Home equity loans are a popular way for homeowners to borrow money using the equity in their home as collateral. With this type of loan you can use the equity in your home to finance a multitude of things, from home improvements to large purchases and more. If youre considering a home equity loan you should gather information from several lenders to find the loan program that is the best fit for you.

What Is A Home Equity Loan?

A home equity loan is separate from your primary mortgage. It is an additional loan that provides you with a loan amount based on the equity you have built up in your home. Its usually easier to qualify for this type of loan than for a regular mortgage and the entire transaction can proceed very quickly from start to finish.
Read the rest of this entry »

Part 2 Equity Home: Refinance Your Home Equity Loan (2)-  read part 1 Refinance Equity home loan
One simple online quote request will give you several quotes from lenders who can design a loan package especially for your situation. If you are a homeowner with an existing home equity loan, consider refinancing to take advantage of the many loan options offered by mortgage lenders. Your quick online quote request will give you quotes from several lenders who can refinance your home equity loan even if you have poor credit. There is no mandatory credit check so you will only have one inquiry on your credit report after you have selected the lender that is right for you.

Refinancing your home equity loan is a smart way to save money and lower your monthly payments. Find the best lender for you with a fast, no-obligation application that you can complete online in just minutes. Even a small decrease in your interest rate can save you thousands of dollars over the length of your loan. Contact a mortgage broker or lender today and find out how much money you can save with one short application. You can be pre-qualified in just minutes. Refinancing your home equity loan makes perfect sense for those who want to lower their monthly payments and save money each month. Your online application will put you in touch with lenders who are able to offer you great terms and low interest rates, even if your credit is less than perfect.

To view our list of recommended home equity refinance lenders online, visit this page: Recommended Home Equity Refinance Lenders.

Carrie Reeder is the owner of ABC Loan Guide, an informational loan website with articles and the latest news about various types of loans.

Refinancing your home equity loan is an excellent way to save money. By refinancing your home equity loan you can lower your interest rate and finance for a longer or shorter term. Some things to consider before refinancing your home equity loan are the possible tax benefits, how long you intend to stay in your home, what your long term financial goals are, and how could you use the money to benefit your family. Refinancing your home equity loan is a great way to save money each month.

A home equity loan is a great way to get the cash you need and lower your monthly payments at the same time. If you already have a home equity loan you may be able to refinance at a lower interest rate and save money. With one short application you can get several quotes and be pre-qualified by multiple lenders. The quotes are free and there will be no credit check until you select the lender that will offer you the best terms. Refinancing your home equity loan could give you extra cash each month and drop your interest rate dramatically. Bad credit, past bankruptcy, and foreclosures are all considered. There are numerous options available in refinancing your home equity loan.

Equity Home: Refinance Your Home Equity Loan (1)

Read the part 2:

Equity Home: Refinance Your Home Equity Loan (2)

What is a Home Equity Loan?

A home equity loan is a loan that is guaranteed by your home. Are you in urgent need for cash and want to get the same without selling off your home or property? Getting a home equity loan is a good way to do so.

Equity on your home is essentially the difference between the value of your home and the outstanding mortgage. Lot of finance companies today offer good deals on home equity loans, letting you borrow money based on the available equity on your home.

This type of loans product basically works on the idea that you use the amount you own within your property as collateral against a loan. You put it up as a guarantee to your lender that you can repay any loans. This allows you to free up the amount you already own within your property and use it as hard cash.

Most lenders will work out how much equity you have for you – but it’s simple enough to do it yourself. All you need to do is to work out how much your property is currently worth and then subtract your mortgage from it. If you’re not sure how much is currently outstanding on your mortgage, have a chat with your lender and they’ll be able to help you out.

A home equity loan allows homeowners to access the equity in their primary residence without having to sell the property. Equity is the difference between what a home is worth and what is owed against it. Traditionally, home equity loans were called second and third mortgages.

You might have heard about using these types of financing products to meet your financial goals. Most home equity loans are simply second mortgages, structured either as a lump sum loan similar to a first mortgage, or as a line of credit.

Home equity loans are also referred to as “Equity Release Scheme”. The money you get on a home equity loan can be used for a variety of purposes such as to fund home improvement, buy a new car, consolidate your debts or finance a travel plan.

Home equity loans are particularly useful for the elderly. Elderly people can release the equity on their property and use the money to supplement their pension. This additional amount can be used to pay for the cost of residential care if they need it.

