Home Equity Loans – second mortgage

Carrie Reeder asked:


Refinancing an existing home equity line of credit can save you money on interest charges. It will also help you establish a payment plan to help you get out of debt sooner. Another benefit to refinancing is that you can get better terms, avoiding extra fees associated with a line of credit.

Get Better Rates And Terms

Getting better rates and terms on your home equity line of credit is one of the chief benefits of refinancing. With a line of credit, you have a couple of refinancing options. You can decide to refinance both your mortgage and line of credit. Overall this will provide you with a low rate, but don?t trade in your low rate first mortgage for a more expensive refinance home loan.

The other option is to just refinance your line of credit with a second mortgage. A second mortgage can offer lower rates, either fixed or adjustable.

Establish A Payment Plan

Refinancing a line of credit will help you establish a payment plan. Before you apply for refinancing, calculate how much you can afford in a monthly payment. This payment amount will give you an idea of what terms to choose.

Just remember that your interest charges will be smaller than what you are currently paying. Also, the shorter the loan, typically the lower the rates are.

Find Better Terms

Tired of paying fees for such things as having a below minimum balance with your line of credit? Then refinance for better terms. Most refi mortgages don?t have annual fees. While you will have to pay closing costs to process the loan, you don?t have to worry about keeping a balance or paying the account off early.

However, it does pay to check. So before you sign for your refi, ask about any fees included. Late fees should be expected. Early payment fees can usually be deleted from the contract by paying a fee upfront.

While refinancing can save you money, it is important to shop around for the right lender. Ask about their rates and terms. Request loan quotes and compare to other lenders. Time spent researching financing options is an investment that will pay off for years to come.



LESTER

da_red12 asked:


I am currently in Chapter 13. I filed 10/04. I have a home with approx 100K in equity. I would like to pay my way out of BK at the 36 month mark (approx 16K) , pay off the second mortgage (which was down payment assistance, $7450) and pay off some of my student loans. Which will be better refinancing or HELOC? Will I even qualify for a HELOC while in BK? All responses will be appreciated

ALEXANDER

Dalvin Rumsey asked:


If the words “refinance home equity” and “mortgage refinance” seem very strange for you, here are a few things you should find out in order to shed some light on this field.

The first thing you need to understand is the reason for needing refinancing. Either one wants to reduce the monthly payments or to tap built-up home equity, refinancing is the key solution to your problems. Other people might want to consolidate outstanding debt, which means combining a first and second mortgage into a new first mortgage. Last, but not least, a very large number of people simply want to give up a mortgage product which is too expensive for their incomes.

There are a few common rules that any person should consider before getting into such a business. Well, the most traditional rule of a mortgage refinance is getting an interest rate at least 2% below the interest rate you are paying at that certain moment. The bad thing about this rule is that this two percent difference from your rate can cost you even more, as these low rates usually don’t come up that often. Therefore, the best idea behind getting a more suitable mortgage refinance is taking the time and properly analyzing the time and the cost factors.

The central point of interest when investigating a mortgage refinance option is the amount of money that you will need to borrow. The most common practice of the lenders is allowing you to borrow an amount of up to 80% of the current value of your home. Of course, there are lenders who let you lend more money, that is in case you simply want a refinance for your existing loan.

For those of you who want to free up cash in your home, the only way of avoiding a mortgage refinance is choosing a refinance home equity loan. Home equity loans also have their own set of risks. The fact is that all refinance home equity loans provide adjustable rates. They are very similar to the way a credit card works.

You will have to consider the fact that the lenders will generally offer you not more than 75% of the equity in your home. Of course, lenders also offer refinance home equity loans having a fixed rate, but the main idea is that they work much like a first or second mortgage on your home.

Therefore, you must be very careful when taking such a decision!



GREGG