Friday 28 March 2008

The Difference Between an Equity Line and a Loan

Home equity loans are offered in various forms, including credit lines. In other words, the borrower may have the choice to consider home equity loan or line of credit. The equity loans are offered in one large sum to the borrower to help him pay off debts, reduce high interest on credit cards, pay off tuition, remodel his home to build equity, and so forth.

Once the borrower agrees to the terms and conditions on the loan, the borrower often receives money to repay the first mortgage and additional savings to remodel the home, or do what the borrower intended to do with the money. On the other hand, if the borrower is offered a line of credit for ten years, at leisure, the borrower can use the credit for any purpose intended by the borrower. The line of credit allows the borrower to payoff the loan differently from the equity mortgage loans.

It depends on the lender, but a few have restrictions on the credit lines, meaning that the borrower can take out the full amount at once or else the borrower can only take out limited amount. Once the balance is paid in full, then the borrower can take out more credit to use at leisure; however, some lenders stipulate what the money must be used for, regardless if the borrower is repaying the debt.

The interest on credit lines are Prime Rates that are not based on a fixed interval. Thus, this poses a threat to most borrowers. The home equity loans are often fixed rate and deductibles on taxes may be included. Thus, to decide which option is right for you, you would weigh out the differences of the terms and conditions, stipulations, APR, interest and other pending costs involved in loans or credit.

The Dangers of No Credit Check Equity Loans

Beware if you encounter a lender who offers no credit check equity loans.. Anytime a borrower applies for a line of credit or loan, the lender is under law obligated to check the credit history of the borrower. Since large sums of money are involved in equity lending, it presents potential risk to both borrower and lender. The lender may lose if the borrower fails to meet payment obligations and borrower will lose his/her home if payments are missed.

Thus, when considering equity loans and spotting the “bad credit, no credit check, no problem” loans, you should precede with caution, since some of the lenders are taking advantage of the less fortunate. Payday lenders often extend minimal loans to consumers without checking the credit of the client; however, mortgage lenders are under obligation to check credit. Many of the lenders who offer bad credit loans often provide debt consolidation leading the clients to believe that they are on
their way out of debt.

Once the borrower steps into the snare, he/she soon learns that debts are increasing instead of reducing. Furthermore, some of the lenders of home equity loans present a similar trap, luring the clients in to a web of debt. Once the client agrees to the contract hidden, fees are added to the monthly installments and the client soon learns he cannot meet his monthly obligations. Therefore, when considering home equity loans be sure to do a thorough background check on the lender and company offering the loan. Read the terms and conditions, including any fine print the company has included on the contract if you want to avoid uncontrollable debt. Remember, your home is at risk, so procede with extreme caution if you do not want to haphazardly venture in financial ruin.

The Benefits of an Interest Only Equity Loan

Interest only equity loans are a sort of “investment,” since the borrower has the option to select the amount of payments to repay. These loan may also give an incentive to the buyer to take out additional loans for a second, third, or fourth home.

The borrower of this equity loan will payoff high interest and debts with the savings, or else improve the value of their home. Interest only loans are loans that the borrower pays interest for the length of ten years in most instances, and then works toward paying off the capital on the home.

The borrower can also pay additional monthly installments, which will apply toward the principle on the home. Furthermore, the borrower can receive a “25% savings” on the loan; however, risks are involved. The upside is that the equity loan is “tax deductible.” Still, the interest rates on such loans are fluctuating and often higher than average loans. The extra cash you can save by paying the interest can help you payoff secured or unsecured debts, or improve the value of your home, but if you don’t have the capital payments after the ten years, you may be at risk of loss.

Furthermore, if the homebuyer fails to pay the principal on the interest only loan, the interest rates will increase. The interest only loans are sort of an investment, similar to the ARMS loans, since the borrower has the option to choose the amount of repayments he will pay. The loans also provide options to the borrower by allowing them to choose the length of time to pay interest on the loan. If this specific advantage does not suit your needs as a homeowner, you may want to look for a
different type of equity loan for your home.

The Benefits of an Equity Release Loan

Equity loans are optional loans provided to homeowners who want to use their home as collateral counted as a promise against a new loan. The equity release loans are a sort of flex loans that offer large amounts of cash to homebuyers against the value of their homes. These loans often come in two forms–either an “equity release mortgage plan,” or “equity release home reversion plan.”

The disadvantage of selecting an equity release mortgage plan loan is that age is the ultimate aspect weighed out when the lender decides to give you the loan. In other words, if you are fifty, then you will pay higher interest rates and higher mortgage repayments.

Equity release home revision plan loans, on the other hand, are a mixed bag assessment, since they are are not biased of age, yet on the other hand the lenders show prejudice since the applications are not usually granted for anyone under the age of sixty.

