Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Finding The Best Home Equity Loan

Many homeowners are looking for ways to help improve their financial situation by using a home equity loan. These types of loans are the smartest way for homeowners to borrow for many reasons. Here is some information to help you get the most out of your home equity loan.

Home equity loans generally carry the lowest interest rate of any loan that you can obtain. The reason for this is that the risk to the lender is lower because of the type of collateral that the loan is secured by. Many lenders offer home equity loans that go up to 100% of the value of your home, but the rate is going to be highest for these types of loans. In order to get the best interest rate, try to keep the amount of your loan under 80% loan to value. For example, if your home is worth $100,000, 80% of the value of your home is $80,000. If you borrow this way, you will get the best rate and avoid many other charges like PMI, or private mortgage insurance, and points.

Many homeowners prefer to only have one payment. This is possible by rolling your first mortgage into the same loan as your home equity loan. This also has rate advantages over having separate first and second mortgages, because the rate on a first mortgage will always be lower than on a second. If you put the loans together, you will get the lowest rate on the entire amount of the home equity loan because the whole loan will be considered a first lien.

Home equity loans also have the jump on nonsecured loans and credit cards because they have tax advantages. Most homeowners can deduct the interest that they pay on real estate secured loans on their taxes. Generally speaking, if you are able to deduct your first mortgage interest you will also be able to deduct the interest that you pay on your home equity loan. This can significantly lower your tax burden. Be sure that you consult your tax professional about your specific circumstances.

When you are looking for a home equity loan, it is important to find a reputable lender. Look for one that has good reviews with the Better Business Bureau. Asking friends and family for recommendations is another smart way to find a good lender. You can also find great deals online. Many online lenders offer lower interest rates because they have less overhead costs than a larger, more traditional financial institution. They are usually more willing to negotiate fees and the processing time is usually quicker. Many people find this more attractive in today's fast paced world, since the only time you have to take the time to meet with a representative is at the closing.

Overall, if you are wise about it, a home equity loan can be a great way to save money on payments and interest rates. Because the interest is tax deductible, you are borrowing money in the most advantageous way possible. Keep the total amount of the home equity loan as close as you can to 80% loan to value and be sure to look online for great deals. If you follow these words of advice, you can find the perfect home equity loan solution to meet your needs.

For more insights and additional information about the Best Home Equity Loan as well as getting a free no-obligation loan quote, please visit our web site at http://www.personalloantips.com/home_equity_loan.php

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

100 Percent Home Equity Loans - What You Need To Know

A home equity loan is a loan that home owners can get based on the amount of equity they have built up on their homes. The homes are used as collateral to secure the loan for the borrower. Typically, the lender will look at how much your house is worth and how much you have paid on it so far and will then figure out a percentage based on those two numbers that will determine the amount of money you are eligible to borrow. Typically these come in two forms: the fixed rate and the adjustable rate. People who take out a loan on all of the equity they have built up are said to be taking out a 100% home equity loan.

This type of loan is not something that should be entered into lightly. Chances are that this type of loan will be worth quite a large sum of money and borrowing large sums of money comes with large risks, the biggest being that if you default, you will lose your home.

If you are thinking about getting a 100% home equity loan you will want to talk to as many lenders as possible before deciding on the one you will work with. Different lenders will promise you different rates, deals and repayment plans. Do your research and ask each lender for references. Talk to others who have taken out similar loans and see what their experiences have been. One hundred percent loans are risky. After all, you will have to pay the money back so you could end up paying 200% of what your home is actually worth.

Something else you will want to really think about is if you actually need to take out this type of loan. What are you going to be using the money for? Debt consolidation? Home repairs? Are there other ways to pay for these things? You want to weigh all of your options before signing the loan papers.

By Max Suther

Get more information about 100% home equity loans at http://www.100homeequity.com where you will find articles, tips and info on cits home equity loans.

Sunday, December 16, 2007

Tips For Finding a Great Home Equity Loan Interest Rate

If you are a homeowner and have mounting debts, then it may be a good idea to get a home equity loan. But it is very important that you find a good home equity loan interest rate before you agree to sign anything. Read on to discover more tips on finding a good home equity loan.

A home equity loan is a secured loan because you are using your home as collateral. You must take into consideration your ability to make your payments, because failing to make payments on your home equity loan can result in you losing your home.

It is also important that you find a great home equity loan interest rate. Do some shopping around to find a lender that can give you the best interest rate. It is also imperative that you know your credit score before you shop for a loan. The higher your credit score, the better home equity interest loan you are entitled to.

