An Equity Loan : What It Is And How It Works

The investment need of an individual varies with time. Thus the need to buy a car or invest in a new house, which may have seemed "beyond means" a few years ago, may be a relevant and wise decision today. However, taking a consumer loan at existing rates may add to the existing debt burden of the individual. This is where home equity loans can be of help.

A home equity loan can be a very useful financial tool in the hands of the borrower, particularly if the avenue where the borrower would invest the loan amount would otherwise have to be financed at higher lending rates.

Thus the borrower can get access to cheaper loans, which can be used to finance secondary requirements like buying a car or modifying/renovating his/her existing home, repaying existing debt, medical costs, etc.

Home equity loans have other advantages too:

• Tax deductions: The interest payable on the secured equity loan is deductible up to a maximum of $100,000 or the equity value in your home, whichever is less. Thus besides access to lower rates of interest, the equity loan also gives the borrower tax benefits.

• Lower interest rates: As discussed earlier, a home equity loan can give access to loans at a lower rate than other means of debt like credit card debt or consumer loans. This can amount to a considerable savings on interest payments. Hence these loans can be used to retire old high-cost debt and help in the consolidation of debt.

• Ease of qualification: As compared to other loans, it is easier to qualify for a home equity loan. This is because the loan is disbursed against the equity of your existing home. This results in a faster and relatively hassle-free disbursement of loans.
  

• Flexibility of payment: The borrower can use the loan as and when required and may also be able to decide when the principal repayment should be done. This proves to a useful tool in the case of money management, particularly in the case of emergencies.

Home equity loans, if used wisely, can improve the financial standing of an individual as they provide easy and relatively cheap access to money.

Though home equity loans as a product are extremely attractive because of their tax deductibility and low interest rates, borrowers need to keep some pointers in mind before going in for a home equity loan.

• In other words, the benefit of the loan must outlast the loan period. Taking a loan for financing that elusive vacation is a strict no-no. Moreover, home equity loans must also never be taken for day-to-day expenditures. This option should be saved for emergency needs only.

• When applying for a home loan, all credentials of the lender must be keenly checked. The local consumer protection agency could be contacted for providing a list of lenders with an honest repute. All fine print must be carefully scrutinized, and one must avoid signing documents without having read them or which have blank spaces in them. Moreover, it is also advisable to keep a copy of all documents for future references.
  

• Avoid the temptation of applying for a home equity loan wherein your monthly income is inadequate to finance your debt obligations. In such an eventuality, the lender can foreclose on your home because of a default. Hence never let your greed overtake sound common sense when applying for that home equity loan.

• A home equity loan is normally a second mortgage. Hence one must carefully take stock of one's financial conditions and analyze whether one can afford extra debt. This is because once a home equity loan is undertaken, loan repayments must be made a top priority, as it is your home that could be taken away from you in the event of a default.

• Moreover, one needs to maintain a good credit record, as banks that have advanced you credit can freeze your credit limits in case your credit record takes a turn for the worse.

Having said this, it does not in any case deny the fact that home equity loan products are indeed very attractive.

Home equity loans have become a rage these days, since they give ready access to loans at a cheaper rate and can be used for financing other needs like buying a car or remodeling the existing house. Given the popularity of these mortgage products, there are three main categories under which these loans can be slotted:

Fixed Rate Mortgages: These loans have a fixed rate of interest over the entire term for which the loan has been disbursed. The term for these mortgages is typically between 10 to 30 years. The monthly interest payment on these loans is fixed and hence there exists a certainty about the repayment of the debt over the entire term of the debt. Another advantage of fixed rate mortgages is that the initial down payment required is very low, generally around 5% of the loan amount to be disbursed.

The disadvantage of this type of loan is that the rate of interest may be higher than that of a variable rate mortgage. If predictability of the interest payments is important, then it is advisable to consider securing a fixed rate mortgage.

Adjustable Rate Mortgages (ARM): As the name indicates, the interest rate on this type of mortgage fluctuates throughout the term of the loan depending on the interest rate scenario in the economy. The rate for an ARM is usually adjusted annually.

An ARM usually has caps, which restrict the rise in the rate to a certain level, both on an annual basis as well as over the entire term of the loan. For example, an ARM may have a cap of 1% every year and 5% over the term of the loan. This type of loan is best if the term of the loan is short, as the longer the term, the more the exposure to fluctuations in the interest rate. The index to which the variable rate is pegged should also be carefully considered.

Thus a variable rate mortgage can work out to be a cheaper option than a fixed rate mortgage, provided the borrower has given due attention to the risks involved.

Jumbo Loans: If the equity loan to be raised exceeds the federal guidelines set by Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac, then the loan is referred to as a jumbo loan. The limit set by the guidelines is different from state to state. The rates for jumbo loans are typically higher than those for other types of mortgages, as the lender has a higher risk due to the larger amount of the loan. The borrower should try not to exceed the guidelines, as this could mean a considerable savings in terms of interest outflows.

Home equity loans can be a very useful financial tool with which one can utilize the equity of one's existing home, which would otherwise not yield any returns, to finance other requirements at substantially lower rates.

Owing to the popularity of home equity loans, there are numerous lending agencies offering a variety of mortgage products. A bad choice of mortgage can lead to disastrous effects, as there is a risk involved of foreclosure and losing one's home. Hence it becomes necessary to secure the best loan possible.

