Andy M asked:


Home equity loan is one among the most popular home loans available today. It is a second mortgage loan with characteristic properties of a secured loan. The popularity of the home equity loan has attracted many people to home equity loan. In general, equity loans does not have arise much complaints from the people. However as any other coin, home equity loan also have two sides. Hence, the detailed analysis of the loan is essential to differentiate the features of the home equity loan. The cross analysis of the pros and cons of the home equity loan helps to avoid stepping in to the home loans with false expectations.

The pros of the home equity loans include the advantages that a borrower can enjoy from the home equity loan. The benefits of the home equity loan usually outweigh other secured and unsecured loans since it is a risk free loan for the lender. The home equity loan provides maximum amount, in proportionate to the value of the equity. For good houses situated in the real estate booming locations, home equity loan lenders used to provide high appraisal of even 125%. In most cases at least 80% appraisal is always provided. The attractive interest rate is another advantage of the home equity loans. Usually the interest rate of the home equity loan is selected in fixed rates.

Among the pros of the home equity loan, the most pronounced benefit is the tax deduction. The amount taken as home equity loan below $100,000 is exempted from the tax payment. Hence, the equity loan can be used to raise money for any purpose such as emergencies, debt consolidation, medical loan, home improvements, education or any personal reasons. The repayment schedule of the home equity loan can be conveniently selected as 10 years or more, which can be even extended up to 30 years. Moreover, the home equity loan processing has become easy and less time consuming with the introduction of internet and online lenders. The verification of the title deed and the credit score are usually the time consuming steps. However, in the online processing these verifications has become limited and the home equity loan approval is done with in minimum period of time.

However the home equity loans are not devoid of cons. One of the major cons associated with home equity loan is the risk of losing your favorite home, if you make any default in the payment. The lenders will not be bothered much about the repayment as they will be focused to foreclosure the property. Hence the borrower is advised not to take large amount as home equity loan. Home equity loan is also not advantageous for persons, who are in the beginning of their career since they cannot easily shift their position, if they have a liability. However, the people in the proximity of the pension also cannot manage a long run home equity loan. In the home equity loans, the borrowers have to keep in mind the fact that the long repayment schedule will cost you more interest. To add on, if you are unlucky the home prices will slashes down and when you are about to sell the home, it will be a loss.

In brief analysis of the pros and cons of the home equity loan, it is clear that home equity loan will be advantageous for the larger loan amount. However, you have to be careful about interest rate and other conditions involved in the deal.



DIRK

CS asked:


I have about 30K in equity. Like to do some home improvements. Current mortgage each month is 1200.00. How does the loan work in conjunction with the monthly payment? Is it seperate, bundled into the payment, etc? Is there a term to pay off the loan or is it part of my 30 year fixed? Overall would like to know how much more I will be paying over my 1200.00 for the loan each month with current assumptions. Fees to get the loan started? Thank you!!
It’s pitiful that I’m asking a question and I have people preying on my question with these fairy tale lenders. Give me a break people- did honesty and ethics fly out the window here? Have some humanity

TRENTON

Stefan Hyross asked:


A home equity can be a great way to to get some money fast. Home equity loans are also sometimes called second mortgage. They allow a homeowner to borrow money from the equity they have in their home. Home equity loans can be for as much as $100,000 allowing homeowner to borrow to do renovations, pay off debt, etc. The interest on a home equity loans is tax deductible which has made this type of loan quite popular in the 1990s. Let’s look at how they work. Home equity loans come in two types. There are fixed rate home equity loans and line of credit home equity loans. In both cases, the terms vary from five to fifteen years. However, in both cases, the loans must be repaid in full in the event that the house is sold. The fixed rate home equity loans option gives the home owner a lump sum payment from the equity. The home owner will then repay the loans over a pre-determined period of time at a fixed interest rate. In most cases, the repayment is made monthly and the interest rate and the monthly payments remain the same over the life of the loan. In the case of the line of credit home equity loan, the principle is much the same as with a credit card. In fact, this type of loan often comes with a credit card. The home owner will be notified of the maximum limit of the line of credit and he or she can spend the money either by using the credit card or the cheques that the lender provided. Just like credit cards, line of credit home equity loans work on a variable rate of interest, which is determined monthly. Repayment of the loan must be made monthly, based on the amount borrowed that month. Once the life of the line of credit is over, the outstanding balance must be repaid in full. Home equity loans are a great source of money for home owner that need access to cash quickly. The money can used for anything at all but most borrowers will use the money to do home improvements, send kids to college, pay off another loan, etc. Home equity loans can be very appealing as their interest rate are almost always lower than other types of loans and certainly lower than credit cards. Someone with a credit card loan would benefit from taking a home equity loan on their home in order to repay the credit card debt. Not only will the home owner reduce his interest rate, the loans will be consolidated into one month bill and the interest rate on the home equity loan is partially tax deductible. Home equity loans are a great financial tool. Particularly for home owners looking to do renovations or with unforeseen expenses. They provide fairly easy access to money at a relatively low interest rate. However, remember that the loan must be repaid and that if you sell your home, the amount that you borrowed will not be profit in your pocket.