Check with you tax adviser, because home equity loans are usually tax deductible, which could save you a lot of money at tax time. It is also a good idea to make use of a rate calculator or a home equity loan calculator so that you will have an idea of what your payments are going to be before you commit to anything. You can find free home equity loan interest rate calculators online.

If you are going to use your home equity loans to pay off credit card debts, you need to take a long hard look at your spending habits. Examine how you got into debt in the first place and make a plan to change. Get rid of all of your credit cards so that you don't get into debt again. If you cannot be committed to getting rid of your credit cards, then you will probably rack up credit card debt again and be in worse shape than you were to begin with. Taking debt management classes may be a good idea to help you get a handle on your spending habits.

Finding a good home equity loan interest rate is not hard if you shop around. Always know what you are signing before you sign it. Make sure there are no hidden fees or charges in your contract. Educate yourself and you less likely to be taken advantage of and more likely to find a great home equity loan interest rate.

You can learn more about Home Equity Loan Interest Rates as well as more information on everything to do with home equity loans and home equity lines of credit by visiting http://www.HomeEquityLoansA-Z.com

Friday, December 14, 2007

Home Equity Loan - Reverse Mortgage - Money From Heaven?

Somewhere in the neighborhood of 78 million Americans will be reaching retirement age in the next decade. It will put a strain on the social security system at the very least. At the worst....who knows. That's a discussion for another day.

The government is not the only ones that will feel the pinch. It is safe to say that most Americans haven't done a good job preparing for retirement so their resources are very limited. This is where a reverse mortgage can make growing older much more enjoyable. It would be money from heaven.

A reverse mortgage is available to homeowners 62 or older who own their own home. Like the name suggests instead of paying money in to build up equity in your home, a reverse mortgage allows for "withdrawals" literally for any use imaginable.

The money can be withdrawn in a lump sum, a line of credit to be used at the homeowners' discretion, regular monthly payments or a combination of the three.

The popularity of the product will no doubt bring about better rates and new wrinkles in the future as competition for this huge market heats up.

For millions of Americans who own their own home and have little else for resources it could be a lifesaver in many ways. One that comes to mind is long term health care. There's little public assistance for home care and you may not qualify for Medicaid to pay for nursing home care.

Most people given the choice would rather stay at their home as long as possible but the cost of home care is very expensive. The solution is a home equity loan reverse mortgage.

The money from a reverse mortgage can be used for anything from that life long dream of a trip around the world to paying off debts. As the graying of America continues one of the best uses of proceeds form Reverse Mortgage could be to pay for long term care either at home of in a long term care facility. Money from Heaven!

Jack Krohn is a leading free lance writer on Home Equity and Mortgage issues with over 50 articles to his credit.

To learn more about mortgages click on the links below.

Learn All About Mortgages Or Get Free Home Equity Loan Info.

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Saturday, December 8, 2007

Home Equity Loan Dangers

Homeowners are constantly bombarded with advertisements tempting them to take out a second mortgage called a home equity loan. Home equity loans are increasingly popular among lenders not because they are beneficial for you, but because they earn lenders a lot of money. If you have considered using a home equity loan to pay off your unsecured debts - such as credit card debt - or to get cash, then you should understand the risks involved.

Home Equity Loans for Unsecured Debt

Amassing thousands of dollars in credit card debt is easy. Credit card companies are constantly raising credit limits and offering new incentives to increase your potential debt. But they often do this with a catch - an increased interest rate. After realizing your low introductory rate is now 25 percent or higher, you may look for a way to avoid paying those high interest rates. The promise of a low interest rate, like the one on your home loan, to consolidate and pay off your unsecured debt is extremely alluring.

The danger of adding an unsecured debt to a secured debt, like your home, is that now the loan is backed by collateral, which the lender can take if you miss your monthly payments. The benefit, a lower interest rate, is null and void if you lose your greatest financial asset. A foreclosure can mean not only the loss of your house, but can make purchasing another home nearly impossible. Even renting an apartment can be difficult with the foreclosure on your credit report.

Home Equity Loans for Quick Cash

Using a home equity loan to get fast cash will put you in jeopardy of becoming upside down on your loan, or owing more on your home than it is worth. If the home depreciates in value, then you will be left in a harsh financial situation. You could sell your home and still be responsible for the outstanding balance, or try to wait until the home increases in value. Waiting to sell could allow the value of your home to plummet and may not even be an option if you are prompted to move by unforeseen circumstances.

