Archive for September, 2010

Is Home Equity Loan is a good idea?

September 30th, 2010

First, what is a home equity loan? Well a home-equity loan is a second lien against your home‘s equity.

I always consider my home equity as a safety net for those difficult times, such as, a job loss or family illness. My rule of thumb for debt management has always been centered on how much equity I had in my house. I would never have my debt exceed my equity.

Now let’s get back to the question. Is a home equity loan a good idea? If you manage your money wisely home equity loans are a good idea but only if you spend the proceeds on items that are a necessity and carry a higher interest rate that the home equity loan. A good example would be home improvements or educational needs. These items usually are quite expensive and require long pay-off periods. By using your equity you will be able to write-off your purchase interest on your federal and state taxes. Another example would be to pay-off high interest credit card and personal loans debt but you must make sure that once the debt is paid you can not accumulate any more credit card debt or you will become financially strapped.

Below are some guidelines if you’re thinking about borrowing against your home‘s value:

Don’t waste the cash. Please be aware you’re attaching a new lien on the home, moving closer to the risk of foreclosure. If you do not make your payments on time, the lender has the right to foreclose on your home.

Don’t accumulate more debt than you can handle. As I mentioned earlier your total debt should not exceed your homes total equity.

Evaluate the tax benefits carefully. Review the IRS Publication 936 for details.

Avoid lines of credit unless you have the discipline to make the principal payment on time.

In conclusion:

It is important to carefully consider how you plan on using the equity in your home. If it is for home improvements, education like college or medical expenses then you are adding even more value to your home and personal growth and well being, which is good. If you are using it for daily spending, vacations, cars or other items that quickly depreciate in value, then you could be risking your nest egg and run the risk of owing money on your home far longer that the average 15-30 year mortgage.

Construction loans for homes

September 28th, 2010

Finding construction loans for homes is not as easy as finding a regular home loan. This is because you are borrowing money for something that doesn’t exist yet. To find the right loan program you will need to shop around, and ask many potential lenders a lot of questions about loan terms, rates, and requirements.

After you find a lender that offers construction loans for homes it is a good idea to start the pre-approval process. This process is a short handed version of what you will need to go through to get officially approved for a construction loan. This process will usually involve the lender asking you questions about your credit history, your FICO score, what type of collateral you have, and what type of property you plan on building. The lender will then use this information to determine if you qualify for any of their loan programs. If you are pre-approved for a construction loan then the lender will give you a dollar range of what you are qualified to borrow for your project. They will also tell you what interest rates and terms are attached to the loan programs that you qualify for. You can then use this information to find a property, architect, and contractor. However, to actually get the money from a construction loan the information that you provided to the lender will need to be verified. This is the qualification process.

If you are interested in construction loans for homes for a commercial project then you will need to look for a lender that offers real estate development loans. These loans are specially designed for providing real estate developers with the capital needed to complete their real estate projects. The benefits of these loan types are that they offer flexible terms and rates. The drawbacks of these loan types are that they are hard to find, they can take a long time to put together, and they can require a large amount of collateral to qualify for one.

Understanding VA Home Loans

September 28th, 2010

Qualified veterans can certainly take advantage of the great resources offered in a VA loan program. Meeting certain requirements can enable you to receive some fantastic benefits for the purchase of a home.

Since the United States Department of Veterans Affairs offer many benefits to members of our armed forces, it is no wonder that home loans are one of the perks as well. These types of loans are not provided by the government. They are available through banks and mortgage companies. The job of the VA basically protects the lender against loss in the event the owner is not able to pay back their VA mortgage loan.

In order to qualify for a VA home loan you need to meet certain criteria. These factors are set by the Veterans Affairs office and you may request a certificate of eligibility yourself or with the help of your lender. If you are approved for a VA home loan, a number of benefits may be at your disposal. These would include such things as no down payment, lower interest rates, no mortgage insurance premiums, lower closing costs, no pre payment penalties and/or the possibility of an assumable mortgage.