Home equity loans allow the elderly to borrow money at relatively low interest rate and with a low monthly repayment, thus easing the financial burden considerably in the old age. Under certain schemes there is no need to make a repayment at all. Depending on the equity in the home, these lenders simply reclaim the loan and interest by selling their house when they pass away or move on.

If you’re looking to borrow money this is probably one of the easiest and most cost-effective ways of doing it. Lenders like giving out home equity loans because they know that they’ll get their money back whatever happens.

This all means that you can get the most preferential rates and deals in comparison to other loan products. Another big advantage is that this is a way of freeing up cash that is already technically yours. Without any of the hassle or costs associated with moving.

The cost of the loan will depend on many factors including your personal circumstances, the amount you wish to borrow and over what period you wish to repay back the loan.

In a typical home equity loan, the home is used as collateral against the loan, meaning that should you be unable to maintain the loan repayments, your home will be at risk.

Read the rest of this entry »

Home Equity Loans Online

If you are in the market for a home equity loan, consider an online lender. Home equity loans online are fast and easy. You could be approved in just minutes when you apply online for a home equity loan. The online lending industry is highly competitive. Online lenders are offering home equity loans with the lowest interest rates in years. When you apply for a home equity loan online, you will be assured of professional service, prompt attention to your questions, and expert advice throughout the entire loan process.

Applying for a home equity loan online is a quick, simple process.
When you complete the online application one or more lenders will contact you within hours. Online lenders are mortgage professionals who can assist you in being approved for a home equity loan and will make the loan process pleasant and painless. A home equity loan from an online lender is the easiest way to get the extra cash you need from the equity you have built in your home and the monthly payments are easy to manage.

Home equity loans online are available with varying lengths and terms to make it easy for you to find the loan product that will best suit your needs. You can apply for a home equity loan online and be approved in just minutes in some cases. Lenders will contact you shortly after receiving your application to begin the approval process. Even if your credit is less than perfect, you can be approved for a home equity loan from an online lender. Online mortgage lenders are eager to approve your loan and will advise you of all the options that may be available to you.

A home equity loan is the perfect way to take advantage of the equity you have built in your home. It may even be possible to get a home equity loan up to 125% of your home’s appraised value from an online lender. With interest rates at all time low levels, there has never been a better time to apply for a home equity loan online. The application is quick and easy and lenders who are eager for your business will contact you within hours after receiving your application. Home equity loans online are simply the best way for you to begin using the equity you have built in your home to your advantage.
Read the rest of this entry »

Home equity loans can be a great idea for individuals looking to get out of debt or make necessary repairs on their homes. During the process, you will come across a variety of terms and acronyms. We have gathered together some of the basic terms that you come across during your home equity loan.

(Part. 1) Letter A

HOME EQUITY LOAN

Adjustable Rate Mortgage (ARM):

This type of mortgage has an interest rate that will change over time. Typically the interest rate will be lower than fixed mortgage products.

Amortization:

Loan payments that will cover both principle and interest in one payment. Your lender will likely give you an amortization schedule outlining your payment schedule.

Annual Percentage Rate (APR):

This is the cost of credit on a yearly basis.

Appraised Value:

An appraiser will determine the value of your home based on experience, market data, and other information.

Equity Home: Obtaining a Home Equity Loan Online

Private lenders, banks, and mortgage companies are all setting up shop on the internet, and all make it possible to obtain a home equity loan online. Competition between lenders is stiff, so be sure to check a few companies that offer applications about their rates, products, and customer service.

A mortgage site that provides a home equity loans will also give more detailed information for the typical uses of a home equity loan. Many people choose to get a home equity loan in order to consolidate existing debts- such as credit cards, loans, educational expenses, and car payments. Home equity loans are also used in order to finance home improvements that you’d like to make but don’t have the cash on hand to pay for them, since the loans tend to be more economical than some of the other options for obtaining financing.

There are a few different versions of home equity loans that you can apply for and receive, and when you apply for a home equity loan online you’ll make a decision as to whether or not you need a line of credit, a fixed loan, or what is called a 125% loan. The line of credit is a good choice if you want to have money available to borrow at any time, such as for home improvements or sending children to college. A fixed loan option is perfect for individuals who know exactly how much money is needed and only want to borrow once, while a 125% loan is useful for people who want to consolidate debts but do not have much equity in their home yet. The 125% loan allows the borrowers to borrow up to 125% of the property value and usually offers a fixed interest rate.

Do You REALLY Need a Home Equity Loan?

