Posts Tagged ‘Home Equity Loans’

Mortgage Refinance – Loan Types

April 9th, 2010



Homeowners usually have a choice of a variety of different loans when they refinance. The different mortgage refinancing loan options allow a homeowner to choose the best loan for them based on their needs. Many homeowners refinance to get cash back, lower interest rates, or change the terms of their home loan. Whatever your reasons is, here are the most popular loan options for a homeowner who is refinancing a mortgage.

The most popular loan types are fixed rate mortgages, adjusted rate mortgages (ARM), and cash back refinancing options, or home equity loans.

Fixed rate mortgages are a great, stable, loan choice. They offer interest rates which never change throughout the length of the loan. This is the loan type that is generally suggested for most homeowners. Many people choose to opt out of an ARM and into a fixed rate home loan.

Adjusted rate mortgage (ARM) loans mean the interest rates can change throughout the length of the home loan. While this loan type may not be the most stable, or cheapest in the long term, there are some reasons why a homeowner would choose this loan. These loans are usually cheaper and easier to get into, and sometimes offer a low interest fixed rate period. After the introductory fixed rate period is over, the loan is eligible to have its interest rate changed at any time.

Cash back refinancing is a great way for a homeowner to utilize the equity in their home, and get a large amount of cash back. This is typically cheaper than a personal loan, and the money can be used for anything a homeowner wishes. When a homeowner does this they are just refinancing for more than they currently owe on their mortgage, and pocketing the difference. Although the money all needs to be paid back, it is at a much lower interest rate, and spread over a much longer period of time.

While there may be a few other options, these are by far the most popular ones. Many homeowners will refinance their home in the next few months, and knowing which loan types are available will make the decision easier. Understand the different options available to you when you refinance your mortgage, and make the decision the is best.

By: Michael Petrone

Refinance? Home Equity Loans? Personal Unsecured Loan? Best Loans for Homeowners to Cash Out

March 20th, 2010



People need or want extra cash for a variety of reasons. For some, the extra cash provide them with a feasible way to pay off high-interest debts and loans, for others the extra money offers them a way to improve or build onto their primary homes, or buy second homes for investment properties or vacation homes.

Both mortgage refinancing and home equity loans allow homeowners to choose between a fixed mortgage rate and one of several adjustable rate mortgages (ARMs). But, home equity loans give you more flexibility on how much equity you want to cash out and loan repayment time options than mortgage refinances. The interest rates are lower for both these types of loans than personal loans because they are secured loans. This means you can lose your home if you can’t keep up with the payments. However, both offer the tax advantages of being able to deduct the interest paid on the loan.

Unsecured personal loans require excellent credit, but don’t involve any collateral. As a result of the lender’s increased risk, the interest rates for personal loans are higher than those of mortgage loans. About the most you can get from a personal loan is $10,000, and they don’t offer any tax advantages.

Which option you should take to cash out all depends on how much money you need and how much time you need to pay back the loan, among other factors. If you are a homeowner needing a large sum of money, a mortgage refinance or 2nd mortgage would be your best bet. In deciding between refinancing and a 2nd mortgage, keep the following in mind: “If you’ve got a favorable rate on a first trust deed mortgage, something in the 6s thereabouts or low 7s, you don’t want to pay off a $100,000 mortgage to take out $20,000 and raise the rate on the whole amount,” said Richard West, senior vice president and division manager at San Francisco-based UnionBanCal Corp. “You’re much better off borrowing $20,000 and keeping the first mortgage.”

By: Maria Ny


Mortgage And Refinance Mortgage Loans For Home Improvements

March 17th, 2010



Depending on your situation you may need to resort to a mortgage loan or a refinance mortgage loan. You may also be able to resort to home equity loans in order to finance home improvements and both home equity loans and refinance mortgage loans will be guaranteed with the available equity on your loan in order to keep rates low.

Home Equity Loans

Home equity loans resort to equity in order to provide the needed guarantee to allow the lender to provide better loan terms. Equity is the difference between the market value of a real estate property and the amount of debt that the property secures (usually a home mortgage balance). This guarantee reduces the risk for the lender with many benefits for the borrower too.

Home equity loans provide loan terms almost as advantageous as those of home loans. With home equity loans you can obtain lower interest rates, higher loan amounts, longer repayment programs and lower monthly payments compared to unsecured loans. All of this is particularly beneficial when it comes to home improvements.

Refinance Home Loans

Refinancing a home loan consists on taking a mortgage loan and using the money to repay the previous loan. The same property is used because, once the loan is obtained, the previous mortgage is fully paid off and canceled. If the new loan provides a higher amount than the remaining of the previous mortgage debt, the additional cash can be used for any purpose, including home improvements.

These loans are known as cash-out refinance home loans and the extra cash has obviously the same loan terms as the rest of the loan which implies extremely low interest rates, low monthly payments, a flexible repayment schedule and high loan amounts. All of which are especially beneficial for home improvements.

Home Improvements Purpose

As long as the money is used for home improvements, lenders can provide you with promotional interest rates and other advantageous terms. This is due to the fact that when used for home improvements the money that the lender grants contributes to increasing the value of the property that is being used as collateral for the loan.

Thus, don’t forget to mention the fact that you are planning to make home improvements when you request loan quotes from different lenders as they might be able to offer you special loan programs to suit your needs. More and more lenders are designing exclusive loan programs for home improvements in order to attract customers who need finance for that particular purpose.

Also, don’t forget not to go with the first offer you receive. Instead, compare loan quotes from different lenders paying special attention to the APRs and the loan terms that most concern you (repayment program and loan amount). That way, you’ll be able to get the best terms on your home improvement loan.

By: Sarah Dinkins