Why Choose a Home Equity Loan?


There are many reasons for choosing a home equity loan. A home equity loan allows homeowners to obtain a loan in addition to their original loan using the equity in their home. Home equity loans are generally a second mortgage, and are used for personal use.

Home equity loans are also known as equity release schemes. Home equity loans are aimed mainly at those homeowners that have paid their mortgages off. They can receive a cash lump sum or some income by unlocking that capital.

People take out a home equity loan for a variety of reasons. Some people do it in order to finance home improvements, buy a new car, consolidate their debts or go on holiday. Others may want to receive a regular income source so that they can pay for residential care, or just the cost of care.

Home equity loans have fixed rates with longer terms, over a fixed period of time. Home equity loans can be ideal for longer-term financial goals because you receive the amount of money you borrow in one lump sum. A home equity line of credit is similar to a credit card, where you may regularly use it up to your credit limit.

One of the premium features of a home equity line of credit is that the interest rate is typically lower than that of a credit card.

A Home Equity Loan will usually mean that you get better interest rates, but you should always remember that your house is at risk if you fail to repay the Home Equity Loan.

The amount you can borrow with a Home Equity Loan depends on the amount of equity in your property. Equity is the market value of your property minus any outstanding mortgage or loans you have on it.

People with poor credit ratings will find a Home Equity Loan more easily accessible to them because the lender is taking a lot less risk themselves. Home equity loans are also beneficial for people with a poor credit rating. A lot of traditional lenders categorise such people as "high-risk". Home equity loans for such borrowers don't pose any risk as in case the borrower defaults on the repayments, the lender can sell the house to reclaim the money from the available equity.

Here are some of the benefits of a home equity loan:

A Home Equity Loan is an easy and manageable route to generating extra cash.

Using Home Equity Loan for debt consolidation means that with one single payment each month, you have more control over your monthly budget.

With a remortgage you have the same expenses you do when taking on a mortgage: surveys, valuation, mortgage indemnity and solicitors fees to pay. With Home Equity Loan you have none of this, making it easier to arrange. Repayment period on Home Equity Loan can be anything from 5 - 25 years.

You can use Home Equity Loan for any purpose - for example, debt consolidation, home improvements, buying a car or going on holiday.

Protected payment plans for Home Equity Loan can provide extra peace of mind.

Always consider your options carefully, as your home is at risk if you do not keep up repayments on a mortgage or other loans secured on it.

You may freely reprint this article provided the author's biography remains intact:

About The Author
John Mussi is the founder of Direct Online Loans who help UK homeowners find the best available loans via the http://www.directonlineloans.co.uk website.







Related News



The Truth About Mortgage Refinancing Revealed By California ... - SBWire (press release)

The Truth About Mortgage Refinancing Revealed By California ...
SBWire (press release), WI -1 hour ago
Bakersfield, California based Mortgage Broker Adolph Gonzales reveals mortgage refinancing secrets at a new web site that is full of free reports, ...

Lower mortgage rates help but jobs, prices key - Reuters

Lower mortgage rates help but jobs, prices key
Reuters -Dec 3, 2008
Applications to buy and refinance homes hurtled higher last week as the lowest rates since the summer of 2005 unleashed pent-up demand. ...

Bernanke Says US Must Step Up Foreclosure Efforts (Update1) - Bloomberg

BBC News

Bernanke Says US Must Step Up Foreclosure Efforts (Update1)
Bloomberg -3 hours ago
... been prodding private mortgage servicers and bond investors to cooperate with government efforts to modify or refinance loans for troubled borrowers. ...
Op-Ed: Fed Throws Refinancing Party; No One Shows UpMinyanville.com
Banks' issuance detracts from short-term bondsMarketWatch
Bernanke calls for measures to stem foreclosuresInternational Herald Tribune
The Australian - Seeking Alpha
all 1,126 news articles

A Rush Into Refinancing as Mortgage Rates Fall - New York Times

ABC News

A Rush Into Refinancing as Mortgage Rates Fall
New York Times, United States -6 hours ago
Mortgage rates immediately dropped, and that led to a surge in mortgage refinancing activity for the week — even with the Thanksgiving holiday. ...
Lower mortgage rates aren't the answerCNNMoney.com
Homeowners' Refinancing Jumps by Record PaceWall Street Journal
Proposal could drop mortgage rates to 4.5 percentSan Jose Mercury News
Danville News - CNNMoney.com
all 621 news articles

Mortgage Refinance Applications Soar As Rates Fall - EasyBourse.com

Sify

Mortgage Refinance Applications Soar As Rates Fall
EasyBourse.com, France -23 hours ago
The Mortgage Bankers Association's index of refinance applications posted a record 203.3% increase over the previous week. Additionally, the US Treasury ...
Mortgage rates fall, but many borrowers will have trouble qualifyingLos Angeles Times
US move cuts mortgages to lowest rate since FebruaryBaltimore Sun
Last Call for Smart HomeownersMotley Fool
AHN - World Socialist Web Site
all 501 news articles

VA Specialty Lender Offers 100% Mortgage Refinancing - PR Web (press release)

VA Specialty Lender Offers 100% Mortgage Refinancing
PR Web (press release), WA -5 hours ago
Salt Lake City, Utah (PRWEB) December 3, 2008 -- iFreedom Direct Corporation, a Salt Lake based mortgage company, is now offering 100% VA refinance"cash ...

Carmen: Time Is Right to Refinance Your Mortgage - CNBC

Carmen: Time Is Right to Refinance Your Mortgage
CNBC, Englewood Cliffs -3 hours ago
Despite the doom and gloom in the economy, there's actually a glimmer of hope shining through for homeowners looking to refinance. The average interest rate ...

US MBA’s Mortgage Applications More Than Doubled Last Week - Bloomberg

Yahoo

US MBA’s Mortgage Applications More Than Doubled Last Week
Bloomberg -Dec 3, 2008
The Mortgage Bankers Association’s index of applications to purchase a home or refinance a loan jumped 112 percent to 857.7, the highest level since March, ...
FINANCIAL STOCKS Bulls outlast bears in Wednesday grudge matchMarketWatch
Mortgage Apps On Rise As Rates DropCBS News
UPDATE 1-US mortgage applications post largest gain everReuters
USA Today - U.S. News & World Report
all 148 news articles


FDIC's Bair warns investors fighting loan changes - The Associated Press

FDIC's Bair warns investors fighting loan changes
The Associated Press -2 hours ago
"Getting mortgage rates down is ... positive, but it doesn't help people that currently have unaffordable mortgages because it doesn't help them refinance," ...

Bally Total Fitness files for bankruptcy again - San Francisco Chronicle

The Associated Press

Bally Total Fitness files for bankruptcy again
San Francisco Chronicle,  USA -14 hours ago
Refinance volume more than tripled, while purchase volume increased 38 percent. Refinances accounted for 69.1 percent of applications, up from 49.3 percent. ...
Thanksgiving week saw rise in mortgage activityYoungstown Vindicator
all 351 news articles