Your equity is the amount your home is worth, on the market, minus the amount you owe to your mortgage broker. For example, if your property is worth $200,000 and the balance you owe your mortgage broker is $100,000, then your home equity – the part of your property that you own free and clear – is $100,000.

A home equity loan is a loan that uses the equity in your home as collateral. That means you are using your home as a guarantee that you will repay the loan. Before you even consider borrowing against your home equity, you need to understand that a home equity loan reduces your home equity by the amount of the loan and that if you do not repay the loan, you could lose your house.

These loans have advantages and disadvantages compared with other kinds of borrowing. You should consider the “Pluses” and “Minuses” of borrowing against the equity in your property before apply for a equity home loan.

Pluses

*The interest paid on a home equity loan is tax-deductible, just like the interest on your mortgage. This of course is not the case with credit card interest.

*Equity home loan rate may be lower than other kinds borrowing, such as credit card debt, because you’re using your property to guarantee the loan will be repaid.

*A home equity loan gives you a source of funds for important big purchases: a college education, home improvement, a medical emergency, or other emegencies that may arise.

Minuses

*Your payments on your home loan must be met or you could lose your home.

*Often you will have to pay closing costs, which can be substantial, this is money which will not be recoverable and will diminish your loan value.

Having excess equity in your home will make you a target of unscrupulous sales tactics designed to get you to rush into an expensive loan you may not need. If you feel like you’re being pressured to borrow, just say no – always take your time when you take out a home equity loan.

There are reasons that make a home equity loan a good choice but also reasons that are not good. You should consider them wisely.

Good reasons to take out a home equity loan.

*Improving your finances – A home equity loan can consolidate your debts, by paying off high-interest credit cards or other high interest loans which are not tax deductible.

*Investing in your home – You can use a loan to increase the value of your home by using it for needed home improvements or repairs.

*Investing in your future – Home equity loans can help finance an education or start a business.

Bad reasons to take out a home equity loan.

*Spending the money on luxury items – Don’t risk your house to buy that new car, big boat or take an expensive trip. You should save until you can afford it.

*Using the money for living expenses – If you’re spending more than you’re earning day after day, a loan will only delay the “inevitable.” Try to find ways to cut your expenses instead. A credit counselor can help.

*Loan the money to a friend or relative – Remember, it’s your house that’s on the line. Don’t let a friend or relative pressure you to take out a loan for them. If they don’t pay you back, they lose nothing – but you could lose your home.

If you’re thinking about taking out a home equity loan as a last resort to get out of serious financial trouble, DON’T. Chances are, you’ll just run up your debt again and will soon be just as bad off as you are today, and possibly lose your home as well. Get help instead! A credit counselor can help you improve your finances at little or no cost to you.

This article may be freely distributed and reprinted as long as the author’s information and web link are included at the bottom of the article. For more info
Read the rest of this entry »

Home Equity Loan

Free Home Equity Loan Information

Home equity loan information can sometimes be confusing and misleading. I have written this article to properly explain home equity loans. Basically equity is the difference between your home’s appraised, or fair market value and the outstanding mortgage balance you owe on your home. Borrowing against the equity built up in a home has become extremely popular.

If you’re wondering, why this has become popular it’s due to the tax deductions and the low interest rates that are current in today’s housing loan market. It’s also because of the growth of equity in most people’s homes.

For instance if you buy a house for $100,000 with a down payment of $20,000 and have made payments of $10,000 towards the principal then you would have $30,000 in equity.
But wait suppose your house has increased in worth to $120,000 in that case then you would have $50,000 in equity that you could use for a home equity loan.

This equity is very valuable because you can use it without selling your home. Banks consider this equity to be secure since it is based on your house so they are more inclined to give you lower rates when loaning money against the equity.

However, don’t be mislead. The cost for these loans is higher then your actual mortgage rate but since many people use their home equity loan to pay off credit cards or make house improvements they end up paying less then if they had gotten a traditional loan. Best of all the interest on this type of loan is also tax deductible. When you add it all up you can actually save money in finance charges.

Anyone using this type of loan must be careful though because if a person defaults or fails to make payments on this loan then the bank can forclose on your house which could prove to be a financial nightmare for the careless borrower. For this reason I recommend using caution when using a home equity loan.
Read the rest of this entry »

Equity Home resources

How Much Interest is Your Home Equity Earning?

How much interest are you earning on your home equity?
If you answered nothing, zero, zilch, zip you are correct. What would you do if you could get triple compounding on your equity? Would you take action and build a fortune that would allow you to pay off the mortgage and create a retirement fund?

