bodyC asked:


Ok, this is unconventional - My mom is disabled. Her home was affected by Katrina. Her home is finally fixed. However, during the past two years, she’s accrued close to $100,000 in credit card bills to pay off some of the repairs since a lot the funds from the insurance and the government were not enough. Additionally, since she is disabled and receives little from the government, she has been unable to pay enough or on time. Her interest has gone up to 25-30% on 4 cards. I have good credit. I own a condo. I want to at least help her by getting a home equity loan (basically a second mortgage) even though I want to get a loan in a couple of years to buy a house. She’s considered bankruptcy with Chapter 13 in order to not jeopardize her home, which she paid off with some of the funds received from Katrina. It seems she has no way out; and I hate to be in this situation from my own financial balance. What can be done? She needs serious help; and I don’t want to jeopardize my credit.

WESLEY

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.

 



IRA

laurie m asked:


house worth $560,000 (value)
mortgage loan balance $347,000.00/home equity balance 46,000 the line was 131,000 and we’ve spent 86,000 on home repairs. We have 20,000.00 in credit card debt from an adoption. We make too much to get a credit on any of it. would it make sense to use $20,000.00 of the 45,000.00 left on the equity line to pay off the credit cards???thanks!

ISIDRO

Johnnie asked:


Should I refinance my mortgage, which will save me $400 per month by combining a costly 9.99% home equity loan with my primary, or use the $10000 I need to close to pay off my credit card debt (which would pay off all my credit cards)?
I’ve already been approved for the loan…I have good credit so that $10,000 in debt doesn’t kill my credit score which is still over 700.
The home equity loan is $35000 at 9.99%, my credit cards are not much higher than this so I am most anxious to get rid of this bad loan…Am I thinking about this the correct way?

TRACY

Steve Buchanan asked:


A home is not something that one goes around buying on a regular basis. It is a carefully planned move and often comes attached with high expectations and anxiety. It is also more often than not unrealistic to imagine buying a home without a home loan of some kind. But let’s begin with the preparations you need to do to apply for a equity home loan. There various benefits of equity home loan and benefits from home loan can differ from country to country.

While equity home loans can put you in serious debt if you don’t use them properly, there are a number of ways you can use them to work to your advantage. Home loans are good because they can allow you to combine your credit cards and other loans into one monthly payment that may be lower. The interest rate may also be lowered as well. At the same time, this may not always be the case, and some people use their home loans for consolidation only to find that the interest rate is higher. It is important to do your research to make sure you bills will be lower once you’ve consolidated your debt.

Equity home loans present numerous points of tax benefits and savings. The tax advisors would help getting the tax deductible on property taxes, which is among the most highly applicable cases of tax benefits. However, the fees paid for title searches and appraisals are not deductible under the tax laws. Although the tax benefits can be regularly earned on the home loans on mortgage, the capital reclaimed on cash paid during purchase of the former home is only on the year of buying. The homeowners would get the sum of money based on the value of the property paid at the time of purchase.

When it comes time to remodel your home or pay off excess credit card debt nothing can beat an equity home loan mortgage refinance for getting the cash you need quickly. While you may be looking at a traditional refinance you cover your monetary needs a home equity loan may actually be better for you. Following are some of the benefits of equity home loan:

1) Low Closing Costs

2) Avoids Private Mortgage Insurance

3) Fast Closing Time

4) Low Interest Rates

While an equity home loan mortgage refinance may not suit every borrower they are a very beneficial financial tool for many people. By understanding the key benefits they offer you can make the choice that is right for your situation.



LANCE

Terry Edwards asked:


Home equity loans can be an excellent source of funds when used wisely. One of the ways in using the cash from a home equity loan is to consolidate your debts.

Why is it wise to consolidate your debt with the money from your home equity? There are several good reasons which include:

-Paying a much lower interest rate than you pay on your credit cards. In some cases it can be a third of what a credit card company is charging.

-You can most likely deduct the interest expense on your home equity loan whereas you can not on credit cards. This is a huge benefit.

-All your debts are consolidated into one monthly loan payment.