TIM

Joel Cohen asked:


People apply for home equity loans for several reasons. Amongst the most common ones is for renovating a house. In order to keep a home at the highest market value, people renovate at a certain period. Some renovate to see a change or to improve, while others renovate because they plan on selling the house.

How Can a Home Equity Loan Help Renovate?

We aren’t always in a position to take care of sudden expenses. A home equity loan will be found useful to any one in need for extra cash to renovate and then sell the home. A balloon mortgage plan will be great when you have a buyer waiting to buy once the house is completely renovated. You can apply for a home equity loan with a balloon payment and once it is sold you pay back the loan.

Home Improvements at the Best Rate

Credit ratings dramatically influence the home equity loans rate. The higher your credit score is the better rates you will be getting. Bad credit has a negative impact on the loan’s interest rate; if possible, repair your credit before applying for the loan. If you have a buyer waiting for the renovation to be completed, make sure you have a signed contract with him and have gotten a down payment.

Avoiding Home Equity Loan Scams

While home equity loans are a great source of cash, there are fraudulent activities in the equity lending market. To avoid them, compare rates from various equity lenders. By doing so you will get a better idea of how rates are determined and when you find a too good to be true rate, chances are it is just that! Remember to compare home equity loan rates before applying for the loan.



CLYDE

Dean Shainin asked:


You keep hearing about home equity loans.

The bills are out of control and you need a new car. “Maybe we can get a new carpet and paint the house”, you say to yourself. And, you keep hearing about home equity loans.

These are just a few reasons why home equity loans can seem like the solution to all your problems and are so popular.

Home Equity Loans: The Upside and Downside

Home equity loans can be a fantastic way to start your own business or to take advantage of an investment opportunity. They can also make your situation worse than it was before you got the home equity loan.

The reason’s for taking advantage of home equity loans are the most important part of the process. Take the time to sit down and ask yourself, “Do I really need a home equity loan? Do I want to go on a spending spree or am I really trying to improve my life?”

A Home Equity Loan is Like Having a Second Mortgage on Your Home

Suppose your home is worth $200,000 and you have a mortgage against it at $150,000, you will have $50,000 of equity available. Home equity loans allow you to borrow up to 80%, and sometimes more in certain situations, of your home value. In this situation you could borrow $80,000 as a home equity loan and still have only borrowed 80%.

This is why it is so important to take a good look at your situation before making a decision. You can see how easy it could be to get carried away with home equity loans.

A Home Equity Loan-Some Smart Reasons and Some Not-So-Smart

Let’s say you only need $20,000 for that new car and some home improvements. You decide to borrow another $15,000 of equity for that vacation to Hawaii you have been dreaming about. First of all, a vacation to Hawaii would not cost $15,000 unless you went on a first class, spare no expense vacation.

Using a home equity loan to buy a car may not be a great idea with today’s 0% interest rates and no money down loans. There is no sense in risking losing your home to buy a new car with these type of loan programs that are available in todays market.

On the other hand, a home equity loan for home improvements may be a great idea. This will add value to your home as long as you can afford the higher loan payments.

A business that’s doing great that you want to expand may be another good use of a home equity loan. As long as the business is already in profit and is not losing money.