We use a strategy called Early Mortgage Pay Off System or EMPOS. The strategy involves using common knowledge that is applied uncommonly. In other words, we have been told for years that a fixed mortgage is the way to the American Dream of having our homes paid off free and clear. But is that really a dream, when all along the way you struggle to make those large payments? What if you could reduce your monthly mortgage payments and increase your cash flow?

By using the right mortgage product you can keep your monthly payments low and redirect some of that cash back to yourself in an investment that gets triple compounding because it is tax deferred.

First, you examine to see if a Pick-a-payment Mortgage is applicable to your situation. This type of mortgage product allows you to choose between four options each month. The options are a 30-year payment, a 15-year payment, interest only or minimum monthly payment, which has a low start rate (currently 1.95% to 4.95% depending on the investors, credit, income and other market factors). You can match your loan payments to your variable or seasonal income and begin using the saved income to create wealth.

This mortgage product uses a monthly Adjustable Rate concept to determine the actual rate of interest charged. The loan is linked to one of various indexes like the Cost of Funds Index (COFI), the Monthly Treasury Average (MTA), Certificate of Deposit Index (CODI), Cost of Savings Index (COSI) or the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR). A loan consultant can determine the index and program that best fits your individual financial situation. Fixed percentage points (the “Margin”) are added to the index and establishes your effective interest rate and monthly payment

Many of the super elite and very wealthy use this type of mortgage on their homes when they could afford to pay their mortgages off today. Why? Because they leverage their mortgage as a tool to create wealth. Even Alan Greenspan has an ARM mortgage on his home when he could afford to pay it off. History shows the ARM mortgage consistently outperforms a fixed rate.

What do I do with all my monthly savings you ask? We like to see it go into an environment where the money can earn triple compounding. Triple compounding is where you earn interest on your principal, interest on the interest and interest on the amount that would have gone to taxes. One of the best places to get tax deferral that creates a triple compound is with life insurance. In addition, there are equity indexed life insurance products that allow you to participate in the stock market while it is up and lock in the gains when the market falters. It is the best of both worlds because it earns at better than traditional fixed and is safer than a variable insurance product.

You may have sold yourself on life insurance being a useless product. Well, consider the following example of life insurance compared to a ROTH IRA.

The IRA offers no creditor protection if you get sued, the equity in your home is always on the table for a creditor to take. Additionally, your contributions to an IRA are limited, there is no death benefit if you prematurely pass away, and there is no disability aspect among other features.

After the Tax Reform Act of 1986, the Wall Street Journal had an article that said there were only five tax-advantaged investments left:

Your personal mortgage

Qualified retirement plans (i.e., EP, 401K, IRA, Pension, Profit Sharing, etc.)

Tax Free Bonds

Live Insurance

Annuities.

The reason that life insurance was listed is because life insurance offers you the opportunity to have tax-deferred growth/compounding on your money as well as access on a tax advantaged basis.

What if we took the power of tax-deductible borrowing and invested the money tax-free? This is done by refinancing or using a Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC). A client could take out money and fund the maximum in their equity-indexed universal life product to the extent they do not violate tax law and create a Modified Endowment Contract (MEC). Too, the client who is 59 could place some proceeds into an single premium immediate annuity (SPIA) and fund the life insurance over the next couple of years directly. If the client were at least 55 years of age their situation could be appraised under the substantially equal payment exclusion to the 10% excise tax penalty on distributions prior to 59 . There are other planning opportunities and the client would have the proceeds to invest, assuming their financials line up with the requirements of the lender.

Like any type of investing, there are pros and cons. The pro is that you can create significant wealth and is safer than playing the stock market. The con is that you would tap out equity from your home and by using one of many strategies; you might not pay your home off under the thirty years unless you choose to. However, you would likely build enough to pay off the mortgage in a lump sum if you cared to, or continue to use the mortgage interest deductions when you need them as a retiree. Also, the amount of estate tax can be reduced since you only pay estate tax on what you own. There are numerous pros that outweigh the cons and you can find a savant on either side of the pro and con. Ultimately, a person must make up their own mind and begin to think outside of the box or join the masses that play it safe and will have to sweep floors in a retail store during their retirement years.

In closing, remember, equity can only be tapped two ways (1) selling the property or (2) an equity loan, but when you need it most the loan is not always that easy to get. If you want to create a significant amount of wealth and have a few years to still pay on your mortgage, you might want to examine to see if utilizing your equity to provide for your future is appropriate.
Read the rest of this entry »