Tag Archives: home equity
Top 5 mistakes when getting home equity
Rates have historically never been better, so nowadays the temptation to borrow against your home equity is very strong. However, many homeowners unknowingly make costly mistakes.
Here are the top 5 mistakes people make when applying for a home equity loan.
Mistake 1 – Not Knowing The Difference between a Home Equity Loan and a Home Equity Line of Credit
A home equity loan is a one-time transaction that allows you to draw out all the funds available.
A home equity line of credit (HELOC) is open; you can choose a small initial advance against the full amount of the line; then reuse the line of credit as often as you want during the period that the line is open. Your monthly payment is based on the outstanding balance.
A general rule of thumb is: use a home equity loan when you need all the money up front; such as cash for home improvements, debt consolidation, or a large one-time purchase.
If you need ongoing access to cash and revolving credit a HELOC may be your best choice.
Mistake 2 – Taking a Home Equity Loan When You Plan on Refinancing Your First Mortgage
Many mortgage companies look at the combined loan amounts (i.e., the sum of the first and second loans) even when you are refinancing only your first loan. If you plan on refinancing your first loan the lender may require you to pay off both your first and second mortgages; or close your home equity line completely.
Check with your mortgage company to see if having a second loan will cause your refinance to be turned down.
Mistake 3 – Not Knowing The Hidden Costs
If you feel you must take out a home equity loan or open a line of credit it is important to know ALL the costs. With any loan secured against your property there can be hefty insurance costs, appraisals and other fees that can cut into your loan amount.
Mistake 4 – Only Applying at Your Current Bank
Many consumers apply for their home equity loan from their home bank. This can be a costly mistake.
As in any other type of loan, be sure to shop around for the best deal. Your current bank may not be able to give you the best interest rate or the best terms.
Think twice before deciding to use your local bank; you may find that there is another lender out there that can offer you a substantially more attractive loan program.
Mistake 5 – Not Checking Your Credit First
As in any type of loan, it is imperative that you get the best rates and terms. However, if you have credit problems it will seriously affect your ability to qualify.
In fact, if your credit is not the greatest you may have no choice but to use alternative lenders specializing in hard to place loans. The solution: Make sure you go with the bank or lender that provides the best rates for your type of credit whether good or bad.
There you have it. Avoid these 5 mistakes and you could save yourself hundreds, if not thousands of dollars when you get a home equity loan.
Strategic Capital Network is a licensed mortgage brokerage specializing in helping credit challenged homeowners qualify for home equity loans.
Home Equity Loan Rates: Why Theyre So Damn Low
Whos the “girl” thats always there for you when things go sour for you with everyone else? The answer is not your life partner or your mother, but its your home shes been there for you no matter what happened, does a good job at keeping you safe and sound, as well as “comforting” you in times of trouble. Aside from acting as a place for you to crash and relax, what else can your house do for you? For those that dont know, you can use it to pull off a home equity loan. Whats so good about this type of loan anyway? Well for starters, home equity loan rates are considered to be one of the lowest there is today, because of the loan collateral youll have to put up to apply for one.
And you know what that is, dont you, old chum? Thats your house there is a “condition” that needs to be met, in order to harvest the cheap home equity loan rates, naturally. These rates will be dependent on the equity of your house, and the lending companies will take it as one of the biggest factors for the determination of your worthiness. Im sure that you understand what that means, if not, dont break a sweat; let me explain. Equity is in some sense the “value” of your house. Its computed by simple math, and the formula thats used here is: how much of the house youve paid for so far, minus the amount you havent paid for yet.
Its a simple formula, and yet there are many out there that dont fully understand the whole thing. For every simpleton and dim-witted friend of mine out there, Ill give an example, in hopes that you ALL understand it better. Here it is: you own a house, and so far you paid for $300,000 for it. But you still have a remainder of $100,000 to pay. To solve for the equity of your abode, you take $100,000 from $300,000, which gives you $200,000. Therefore, the equity of your house is 200 grand I hope this I perfectly clear to all readers.
This isnt the only determining factor when it comes down to knowing the home equity loan rates youll get, hell no. The knowledge you have on the entire matter and process on how all of this works will be your “best friend” when it comes to talking down the rates. In order to get the best rates possible, youll have to go to a number of different financial institutions dealing this type of service. Having good negotiation skills would also be an edge. Theres a lot to take into consideration before applying for this type of loan, like whether or not the value of your shack can get you approved for the loan in the first place.
Also, youd most definitely want to be sure whether or not youre actually capable of paying off the debt when you actually do get approved. This is one of the most important things you should think about. Having defaults with your payments can spell trouble for you. Ask other people that have taken out one for themselves you might find one that has lost his home because of his incapability to pay.