Some solid investments can be a good idea if you have done your research before hand. The latest IPO may or may not be a great idea.

Consolidating high interest credit cards may be a great idea as long as you close the accounts and don’t run them back up. You really only need one or two credit cards in case of an emergency.

Educational expenses may be a good reason to take a home equity loan to get your children started in the right direction. Someday this type of an investment can pay off.

These are just a few things you can do with home equity loans. It’s very easy to borrow too much, only to find yourself having a tough time making the new payments.

The important thing to remember with home equity loans is to be logical and don’t let your emotions get the best of you. Again, take the time to sit down and research all your options. This way you can rest well at night and not have to be concerned about losing your home. You can enjoy the things you do with your home equity loan knowing you’ve made a wise decision.



JEROME

Rebecca Welch asked:


Home improvement loans can provide money for a complete home remodel or specific home improvements. These upgrades can transform your house into a home and increase your property value. Another benefit is that the money is tax deductible. As long as you carefully evaluate your fincancial situation, you may use a home equity loan to make home improvements.

Home improvement loans are not the same as construction loans. Construction loans provide financing for building and completion of a new structure. A home improvement loan is essentially a home equity loan placed on your existing home that you currently occupy. The lender generally pays you in one lump-sum at closing. This is also sometimes called a second mortgage loan.

Home equity loans are great if you only want to borrow small amounts of money for home improvements and pay off the loan in a short amount of time. A home equity line of credit can create flexibility and convenience by giving you the ability to withdraw money in varying amounts as necessary. However, home equity credit lines generally use adjustable interest rates and this carries the potential risk of increasing over the life of the home equity loan.

Lenders rarely place restrictions on home improvement projects as long as they are conform to your local building requirements. Depending on the size of the home improvement project scope of the job, you may do the home improvement work yourself or hire a general contractor. Be certain you read the fine print on your home equity loan for home improvements because some lenders may require you to hire a contractor for the project which can significantly increase the cost of your home improvement project.

Terms for home equity loans can range from 5 to 25 or even 30 years. Some lenders offer fixed rate as well as balloon rate options. The minimum amount you may borrow for a home equity loan is generally about $10,000. You can most often times borrow up to 100% or, in some cases, even as much as 125% of the value of your home. However, most lenders will limit a home equity loan for home improvements to a maximum of $1,000,000.



FIDEL

Ken Charnly asked:


 A home equity loan is a boon to the homeowner who wants to avail himself of a loan in addition to his original loan. He can get the loan by virtue of using the equity in his home. Equity is the market value of the property minus any outstanding mortgage or loans one has on it. The amount of money you can borrow depends on the equity amount of your property.

You can take out a home equity loan when you want to finance home improvements, or pay for your education or medical bills. You can even use the home equity loan to buy a new vehicle or go for a trip.  The home equity loan can also work as a regular source of income which can entitle people to pay for their residential care. These loans are recommended for long-term financial goals because you receive the amount of money in one huge lump sum.

When you choose your home equity loan you should consider your options carefully, because your home is at risk if you default on repayment of the loan. Also, you should be wary of the fact that some home equity loan arrangements are being operated by conmen who want to make a quick profit. The recommended thing is to check the veracity of your lender with the Better Business Bureau (BBB).

It is good that you have a lot of lenders offering you better options on home equity loans because you can exercise more bargaining power, but it is better to know that the deal you get is legitimate and worth the risk you are taking for the equity in your home.  A little bit of research and seeking the advice of knowledgeable friends is a step in the right direction.

 



STEWART

Alan Lim asked:


You may have heard the term home equity loan but are not really sure whether this type of loan will work for you. The first step is to understand the concept of home equity. Equity is the difference between the current appraised value of your home and the amount that is owed on the home. So, for example; if your home has recently appraised for $200,000 and you only owe $100,000 on it then you have $100,000 in equity in your home.

Many homeowners like the idea of taking out a home equity loan when they need to fund a home improvement or make some other type of purchase because they can often obtain the money they need at an interest rate that is lower than charging it to a credit card. In addition, there are also possible tax advantages as well.

