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Posts Tagged ‘home equity loans’

Return of the HELOC?

November 18th, 2009 by Matthew C. Keegan | 2 Comments | Filed in Home Financing

Pity the poor HELOC. Ostracized by some as demonstrating what is wrong with the American consumer, the HELOC fell out of fashion when credit tightened and the financial markets collapsed in 2008.

But, much like the fabled phoenix which rose from the ashes, the HELOC is back though not looking quite the same as it did before – yes, its wings have been singed, if not a bit clipped.

home loanHELOC Defined

Oh, what exactly is a HELOC you ask? That would be Home Equity Line Of Credit, a method for consumers to borrow money off of the value of their homes. Popularized throughout much of the past decade, HELOCs allowed homeowners to reap the rewards of their rapidly increasing home values by borrowing money to finance $100,000 kitchen renovations, enjoy expensive vacations, pay for their children’s college education, and more.

Critics hated HELOCs, blaming these types of loans with helping to push up the price of housing, encouraging predatory lenders to jump in, and putting millions of homeowners in a vulnerable position, with many people losing their homes when property values plummeted and jobs were lost.

Careless Consumers?

And you know what? The critics do have a point: a number of people were very careless, borrowing more money then they needed and foolishly spending it on stuff they didn’t need. Still, a HELOC does offer a number of benefits which is why they’re still being written by lenders and grabbed by eligible consumers.

If you’re considering a HELOC, some things HAVE changed over the past few years including:

You must have very good credit – Even if you have a sizable amount of equity in your home (and for many homeowners this no longer holds true), expect lenders to carefully look at your credit history and only offer you a HELOC if your credit score is very good.

You can’t borrow the full amount – Previously, many lenders allowed homeowners to borrow the full amount of equity in their homes. This means that if the consumer had a house valued at $300,000 and owed $220,000 on the first mortgage, then a lender would consider a $80,000 line, in some cases even more than the home’s worth. Today, you’ll be lucky to get $20,000 because few lenders are willing to let you borrow more than 80% of the value of your home.

Emergency Line

Perhaps one of the best reasons for homeowners to consider a HELOC is this one – an available line of credit to handle life’s emergencies. The last two years offered many challenges to Americans, certain thing which even worsened when funds dried up. By having access to a HELOC and using it wisely, you can borrow funds when needed to cover a crisis.

Adv. – Have you considered a HELOC? Carefully weigh your options before securing a line. Rates are low, lenders are willing and a line could help you complete important renovations to your home, including replacing your roof, windows and doors, add a room, and more. Get a HELOC quote today!


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Should You Tap Your Home’s Equity To Manage Personal Debt?

October 22nd, 2007 by Matthew C. Keegan | 5 Comments | Filed in Credit Cards, Debt Management, Home Financing, Money Management

Money Bag

Your personal debt level can be having an adverse impact on the way that you live. Credit cards, student loans, auto loans and department store debt can quickly add up — factor in interest rates of 10, 12, even 20 percent or more and the burden on consumers can be tremendous. If you are a homeowner, a readily available way to handle your debt load can ease the burden for you. Yes, tapping the equity in your home is one way for you to consolidate debt.

Residential Debt Consolidation

The longer you live in your residence, the more likely you have built up a decent amount of equity in your home. As you pay down your mortgage and enjoy the rising value of your home, the difference between your mortgage’s pay off amount and its current value is what lenders consider to be the equity in your home.

Let me give to you an example: You bought your home just over four years ago for $185,000, taking out a mortgage loan for $165,000. At that point your equity (or piece of the pie) is $20,000. Between making fifty payments to the mortgage company and kicking in an additional $50 whenever you had it, your outstanding balance has been reduced to $152,000. What’s more, your home’s value has increased nicely, thanks to a robust housing market.

An appraisal of your house reveals that it is now worth $219,000. The difference between $219,000 and the $152,000 outstanding balance on the mortgage loan is now $67,000. That latter amount represents your home equity, a portion of the amount you can use for debt consolidation.

Home Equity Lending

Lenders will look at your home’s value ($219,000) and allow you to borrow as much as 80% of that amount ($175,200) minus the amount you owe on your mortgage ($152,000). Therefore, you could borrow as much as $23,200 ($175,000 – $152,000) to cover debt, living expenses, and even take a vacation. Of course if your debt level is much smaller than that, you may simply want to borrow enough money to pay off your debt and then allow 5-10 years to pay off your low, fixed-rate home equity loan.

Home Equity Loans — Tax Advantages

Most homeowners are able to take advantage of tax deductions for their home mortgage. However, those deductions do not extend to cover most personal debt. On the other hand, a home equity loan is usually tax deductible even if the monies were used to pay off personal debt. In other words, you can let the government reward you for paying off high interest rate credit cards and other loans by giving you an extra deduction come tax time.

Worth Your Consideration

Of course, whether it is personal debt or a home equity loan, you will have to pay off what you owe. A financial calculator can help you compare your outstanding debt with a home equity loan to help you develop a plan that is affordable, tax deductible, and much lest burdensome then the high interest rate personal debt you are presently battling.


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