Equity release loans are regulated loans, and if you have negative equity on your home, you are subject to pay high costs. On the other hand, if the equity on your home drops, so will your mortgage. “This means that in the event of the value of your property decreasing, the debt will also decrease; in addition, this will ensure that any outstanding debt, after the sale of your property, will not be passed on to your next of kin.”

Be aware that equity release loans often attach hidden charges, including solicitor fees, legal charges, surveyor charges, setup costs, redemption charges and maintenance fees. For the most part this loan is another form of debt, but it may be a worse form of debt than that which you currently owe.

There are various loans available on the market offering generous low payments; thus checking the market is often wiser than jumping headlong into the first offer you get.

Strategies for Self-Employed Equity Loan Management

You may have purchased a home while you were employed at an established business and now you are currently running your own business, but have decided you need an equity loan to pay off the pending balance of your loan to increase your weekly cashflow.

You remember the day you took out your first loan, realizing how easy it seems to be. You paid your closing costs, initial fees, stamp duty, deposits and other costs at the time you took out the loan. Now you want to save cash, and you think that refinancing your home is your best bet in this case.

First, you must know that banks look at self-employed equity loans differently than common loans. The banks will need proof of income, which will require accountant statements to prove the source of income. If you recently started your business, you will most likely run into problems if you have no proof of income. You may be asked to wait a length of time and accumulate evidence that steady income exists. Otherwise, if you do get a loan, you may pay higher interest rates than normal, since
the lender may view you as a riskier candidate for lending equity.

The lender will consider the equity on your home, and if you have negative equity, the chances of getting a loan will become more difficult. Thus, to reserve cash, you may want to consider other options; otherwise, sit down and ask yourself what you intend to do by taking out another loan against the equity on your home.

Self-employed equity loans often incorporate origination fees, premiums, pre-paid interest, arrangement costs, surveyor fees and costs, and so on. Therefore, if you must apply for an equity self-employed loan, shop around first and learn all you can about mortgages.

Selecting The Best Potential Equity Refinancing Package

Regardless of what commercials claim, many home equity loans have transaction charges, point fees, closing costs, and other charges attached. Few lenders offer borrowers option for refinancing; however, the lenders bury the stipulations in the fine print. One advantage of home equity loans is that tax deductions are often available, thus saving a few dollars each year. If you are searching for equity loans and looking to save additional cash, you may want to consider utilizing negotiation
skills to find cheaper PMI.

The Personal Mortgage Insurance is often attached to the loans and is often unavoidable unless the borrower pays around 20% of the down payment on the loan. Thus, when you reach the interview stage, you may want to ask your mortgage lender if you can opt out of the PMI offered by the bank and choose your own coverage. Mortgage insurance is essential to protect your investment; thus finding adequate coverage can save you over time.

To learn more about mortgage insurance, you may want to go online and get quotes to find links to various providers. This will help you weigh out the maximum coverage, which may present new savings on your current loan. For example, if you get a PMI with max coverage coverage, the lender may waive a few fees and lower the rates of interest, since the comprehensive coverage provides a measure of security to the lender.

Furthermore, when searching for equity loans, you want to get quotes to be linked to the lenders that offer loans with no upfront fees attached. Make sure you read the fine print and terms to learn more about the no upfront fee loans. Additionally, if you want to save cash, you will need to read more on mortgages to find out how you can negotiate with lenders for better deals.

Selecting Low Interest Equity Loans

If you are considering taking out an equity loan against your home, there are various questions that are important to ask yourself. The questions can be answered by reviewing your current monthly statement mortgage loan, especially the details, including interest and payment. If you have a bargain loan already, then taking out an equity loan on your home may not be wise; in fact, looking for even better rates, could land you in a financial mess by accepting a loan from a business with questionable practices.

However, if you do decide to take this first step–to consider whether or not you want an equity loan--you will want to consider the associate fees, costs, interest rates, repayments, and equity. You will also want to consider the risks involved in taking out equity loans.

The majority of lenders generally base the equity loans are various aspects, including the equity of the home itself. The lender will next consider the loan amount based on “3 times” the borrower’s wages. Scores of the lenders will demand an upfront deposit, which may be as much as ten percent of the house price.

Thus, if the homeowner wants an equity loan amount of ninety grand, then the homeowner would need to make around thirty grand per year. Again, the deposit is a percentage of the home amount; therefore for a ninety grand/thirty grand ratio the borrower would need around five grand upfront.

This sounds ludicrous, since you would think paying the first deposit was enough; however, you are applying for a loan against your home, which means you are paying off the first loan and increasing the current amount with another loan. The 100% equity loans do not require a deposit, but instead integrated into the mortgage repayment. If you intend to go this route, you should get multiple quotes from multiple lenders–and then read each quote thoroughly before making a final decision.