Mortgage & Refinancing Information

Home Equity Loan or Home Equity Line of Credit - Which is right for you?


The most common type of home equity loan is the term loan. This loan is set for a fixed amount of time, anywhere from five to fifteen years. Such loans are typically granted for up to 80% of the value of the home, but some lenders will lend up to 125% of the home's value.

Is this type of loan right for you? The term loan works best for those who need to borrow a fixed amount of money for a specific purpose - paying for a wedding, a home remodeling project, a fixed educational expense, or debt consolidation. This would give the borrower a fixed repayment schedule, where he or she would pay a set amount of money each month for a specific period of time.

An increasingly popular alternative to the home equity loan is a line of credit. This type of loan works like a credit card, and has a revolving line of credit, in which the borrower may borrow against the principal more than once over the life of the loan. The borrower is usually given special checks that he or she may use to write checks against the loan amount. The borrower may borrow a little at a time, or borrow all of the loan amount at once. Unlike the term loan, the interest rate on lines of credit tends to be variable. This type of loan works best for recurring expenses - a complicated remodeling project accomplished in several stages, or a recurring educational expense such as annual tuition.

Each type of loan has its advantages and disadvantages; you simply need to decide if you want a fixed interest rate and fixed payments, or more flexibility in terms of when and how you pay. Your needs will determine which type of loan is best for you.

Either way, under current Federal law, the interest on a second mortgage is deductible from your income taxes up to $100,000.

©Copyright 2005 by Retro Marketing. Charles Essmeier is the owner of Retro Marketing, a firm devoted to informational Websites, including http://www.End-Your-Debt.com/ and http://www.HomeEquityHelp.net/


MORE RESOURCES:

Christian Science Monitor

Mortgage Refinance Applications Soar As Rates Fall
EasyBourse.com, France - Dec 3, 2008
By Suzanne Barlyn, Kristen McNamara and Jilian Mincer Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES NEW YORK -(Dow Jones)- Applications to refinance mortgages soared last week as ...
Recovery plan Danville News
all 1,029 news articles


Yahoo

Ben Bernanke’s Christmas Gift: Mortgage Refis
U.S. News & World Report, DC - Dec 3, 2008
Masses of homeowners are looking to take advantage of the present Fed Chief Ben Bernanke recently slipped under the Christmas tree: lower mortgage rates. ...
• Mortgage Applications Surged 112 Percent Last Week Consumer Affairs
all 149 news articles


100 Mortgages

No Closing Cost Mortgage: Is it right for you?
100 Mortgages, UK - Dec 3, 2008
According to Mortgage Brokers in the US, if you are looking to refinance, your home there is no better time than now to do it. Even though the economy and ...


Mortgage experts: Now is the time to buy or refinance
KDRV, OR - Nov 28, 2008
By Emily Wood CENTRAL POINT, Ore. -- Despite tough economic times and a crumbling housing market, mortgage experts say now is one of the best times to ...


Mortgage Monday: Do I Refinance?
ABC2 News, MD - Nov 24, 2008
Many homeowners are thinking about refinancing their mortgages, but are not sure if this is the right time to do it or not. Jamie talked with Carl Delmont ...


National housing crisis exacting heavy toll in Riverside County
Press-Enterprise, CA - Nov 11, 2008
By DUANE W. GANG Riverside County remains at the forefront of the national housing crisis with thousands of homeowners in the unenviable position of owing ...


Best Syndication

HUD Unveils "new" Mortgage Disclosure Rules. Yay! Another New Form!
Best Syndication, CA - Nov 23, 2008
The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development ("HUD") today announced new regulations intended to make the mortgage shopping experience more ...


Is Now the Right Time to Refinance Your Mortgage?
Eastside Business Journal, Washington - Nov 18, 2008
By Rick Hubbert How do you know when it is the right time to refinance? Some believe that if homeowners can shave one point (1%) off their existing rate, ...


Outcome for the US economy depends mostly on fiscal stimulus
BloggingStocks - Dec 2, 2008
... an oil price of $50 a barrel or less, a universal federal FDIC / Treasury home mortgage refinance program that substantially lowers mortgage defaults, ...


Center for Responsible Lending and Industry Groups Urge HUD to ...
MarketWatch - Nov 20, 2008
... to help the largest possible numbers of at-risk borrowers. This is not the appropriate time to permit the lapse of a viable mortgage refinance option.

Mortgage-Refinance - Google News

home | site map
© 2006