When you take out a home equity loan you are taking out a second mortgage that gives you the ability to convert the equity in your home into cash. You can then spend that cash on any number of expenses including college education, medical expenses, debt consolidation, home improvements and much more.

You will generally need to decide whether you wish to take out a home equity loan or a home equity line of credit. These two terms are different. A home equity loan provides you with a one time lump sum of money that you will then pay off over a specified period of time at an interest rate that is fixed. It is much like your first mortgage.

A home equity line of credit, commonly referred to as HELOC, is more similar to a credit card. Instead of receiving the sum of money at one time, you will then have the ability to borrow up to a specified amount of money for the duration of the loan. That time period is set by the lender. As you pay off the principal amount of the loan, you can once again use the credit. In this regard, a HELOC is much like a credit card.

There are advantages to both a home equity loan as well as a HELOC. Many homeowners prefer the flexibility of a line of credit over a fixed rate equity loan. If they do not need all of the money up front, they are able to maintain control over how much money they draw down from the loan. The disadvantage to a line of credit is that it frequently features an interest rate that is variable. This means that the payment amounts will vary based on the prevailing interest rate.

In most cases, the draw period for a line of credit is between five and ten years while the repayment period ranges between ten and fifteen years. You will usually be able to access the funds of a line of credit with a credit card, check or electronic transfer that can be ordered by phone. Typically, an initial advance is required when the loan is set up.



ELLIOTT

George Kane asked:


 

It really feels great to have a house of your own. It not only gets added up in your assets but can also become an excellent source of credit when you need it the most. In other words, your home can turn out to be a great source of money when you fall in urgent need of funds. This has been made possible with the help of a home equity loan.

 

Home equity is the ownership value tied up in a home or a property which estimates the current market value of the house. This amount does not include any remaining mortgage payments. Thus, home equity is calculated by deducting the unpaid balance of the mortgage and any outstanding debt over the home from the home’s actual market value.

 

The home loans are categorized in two segments- the standard Home Equity Loans and the home equity line of credit. The standard home equity loan offers a debtor with a particular amount of money that has a fixed interest rate and payments. These loans have to be paid in a fixed time period. These loans offer a larger loan amount as its borrowers are allowed to re-borrow the loan amount that they had already paid in the past.

 

A home equity loan is always secured in nature as it requires you to pledge your homes’ equity as collateral. These loans offer low interest rate, help you become debt free, allow you to borrow up to 100% of your home’s value and the loan payments usually come with certain tax advantages.

 

The value of equity can be used for various purposes. These include availing loan and to invest for getting a high interest rate. Borrowers may use this loan amount for making home improvements, for college tuition or for things like investing in business ventures like purchasing additional property. Thus, a home equity loan is an alluring option for all those homeowners who require quick cash for any of their urgent needs.



AUGUSTINE

Johan Jeuring asked:


The task of arranging finance is always an uphill task. Well with newer avenues opening up, it has become somewhat easier to raise finances to meet your various needs. If a golden opportunity knocks at the door in the form of a loan with lower interest rates, you will certainly avail it. Yes now with the help of home equity loans you can raise finance which comes at attractive facilities. Under home equity loans, you get a chance to opt for a good amount of money under home equity loans.

The word equity actually means the present market value of a home deducted from the outstanding mortgage balance amount of money. Home equity loans are collateral based loans. Here the equity acts as the collateral. Under home equity loans you can generate a large amount of loan amount up to £100,000. The repayment term of the loan is of up to 25 years, which is quite comfortable. But you must always be conscious of the fact that the sanctioned amount depends upon the equity of your home.

As

Home Equity Loan are secured in nature, you get the loan at cheaper interest rates. With lower interest rates it becomes easy for you to repay the loan amount. The loan amount generated can be used to serve a number of purposes. You can use the loan amount to make home improvements, purchasing car and even consolidating debts.

Before availing a home equity loan, you must do a proper research. Online method is the most preferred way of approaching the lenders. Here you can compare the different quotes regarding home equity loans. After comparing the quotes, go for a lender offering the loan at suitable terms and conditions.

Home equity loans provide a fabulous opportunity to arrange finance at lower interest rates and easy repayment terms.



LUCIANO