Simple steps to endure that you select the best home equity loan:

Find out your credit score and credit rating: Each person can get a credit rating based on his/her financial standing and other factors like outstanding debt, equity of the existing home, credit history, etc. A higher credit rating and credit score would mean lesser risk involved in lending to such a person and hence the home loan borrower can negotiate for a better rate of interest on the mortgage. There are a number of credit rating agencies, which calculate credit scores for a fee.

Evaluate the alternatives: Even though a home equity loan may seem like the best bet, it is better to evaluate other products like home equity lines, reverse mortgages, etc. For example, for people over age 60, it would be advisable to consider a reverse mortgage rather than a second mortgage on the existing home, as this could lead to foreclosure and could render one homeless.
The purpose of the home loan should also be evaluated and risky options like using the debt to pay off credit card debt should be avoided.

Shop around: It is important that the consumer do some research in terms of the home equity loans offered by various lending institutions like mortgage companies and banks. Employing the services of a broker may be useful at times, but eventually the fees that the home loan lender pays to the broker will be passed on to the consumer. The lender should be able to explain his mortgage terms clearly and should be ready to give an upfront idea of the risks and fees involved in the mortgage.

Read the fine print: Many consumers have found out the hard way that the fine print in the terms of the home loans or mortgage does matter! Terms pertaining to payment schedules and foreclosure conditions should be given special consideration. Other fees and prepayment clauses should be evaluated for the entire term of the loan.

There may be other issues like the inclusion of life insurance in the loan amount, which may effectively increase the cost of borrowing and may be unnecessary. Only after due diligence on such legal and financial issues has been done should the consumer sign the necessary papers.

In this day and age, when most of us do not have the hard cash required to decorate our dream home or take that much-wanted vacation, the next best thing is to take a home equity loan. So what's a home equity loan?

A home equity loan is simply borrowing on the difference of the value of your home and the outstanding mortgage on the house. Lets say, you have bought a home worth $50,000 some time back, after making a down payment of $5,000. The value of your home has now appreciated to $60,000. The difference between the present value of your home ($60,000) and the outstanding payment ($45,000) is $15,000. This is the amount of the home equity loan that you can apply for.

Home equity loans are normally called second mortgages, as they are normally for a lesser tenor than an existing first mortgage. However, one "caveat" that borrowers need to be very careful of is that in the event of default, the lender can foreclose on the house. Home equity loans have become hugely popular recently because of falling interest rates and tax deductions on interest repayments. Moreover, since a home equity loan has the house as collateral, the interest rates on such loans are normally lower than on other types of loans.

Due to the nature of a home equity loan, borrowers normally belong to the middle-aged bracket earning a decent income. As a result of this, the default rate among home equity loan borrowers is very low.

There are two broad types of home equity loans:

1. Fixed loans, which are very good for people who want some discipline in their repayment schedules. These are just like a normal term loan.

2. Line of credit, (HELOC) which offers more flexibility to the borrower in terms of repayment schedules and floating rate of interest.

So, still waiting to remodel your home or buy that set of wheels? Go for that home loan now!

A home equity loan is essentially a type of second mortgage. You'll be borrowing money against the value of your home. This carries risk, but can be worth it in the end if you know what you're doing.

The most common type of home equity loan is a "closed end" home equity loan. This type of loan essentially allows you to borrow a certain amount of money against the value of your home. You cannot borrow more money on the same equity loan, so if you need more money later, you'll have to try and take out another loan.

Most people find that getting a home equity loan can go a long way toward helping them to get out of debt. Since you're borrowing money against your house, there is a greater chance that you'll end up with a lower interest rate than you're used to. This will probably result in a much lower monthly payment than most other loans.

One reason to get a home equity loan is if you are in a lot of debt and have several high interest payments to make each month. If you can get enough money in an equity loan to pay off your other debts, you'll be able to effectively consolidate all of your debt into one low monthly payment.

It is essential, however, that you make sure that you're able to meet your monthly payments after you get a home equity loan. After all, if you start missing payments, you might lose your house. Therefore, you should make a very careful assessment of your financial situation before you apply for the home equity loan. If you do not think that you'll be able to pay even the low monthly payments on this loan, then don't take the loan. If you're considering the laon for debt consolidation purposes, you might be better off looking at one of the many other debt consolidation options that are available to you.

The closed end home equity loan is not the only loan of its type. If you are looking for something that's a little more flexible, then you might want to go with a home equity line of credit instead.

A home equity line of credit works very similarly to a loan, and can definitely help you reduce your interest rates and monthly payments. The major difference, however, is that a line of credit will allow you to borrow more money against your house when needed - in some cases, up to 125% of your home's value.

While a home equity loan is better in most cases, the line of credit is a good idea if you're not sure how much money you need to borrow right away. With the line of credit, you can increase the amount of money you've borrowed against your house easily.

You will more than likely also want a home equity loan if you have a lot of credit card debt. While credit card interest rates are traditionally very high, home equity interest rates are fairly low. Since it's likely that you've ended up with several credit cards, you will probably have a lot of debt that you can easily consolidate with one home equity loan.

A home equity loan may be right for you if you need to consolidate debts quickly, and you're sure that you'll be able to pay off the home equity loan without missing any of your payments. If you are taking the loan for debt consolidation, be sure you have the discipline to use all of the loan for that exact purpose!