Mortgage & Refinancing Information

Home Equity Loans - Are They Right For You?


The bills are out of control and you need a new car. "Maybe we can get a new carpet and paint the house", you say to yourself. These are just a few reasons why home equity loans can seem like the solution to all your problems and are so popular.

Home equity loans can be a fantastic way to start your own business or to take advantage of an investment opportunity. They can also make your situation worse than it was before you got the home equity loan.

The reason's for taking advantage of home equity loans are the most important part of the process. Take the time to sit down and ask yourself, "Do I really need a home equity loan? Do I want to go on a spending spree or am I really trying to improve my life?"

A home equity loan is like having a second mortgage on your home. Suppose your home is worth $200,000 and you have a mortgage against it at $150,000, you will have $50,000 of equity available. Home equity loans allow you to borrow up to 80%, and sometimes more in certain situations, of your home value. In this situation you could borrow $80,000 as a home equity loan and still have only borrowed 80%.

This is why it is so important to take a good look at your situation before making a decision. You can see how easy it could be to get carried away with home equity loans.

Let's say you only need $20,000 for that new car and some home improvements. You decide to borrow another $15,000 of equity for that vacation to Hawaii you have been dreaming about. First of all, a vacation to Hawaii would not cost $15,000 unless you went on a first class, spare no expense vacation.

Using a home equity loan to buy a car may not be a great idea with today's 0% interest rates and no money down loans. There is no sense in risking losing your home to buy a new car with these type of loan programs that are available in todays market.

On the other hand, a home equity loan for home improvements may be a great idea. This will add value to your home as long as you can afford the higher loan payments.

A business that's doing great that you want to expand may be another good use of a home equity loan. As long as the business is already in profit and is not losing money.

Some solid investments can be a good idea if you have done your research before hand. The latest IPO may or may not be a great idea.

Consolidating high interest credit cards may be a great idea as long as you close the accounts and don't run them back up. You really only need one or two credit cards in case of an emergency.

Educational expenses may be a good reason to take a home equity loan to get your children started in the right direction. Someday this type of an investment can pay off.

These are just a few things you can do with home equity loans. It's very easy to borrow too much, only to find yourself having a tough time making the new payments.

The important thing to remember with home equity loans is to be logical and don't let your emotions get the best of you. Again, take the time to sit down and research all your options. This way you can rest well at night and not have to be concerned about losing your home. You can enjoy the things you do with your home equity loan knowing you've made a wise decision.

Dean Shainin is a consultant specializing in home equity loan strategies and home mortgage loan information. To see a list of recommended home equity loans, advice and information, visit this site: http://www.homemortgageloantips.com


MORE RESOURCES:

Situations determine refinancing
FayObserver.com, NC - 12 hours ago
By Hilary Kraus It depends on your situation. How much do you still owe? How long do you expect to stay in your home? Are lower payments a priority? ...


Waco banks seeing a boom in mortgage refinance applications
Waco Tribune Herald, TX - Jan 2, 2009
By Mike Copeland With mortgage rates hitting record lows, Mary Jo Teakell is seeing a growing backlog of refinance applications. “We’re quite busy right now ...


Manage Your Refinance Mortgage Loan Sans the Stress
Meadow Free Press, ID - 5 hours ago
There are a thousand and one reasons for getting a refinance loan. One is to pay off debts or to relocate to a new house in another state. ...


Lending Mortgage, Refinance, Equity Loan
Kitchener, Ontario Canada, Canada - Jan 1, 2009
The City of Kitchener is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada. It was the Town of Berlin from 1854 until 1912 and the City of Berlin from 1912 until 1916. ...


Refinancing suddenly booms
Honolulu Advertiser, HI - 6 hours ago
By Andrew Gomes Historically low interest rates recently have sparked a mortgage refinance boom in Hawai'i that is helping homeowners and lenders during ...


Bad Credit Mortgage Refinance Loan- 3 Most Important Items to Get ...
CrunchGear, NY - Dec 23, 2008
Ultimately if you are looking to do a bad credit mortgage refinance loan you need to keep several things in mind to ensure that you don’t get taken for a ...


Mortgage Refinance Online
PWO, France - Dec 18, 2008
If you want to consolidate debt or get cash to pay for home improvements, you can apply for a mortgage refinance online that offers you a cash back option, ...


Florida Mortgage Broker now offering FHA Loans
Search By Headlines (press release), NV - Dec 23, 2008
Simply said, the FHA mortgage refinance loans are the complete replacement of the current mortgage that you have. It's important to know that FHA loans can ...


TopNews

Mortgage Rates Hit 37-Year Low
Poynter.org, FL - Jan 1, 2009
The average 30-year fixed rate now stands at 5.10 percent. It has fallen for nine straight weeks. The question is, even if you have no credit problem, ...
Don't miss the mortgage refinance window Barre Montpelier Times Argus
A toast to low mortgage rates MarketWatch
US mortgage rates drop to lowest in 37 years Reuters
all 387 news articles


Learn About Refinance Mortgage
PWO, France - Dec 31, 2008
Finance home mortgage, refinance mortgage or any other loans can be applied for to pull you out from this solution. Another advantage of refinance mortgage ...

Mortgage-Refinance - Google News

home | site map
© 2006