remember the due date and amount on one loan and thus you can prepare for and budget well into the future.

 

Available Cash

 

When you take out an equity loan on your home, it usually results in a larger amount of cash available to you all at once.  No matter what the reason for the lump sum cash is, having it in one sum often serves as a way to give you a clean start from financial problems that are eating away at your financial freedom and at your sanity.

 

Disadvantages

 

It is important that you not lose sight of the disadvantages of the loan against home equity.

 

Increased debt

 

When you obtain a home equity loan, even if it is to pay off other debt, you will almost always increase the total amount of debt that you owe.  You should study carefully whether the increased debt is offset by the advantages that a single payment–possibly smaller in size is worth going even further into debt.  If your goal is to change the ability of your family to meet future obligations or to add to the debt load as an investment toward the future, such as paying for a college education for yourself or your family, the debt load may be justifiable.

 

Economy of the area

 

Before taking out a home equity loan, it is important to look realistically at the area’s economy.  If housing prices in the community or in your neighborhood are beginning to fall, obtaining an equity loan to improve your home so that you can sell it and move on may not be a good idea.  You may find that the increased asking price necessary to clear the loans on your house will mean no buyers will be able to qualify to purchase your house.

 



DREW

Namsing Then asked:


This is a type of loan under which a property owner uses his residence as collateral security and can get prearranged amount against the property. The loan allows you to use into your home’s built-up equity.

Home equity is the actual difference between the amount your home could be sold for and the amount that you already owe on the mortgage. Assume that the market value of your home is $200,000 and you owe $70,000 on your mortgage, then you have $130,000 equity available on your home. Remember that if you have more than one mortgage taken on your property, then all of them have to be considered for calculating the outstanding dues.

A home-equity loan is a good way to borrow money for two main reasons:

1. The interest rate is one of the lowest loan rates a borrower can get.

2. The interest you pay on the loan is tax-deductible. Thus it is sometimes recommended by many to replace other consumer loans whose interest is not tax-deductible, such as auto loans, credit card debt, and medical debt with the Home Equity Loan.

Caution: If you don’t repay the debt, you can risk losing the home and be forced to move out. Do act with care and make sure you are able to fulfil the repayment terms.

There Are Two Types of Home Equity Loans

1.The standard home equity loan,

2.The home equity line of credit (HELOC’s)

In a standard home equity loan, a pre specified amount of money is loaned in a lump sum for a specified period of time and the same amount of interest is paid every month. It is also called a term loan, a closed-end loan or a second mortgage installment loan.

HELOC works similar to a credit card because it has a revolving balance. A HELOC allows you to borrow up to a certain fixed amount for a specified period of the loan which is set by the lender. During that time period, you can withdraw as much money as you need. As you clear the principal, you can use the credit again, like a credit card.

These loans are repaid in a shorter period of time than the first mortgages. They often have a repayment period of 5 to15 years.

The loan could be either a fixed interest rate or a variable interest rate.

Homeowners often use a home-equity loan for home improvements or debt consolidation or to pay for a new car or to finance their child’s college education.



GIL

cpb asked:


First option is to put it all toward credit card debt. This is attractive because I would love to get rid of monthly cc payments.

Second option is to put it all in savings. This sounds good because I have not been able to save as much as I would like for an emergency. This would give me some peace of mind.

Third option is to pay it toward my mortgage and/ or home equity line of credit. I like this idea because when I sell my house, I can put more into a new one.

Fourth option is spend it all. Probably shouldn’t do this, but it is an option
I do have a retirement plan at work that I have been contributing to for 4 years.

RONALD

melinamenny asked:


 

Getting a Home Equity Loan



Making the decision to take out any kind of loan is worth thinking about, and knowing your options may help make it final. When you take out a home equity loan, you are really taking out a loan on the equity you have invested in your house. If your house is worth $150,000, and you have a mortgage balance of $70,000, then you have built up $80,000 worth of equity. Potentially you may be able to take out a loan on any amount under $80,000. Some lenders will only give a loan on a percentage of the value of the house, usually about 75 percent.

 

Finding a lender may be easy, but it is wise to shop around before you decide what lender to accept a loan from. You will want to make sure you know what the interest rate is, and any other terms the loan will have. Will the home equity loan be a revolving line of credit, or a lump sum? Do you want all you can get, or just a portion of what may be available to you? What will you use the loan for? Is it considered a risky investment? Will the loan be worth putting your house up as collateral?

 

Answering these and any other questions you may have before you actually take out a loan is important, and may help you decide how much of a loan you need, and what terms you want to try to find from a lender.

 

There are Many Uses For a Home Equity Loan



Looking at the possibilities of how you can use a home equity loan may make the reality of your needs, and desires, more attainable. Home equity loans can be used for a variety of things.

 

Many people have a hard time paying down high interest debt they have acquired. Using a home equity loan to consolidate credit card debt, car loans, and any other loans you may be paying on, can save you money that would have been paid on interest rates. It will also help you be more organized by making it easier to keep track of one loan payment rather than many payments each month.