Another substantial downfall to a home equity loan is the potential for you to accrue more debt. Unless you change the behavior that caused the debt in the first place, you will likely begin purchasing items you cannot afford and repeat the cycle of debt. Every time you refinance your loan, fees and closing costs are, usually, rolled into the loan. This means that you are drastically increasing your debt every time you refinance and taking one more step toward foreclosure or bankruptcy.

A Better Option for Credit Card Debt Home equity loans are a risky way to address your credit card debt. Debt consolidation is one debt-relief method homeowners have used to consolidate credit card debt.

For consumers who want to eliminate their debt, debt settlement may be the best solution. Debt settlement allows you to negotiate with creditors to reduce your total debt balance without risking your home.

If you suffer from overwhelming debt, then you need to research your debt-relief options and choose the program best suited to your needs before you rush into a home equity loan.

By Scott Sumerford

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Wednesday, December 5, 2007

How Home Equity Loans Work

If you're a homeowner, and you want to understand how Home Equity Loans work, I'll explain it to you. You can borrow against the equity value of your house through either a home equity line of credit (often called a HELOC or a line) or a home equity loan (often called a HEL or loan). Both are essentially a second mortgage.

With Home Equity Loans, you receive a lump sum of money and have a fixed monthly payment. You pay off this Home Equity Loan over a predetermined time period, such as 10 years or 15 years. The amount you can borrow with Home Equity Loans is based on factors such as your income, debts, the value of your home, how much you still owe on your mortgage (1st and/or 2nd) and your credit history. It's also a good choice if you have a specific purpose for the loan such as debt consolidation or home renovation, which requires a set amount of money.

The appeal of Home Equity Loans is in the interest rate, which is almost always lower than those of credit cards or conventional bank loans because they are secured against the equity value in your home. In addition, the interest you pay on Home Equity Loans is often tax deductible (consult a tax advisor about your particular situation).

Home Equity Loans usually carry a higher interest rate than that of a first mortgage. With a Home Equity Loan, you may choose either an adjustable rate that fluctuates according to variations in the prime rate, or you may choose a fixed rate. A fixed rate enables you to budget a set monthly payment without worrying about increasing costs should interest rates rise. With Home Equity Loans, there are also closing costs that you should consider.

Keep in mind, your home is the collateral for your Home Equity Loan. If a Home Equity Loans easy access to cash tempts you to run up more debt than you can repay, or if you fail to make your monthly payments, you risk losing your home.

Here are the components of Home Equity Loans:

  • What you get is a fixed amount of money, up to 100 percent of your equity value in your home (its value minus your first mortgage debt and other debts). Some lenders will allow you to borrow up to 125 percent of the value of your home.

  • How you qualify is you typically need to provide proof of your income and home ownership, and proof that at least 20 percent of the value of your home is paid off. An appraisal is usually required as well.

  • How you pay it is fixed payments of interest and principal over a fixed period of time.

  • The term of the mortgage can be as short as 1 year or as long as 30 years.

  • There are closing costs that are lower than closing costs for a first mortgage.

  • You receive one up-front lump sum.

  • A fixed or adjustable interest rate.

  • Interest may be tax-deductible (consult a tax advisor).

Home Equity Loans are a good way of getting needed funds at an affordable rate. But, as with all types of debt, it's wise to avoid borrowing more than you can repay. Remember that since the loan is secured by your house, the lender could foreclose on your home if you don't repay the money. If you're not comfortable with that risk, conventional bank loans might be a better choice.

By Joseph V. Formale

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Monday, December 3, 2007

Cheap Equity Loans

Since the slump in house prices during the early-to-mid 1990s, millions of UK homeowners have seen the value of their property rise by considerable amounts. This has made many a UK homeowner equity rich and, on paper, very wealthy. But, with all the equity tied up in their home the reality of the situation is often very different as homeowners struggle to find the money to make ends meet or to pay off other loans. If this is you then don't despair…equity loans are the answer to just this problem!

Releasing equity

Equity loans are loans secured on the value of your home minus loans already secured on your home, the most significant of these pre-existing loans secured on your home being mortgage loans. The difference between the value of your property and loans secured on your home is known as equity. Equity loans are loans secured only on the free equity value of your home. A wide selection of equity loans are available from loans companies, and the low loans rates associated with equity borrowing makes loans based on equity one of the cheapest ways to borrow money in the UK.

Loans based on equity release are very flexible in repayment duration. For instance, loans drawn from equity with a repayment duration to match the length of your remaining mortgage loans are just as readily available from equity lenders as short loans of 36 to 48 months in duration. Do take into account though that short duration loans require higher monthly repayments to equity lenders.