So, what are your options when it comes to using your home equity to pay off your debts? Again, you have choices you can take advantage of including:

Home Equity Loan

Also known as a second mortgage, you can take the equity in your home and borrow against it at a favorable rate of interest. You get the cash in one lump sum and can then pay off your debts or use it how you wish.

Home Equity Line Of Credit

Similar in nature to a credit card, HELOC allows you to draw funds from your home equity and only make payments on that amount, not on an entire loan.

Cash-Out Refinance

This is the third option you have and involves refinancing your existing home mortgage. You would refinance the new mortgage at a greater amount and take the extra money in cash. For example, you want to pay off $25,000 in credit card debt and owe $150,000 on your current mortgage. You could do a cash-out refinance to a new loan amount of $175,000.

Using your home equity to pay off high interest debts can be a wise decision if done right. Just be careful to not start using those credit cards again.



ALEX

cme4ins asked:


I contacted a debt solution program but they say my credit will be hurt until I get these paid off. My credit is real good I just have alot of credit card debt that I would like into one lump sum with a fixed monthly payment. I cannot take a home equity loan due to a second mortgage for a business loan. My local bank said I don’t have enough assets for a personal loan to cover the whole amount.

JOSH

Devora Witts asked:


There is a difference between these two ways of obtaining credit. As great as the differences are, the uses are also radically opposite. The only thing in common is the equity that your home represents as collateral to the credit you get and the way you spend it. If you own a home, a line of credit might be just what you are looking for.

A Necessary Definition

Home Equity is the amount or portion of the value of your home that is not affected by a mortgage. If you have one granted to you for 50% of the value of the property, the equity is the other 50%. If there is no mortgage, then the equity will be 100%.

The Loan

A home equity loan is a lump sum that is granted to you for a determined purpose, all in one go. You can use it to consolidate debt, pay off your credit card debt to avoid an endless refinancing, or any one-time purchase. The interest rate is active from the moment the loan is approved until you finish paying for it.

The Line Of Credit

On the other hand, a line of credit gives you the possibility to spend up to a determined amount, but for different purchases and irrespective of the amount you spend each time. The tools that the bank or lender gives you to use the line of credit are special checks or maybe a card, similar to a credit card, which you can use while you still have credit.

Credit Limit

When the credit limit is reached, you must free credit or make payments in order to renew your credit and so be able to continue spending. This is similar in structure to a credit card, but radically opposite in the credit aspect, since you are backing your credit with the equity in your home.

Therefore, the interest rate is much lower than that of a credit card, enabling you to make easier payments and not having to refinance.

The Advantage

While credit cards usually have a fee that is charged regardless of the use of the card, the line of credit has no charge and naturally no interest if you do not use your credit or if you have paid off your balance and are leaving it for future use.

Not All Lenders Have This

Shop around, as we usually suggest when you are looking for the best deal you can get. Look into interest rates and APR which are different concepts. We must point out that as with all types of loan, the line of credit has expenses in the form of fees.

Even If You Do Have A Mortgage

The line of credit can be equally granted, for the amount of equity left in your home. It would be convenient to study the possibility of refinancing your mortgage to release more equity. This is advisable only if you have paid more that half of your mortgage or you have made improvements on the house and the current value is higher than that considered for the original loan.

Let me remind you, then, of the main difference: A line of credit is for several small expenses at different times. The equity loan is one lump sum.



IAN

LifeSaver asked:


I tried to re-finance my 1st and 2nd mortgage with these two banks and was not successful due to owing more on my mortgages than my house is worth (& high credit card debt of about $25K). My spouse and I have student loans to pay for ($60K) and it is very depressing for us. What can we do to fix this financial and emotional problem. More details..we make over $200K per year but the bills and unexpected situations keep coming up. It is now affecting our marriage and we may be separating because of this financial tornado. we have two kids and a dog to care for also. It is tough but right now we are just maintaining to pay bills from pay check to pay check. How do we attack these issues without killing one another and becoming angry about it when we bring up the subject? Are there any highly seasoned real estate agents or financial gurus (anyone w.knowledge) to help us? Any internet or 800#’s? We need help REALLY bad!!

KERMIT