 

Using a home equity loan to pay off medical bills is another possibility. If you have a lot of medical bills you owe or have been putting off treatment for a medical condition because of a lack of money, taking out a home equity loan can be a great help to get the bills paid, and get the treatment you need.

 

Another thing a home equity loan can be used for is to pay off student loans. Student loans are federal loans, and they usually carry a high interest rate. Using a home equity loan to pay them off may end up saving you quite a bit of money, and help keep your credit rating up.

 

You could use a home equity loan to make your home more energy efficient. Putting in new windows or a high efficiency furnace will help lower your utility bills. Needing to spend less on heating your home will give you more money to spend on other things. Making your home more energy efficient also raises the value of your home, so you may be able to sell at a higher price.

 

Another way to raise the value of your home with a home equity loan is to use it to update your home. Insulating it, putting on a new roof, improving the kitchen or bathroom, is an investment in your financial future. Updates increase not only the value of your house, but they also raise the amount of equity you have placed in your home.

 

Putting on an addition, paving your driveway, or installing a pool are some other ways you can use a home equity loan. These things add to the value of your home, and also make it more desirable to buyers when it’s time to sell your house.

 

You could even use your home equity loan to take a long awaited vacation. Using it for recreational purposes may not increase the value of your house, but it would give you some rest and relaxation. This would help remove some of the stress of working and dealing with life on a daily basis. Taking a vacation is an investment in yourself, and can refresh you to the point of helping you think clearly and reduce your stress.

 

Things you may not want to use a home equity loan for



Since taking out a home equity loan requires using your house as collateral, you will want to make sure you are using it for improving the quality of your life, and not taking a high risk with it. Most lenders have standards they follow, and are wary of lending money for things considered a high risk. This protects them from having the loan defaulted on, and it protects you, the borrower, from losing your home.

 

Investing in stocks, new companies, and many other types of investments, is considered high risk. Beginning a new business may be considered a high risk. Taking risks that may cost you your house should be considered at great length. If you want to begin a business, there are other types of loans that may be more beneficial for you. Using a home equity loan for such a venture may end up costing you more than you bargained for.

 

Looking for the best possible deal, and not taking the first loan offered to you, could make a big difference in your finances. Finding an interest rate that will be fair, and terms of the loan that will meet your needs, and help you do what you want and need to do with it, will make it easier to pay it back.

 

Remember, a home equity loan is like a second mortgage, and will mean making a second mortgage payment each month. One good thing about this type of loan is that usually the interest paid is tax deductible, unlike other types of loans you may be eligible for. If you want to read more about the various uses of a home equity loan, visit the FHA website.



COURTNEY

Gerald Greene asked:


Over the past few years many Americans have established lines of credit secured by the equity in their homes or have borrowed a lum sum amount secured by their home. For marginal borrowers this can turn out to be highly risky as it exposes these families to the loss of their homes.

Lenders tend to quickly change colors from friend to foe in times of financial crisis and will “take it away if you can’t pay”.

Prior to mortgaging or refinancing a home you should consider what your families finances would look like if one or more of your family members living in the home lost their job or came down with a serious illness.

How long could you keep the home payments current if there was an unfortunate long term loss of family income?

In spite of the dangers of refinancing or taking out a home equity loan there are times when it may in fact be wise.

Perhaps credit card debt has gotten out of hand. You can get a home equity loan at much lower rates, pay off the credit card debt, and lower your monthly payments, perhaps as much as by 50%.

A word of warning, however. You must not run up your credit card balances once again or you will end up in even worse financial shape than you were to begin with. The second time around trying to carry high credit card debt and a home equity loan payment may be more than painful. It may be financially fatal.

It would be far safer to avoid temptation by cutting up your credit cards and using a debit card instead.

There are other occassions when a home equity loan may be justified. Perhaps you wish to start your own business and are willing and able to take the risk that things may not work out as you plan.

Your home equity will likely be the cheapest source of start up capital that you will find other than going hat in hand to family members. For most families a “friendly” family loan is not recommended as the resulting strife that often takes place if things don’t go as planned causes painful family problems.

Even when all does go well you may get tired of listening to advice from your unofficial business partners.

Perhaps you wish to purchase an existing business, one that should earn you a good income for a long time to come. Again your cheapest source of capital would likely be a home equity loan.

In general, one should consider a home equity loan when the loan proceeds are used to very likely improve ones financial position. This would be a wise use of the loan proceeds.

One should use extreme caution in using a home equity loan to purchase additional consumer goods, say a large expensive flat screen TV set or a new SUV.

The worst example of the use of a home equity loan that I know of was a couple who took out a loan in order to go to the Superbowl. Just think of how much that Superbowl trip will really cost over the years as interest payments are added in. What a terrible short sighted financial decision.