Equity heaven

Releasing equity tied up in your home through equity loans improves personal cash flow and really takes the pressure off servicing other loans that you've acquired. But, equity borrowing offers so much more than just paying outstanding bills and loans. With loans based on equity in your home you can move forward with your life. Maybe you'd like to use the equity-released money to buy a new conservatory? Perhaps you'd like a second honeymoon or to take regular exotic holidays using the equity? If you're looking to profit from the equity released then you can always re-invest the equity as loans to buy property to let or renovate. When you think about it, there really is no limit to what loans secured on equity in your home can do for you.

One word of caution though. Before taking out loans secured on equity in your home, do consider how you will meet the monthly repayments. You don't want to get yourself into a position where you have to sell your home to service your loans secured on equity.

Article Source: http://www.articledashboard.com

Matthew Bourne has been working in the loans, mortgage and life insurance industry for over 10yrs and is currently working for 1Track Cheap Loans

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Sunday, December 2, 2007

Home Equity Loans – A Method to Unearth the Hidden Equity

You never thought that your home can be worth anything except for living purposes. Yes, a real estate broker would have offered a large sum on this house. But you never planned to sell the house because of an emotional attachment with it.

One of the prime customer bases for home equity loan crops from this kind of people. These are people who have been living in the house for years, or it might be their first home. Having seen the joys and sorrows in the home together slowly converted the house from a brick and mortar structure to ones prized home.

You get the necessary cash through the sale of house. But, you lose your home for ever. If you are looking for a middle path whereby you can evade losing on your home and get the cash at the same time, then you would surely like the deal offered by home equity loans. Under a home equity loan, the loan provider agrees to lend to the borrower against his home. This amount will be returned with a certain interest after a certain time period.

This arrangement suits the residents of the UK the most. Every month the borrower makes a small payment towards the amortisation of the amount lent. It is the borrower who decides the monthly repayments. The logic behind this discretion lies in the inequality in the income levels of borrowers. While a monthly repayment of ₤1000 will suit some borrowers, other may not be able to make such high payments through their monthly salary, which has to pay off the other routine expenses too.

How does the loan provider ensure that he will safely receive the amount at the end of the term of home equity loan? It is by retaining the property papers with him. A borrower will not be able to sell home in the absence of the property papers. With the property papers in their possession, the loan provider is the legal owner of the house.

But, the loan provider does not exercise this right according to an agreement with the borrower. The agreement is for the return of home equity loan at the end of a stated term with an interest calculated according to a certain rate of interest.

During the period of the loan, it is not the home but the equity inherent in it that is being consumed. This explains the reason why the borrower of home equity loan continues living in the house even after pledging it. Home equity loans get the name from the equity consumption in the process. Equity is the value that one gets on selling home. For the calculations of equity, the valuer will undertake a survey to check the amount that will be received on selling it. Deductions for the mortgages already held against home will be made to get an exact figure for home equity.

It is a percentage of the home equity that is convertible into cash. The percentage hovers around 80-125% for borrowers with a good credit history. The borrowers who do not have as good a credit history and have undergone bankruptcy any time in the past years are sure to get a much lower equity conversion rate. When changed into currency, the equity in home will fetch anywhere between ₤5000- ₤500000.

Home equity loan is a secured loan. All secured loans are cheaper in terms of the rate of interest. Those secured loans, where home guarantees repayment are the cheapest. Sometimes, borrowers can hope to get an APR equivalent to that of mortgage. Some borrowers never relax on the APR front. Their worst fears are of the times when interest rates would rise unexpectedly. Rate locks on home equity loans have been especially designed for this kind of borrowers. A rate lock stabilises the APR at a particular level. However, borrowers who do not want to lose on the further fall in interest rate would continue using the variable rate method.

Is the equity in home completely consumed in the process? This is the question that most people ask while drawing home equity loans. Equity is only consumed temporarily. As the borrower makes repayments towards the home equity loan, equity in home gets replenished - readying the home for a new home equity loan.

Article Source: http://www.articledashboard.com

Steve Clark can tell you how to look better, live better and breathe better by giving you tips to improve your finances.He writes on loans. His ideas can help you rejuvenate your money.To Find Adverse credit remortgage,bad credit remortgage UK,cash back remortgage UK,home equity loans visit www.easyremortgageuk.co.uk

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Home Equity Loan Calculator - Get The Best Lender With It

It is always good to search for the best offer whenever you are applying for a loan. This becomes very easy with the online application, tha...