It is important to remember that a loan such as this can only be used for a residence that will be occupied by the veteran. It must be the primary residence and a VA loan is not considered for investment property.

This type of loan however can be used to not only purchase a home, but to build a home as well. A VA loan can be acquired to make home improvements and can also be used to refinance a home loan as well.

Probably the best part of the VA loan program is that most all veterans are eligible for these benefits. This can often be the best choice of loan type when wanting to purchase a home, especially as a first time homebuyer.

Guide to Getting a cheap home loan

September 27th, 2010

Getting a home loan to buy your dream home nowadays is quite tough. Even with the drop in interest rates, it is hard to find an affordable home loan. You should make sure you get the best deal on your loan since you will be repaying for the next twenty to thirty years. If you take a few simple measures, and use a bit of common sense, you will definitely be able to find some extremely good rates as well as avoid all the extra charges that come along with home loans. The first step to finding a good deal is finding the right lender.

Going to a bank to get a loan for your house is extremely troublesome. First of all, banks require you to fill in a lot of paper work. After that you have to deal with a person at the counter who is least interested in helping you out. They have no decision making power and have to work with a strict structure that the bank lays out. If you plan to call any financial institution you will probably have to deal with uninterested consultants who usually transfer you from one line to another. Another thing about banks is credit checks. They are very careful when it comes to approving a loan and therefore waste a lot of time in determining whether to give you a loan or not.

A bank is certainly not the right place to go if you are looking for a mortgage loan. Many banks offer discounts on the rates given and many people are lured by these discounts. The truth is, the rates that are given are not the best rates available in the market at that time and so you actually end up paying more, even with the discount.

Another way of getting a Homeloans is by approaching a mortgage lender. But lenders are also very tricky people who try to find ways to squeeze the most amount of money out of you. There are many tricks lenders have in order to get money out of you and only if you know what they are doing can you avoid falling for these tricks. Many lenders offer something called a teaser rate. This means that the initial rate they offer may be 3% lower than the existing rates. However, after the first year your loan rate will be pushed up again. Always avoid dealing with lenders who offer such types of deals since they are just taking you for a ride.

Whenever you are searching for a lender you should always meet the lender in person and never contact them by phone. It is recommended that you get a number of quotes from different lenders and compare them to find the best one. Also, hiring the services of an experienced broker is a good idea since they will help you get a good deal on mortgages. This may cost a bit of money, but will save you a lot of money in the long run. It is important to search for a trustworthy broker since there are many brokers that try to raise the interest rate by a few points since they get a commission if they raise the interest rate.

Home Equity Loans – Why do people go for a

September 26th, 2010

Why do Lenders perceive home equity loans as relatively safe? This is due to the fact that the bank can simply confiscate the house of those who fail to pay back the loans.

Many people have resort to home equity loan for different reasons. Various reasons include financing the purchase of a second home, consolidate high interest debts, pay for the tuition in college and renovate or remodel the house.

Although there is a risk of losing the house if you are unable to pay back the home equity loan, many still avail of this because it is for anyone who qualify for and get a huge amount. On the other hand, the interest rates are affordable and can also be written off as a tax deductible.

One program that is gaining popularity is the 125% home equity loan. This kind of program is considered a second mortgage and allows the individual to borrow one fourth of the value of the home.

To qualify for this type of home equity loan, individual must achieve a certain credit score and under certain guidelines, which is up to the lender.

The basis for those who qualify for this loan will be up to the lender. These firms can look at the length of time the homeowner has lived there as well the individual’s current credit score. These things will influence the amount that will be given when the application has been approved.

The lender will not require the applicant to have the property appraised when requesting for a home equity loan. The purchase price will be used as the indicator if the person has lived there for less than a year.

A home equity loan may last from 10 to 30 years. It is best to shop around and compare the rates of various lenders before signing anything on paper.

Everyone in the household must understand what will happen in getting this type of