My advice. Use a home equity loan only to improve your financial position or to raise funds in a true emergency situation. Using a home equity loan to purchase things that will only lose value is a misuse of the loan proceeds that could cost you what is probably your most useful and valuable possession … your home sweet home.



TIMMY

Jack Krohn asked:


Millions of Americans are up to their ears in debt. They struggle every month just to meet the minimum payment which just prolongs the debt. Credit cards have high finance fees. Hence, it is difficult to pay down balances. In most cases, the minimum payment barely covers the finance charges. This makes it difficult to reduce the credit card balance.

One approach for eliminating or reducing debts involves acquiring a debt consolidation loan. Although debt consolidation loans will not miraculously eliminate your debts, these loans make is possible to reduce your debts faster.

In 2005 the value of home equity across the US was $11.3 trillion. The percentage of home ownership in 2005 was 69% down slightly from the record 69.2 % in 2004. Almost 124 million Americans own their own home. There is plenty of money available to lend.

If you obtain a debt consolidation loan, all your credit balances are lumped into one loan. Furthermore, debt consolidation loans have reasonable interest rates. This enables you to become debt free within a few years.

There are various ways to obtain a debt consolidation loan. Individuals with good credit may qualify for a personal debt consolidation loan. If you own a home, it may be possible to get approved for a home equity loan. Home equity loans are ideal because the rates are low and the terms fixed. Usually, homeowners are able to repay the money in five to seven years – sometimes less.

Just beware that home equity does not automatically go up every month like some would have you believe. Several factors far beyond your control determine the value of your home. Just within the last six months or so the value of homes in some parts of the country dropped by 10% in a month.

Before you get a home equity loan you should know these facts.

• They are secured by a second deed of trust on your house.

• If your financial situation changes your home could be at risk of foreclosure.

• Having to make two payments on your home can be a lot of financial strain.

• A lot of unscrupulous lenders could care less.

• Keep your eyes open to what the local housing market is doing. Just recently many areas experienced a 10% decline in values in one month causing many homeowners to owe more than their home was worth.

It is essential to use the funds wisely and borrow only what you can afford to payback. Most Americans who use their home equity to pay off their credit card debt refuse to change their habits and lifestyles, and actually see their zero-balance cards as an invitation to go shopping – perpetuating the cycle.

Before you put your home at risk with a second mortgage understand the risks. Explore all the possibilities. Just because a home equity loan for debt consolidation seems so easy to do and easy to get, doesn’t make it the right choice for you. Don’t press the EASY button.



RICHARD

KarenB asked:


I own my home, but do not have enough equity built to refinance and get $50K to pay off credit card debt-what are my options? Someone told me a second mortgage may work, but I have only owned my home for 14 months. Balance on my current mortgage is $77K, home value is max $90K.

WALTER

Jim Wilson asked:


With the many loan options around today, you most likely want to hear how second mortgage loans compare. This report presents a number of great tips and constructive hints as it relates to why using a second mortgage is the perfect way to get your hands on some much needed cash.

Each time you set up a second loan, your house is used for collateral to give security to the lender. Second mortgage equity loans are arranged to provide lump sums of cash to the homebuyer, which you repay on a set arrangement. The cash could then be used for most any function; though, it is recommended to pay off debts, instead of spending like mad. The loans might be utilized to pay off school fees, which is a wonderful idea, given that the loans for college tuition could lead to problems. Otherwise, if you establish a second mortgage equity loan, you may want to renovate your home or beautify your house for increased equity.

Loans are alternatives for everybody, but if you have credit issues, then the second mortgage equity loan may be in your best interest. House equity loans are designed to offer higher rates, because it is a second loan; although, the rates are factored by the secured interest rates on credit cards and other loans. Stated in other words, you are getting a loan to pay out the higher interest rates on credit cards, car loans, or other secured loans and paying new interest on the current loan.

If you have debts, a second loan can be useful. Many lenders will offer wonderful repayment rates on secondary loans. Lets say, if you established a loan contract for $10,000 in credit card debt at 14%, then a secondary loan repayment would be $278.

Compare with using a 2nd mortgage. If a customer takes out a secondary loan of 16% on a home equity loan over a fifteen-year term then the repayments would be around $135. Thus, you can see second mortgage equity may well be of value.

If you want to hear more with regards to how equity loans can help you for your circumstances, a little internet browsing research will definitely help. You can visit our site below. There are tons of companies that present second mortgages, so you’ll have a colossal selection to choose from when you’re equipped to make your final decision.



ISSAC

rollsrock18 asked:


I’m trying to make a financially sound move, deciding whether or not I should take a second mortgage or home equity loan against the equity in my house. Here’s the scenario: 670 median credit score, debt to income is about 40%. House appraised for about 100K, still owe 60K. I have credit card debt and I want to also do home improvement. I have three credit cards, two of which are maxed out because I’ve been doing home improvements with the availability on them. I want to use about 20K in equity to pay off the cards, and use about 5K of it for home improvement so I can sell the house when the housing market improves in a few years.

Should I go for it?

CARROLL