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Home Equity Loan Refinancing
If you have lived in your home for more than two years, it has probably appreciated which means that you have built up equity. What is home equity? Home equity is the difference between the value of your home and the amount of all that you owe on your home. If your home has an appraised value of $200,000 and all of the outstanding liens against it total $150,000 then your home equity equals $50,000. Often times when a home has accumulated value, the homeowner decides to take some of that value out in cash. Sometimes the cash is used to pay off bills, for home improvements or for a child?s education. One of the best ways to tap the money available from your property is to refinance it with a home equity loan.
When considering a home equity loan, there are several steps you should take to ensure you choose the refinancing package that is right for you.
? The current market for home equity loan refinancing is crowded and very competitive. As a homeowner you probably receive solicitations for loans almost daily via the telephone or the mail or the Internet. Be wary of accepting any of these solicitations without thoroughly investigating them. The best course of action might be to initiate your own independent search for a financial institution or mortgage broker. Also be aware of the fact that a mortgage broker in any loan situation is not automatically working to get you the best deal. You are the person who should take responsibility for making sure that the final loan product is the one you need. The Better Business Bureau, the yellow pages, the Internet and references from friends are all good places to start your search for refinancing your loan.
? You will need a certified appraisal for the actual loan. However, it is wise to have an idea of the value of your home before you begin the process of refinancing. There are many online services that will give you an estimate of your home?s value. Many times home sales are listed in the newspaper. Watch these listings for homes in your neighborhood that are similar to yours in size and condition. Note their prices.
? Know your credit score. By law you are allowed one free credit report a year. The credit reporting agencies that supply the report generally will also offer your FICO score for a small additional fee. There are other factors that influence your ability to obtain a home equity loan but your credit report and FICO score are good places to start.
? Once you have identified several possible sources for refinancing your loan, have the lenders explain the different loan products they offer. Don?t be afraid to ask specific questions and don?t be hypnotized by a low interest rate. A low interest rate alone is not sufficient reason to accept a loan proposal. Ask about the term of the loan and the closing costs. Make sure the lender explains any terms you may not fully understand such as points.
? Let the lenders know they are competing for your refinancing business. Sometimes a lender will sweeten your deal if there is the possibility the it might be lost otherwise.
? Have all proposals submitted in writing. Take the time to compare them and always make sure you are comparing the same types of things. For instance, don?t just look at the bottom line number on the closing costs see what each lender is including in the closing costs.
? Be alert to potential scams. Don?t be intimidated by your refinancing lender into signing anything that isn?t absolutely true. Don?t sign anything that has blanks or that you haven?t read.
? Know your rights. There is generally a three day penalty free right to cancel when you refinance your loan. If something doesn?t seem correct to you, don?t shy from invoking that right.
Refinancing your loan in order to access your home equity can be a wise financial move. Your home, however, is probably the largest portion of your net worth so proceed with caution and knowledge.
Bad Credit Home Financing - Choosing a Subprime Mortgage Lender
In the early nineties subprime mortgages accounted for about five percent of all mortgages. Today the subprime mortgage loan sector comprises more than twenty percent of the mortgage market. With this explosion of subprime mortgage lenders and brokers, it is important to know what to look for when choosing your lender. Not only do you want to be sure that you are getting the best deal possible for your subprime mortgage, you also want to know how to avoid falling prey to a predatory lender.
What makes a person a candidate for a subprime mortgage? Bad credit is the predominant reason but there are others. Fluctuating income and even the type of property being purchased can also necessitate an unconventional mortgage. If your unique situation requires a subprime mortgage do the following when choosing your loan agent or broker.
Know your credit history, particularly your FICO score. A score lower than 620 generally means that you will be offered a subprime mortgage. Do not take for granted that you must seek a subprime mortgage. Ask what products are available for you. Also, make sure you have your employment, income and payment histories readily available.
Do not assume that getting the lowest interest rate also means you are getting the best loan. Most subprime mortgage loans will be two percentage points higher than a conventional loan and may have additional fees. All of the prospective subprime mortgage lenders should submit their loan packages to you in writing. Take the time to carefully analyze all of the mortgage offers. Compare not just the interest rates but also the fees you are being charged.
Be wary of prepayment penalties. A subprime mortgage is a vehicle for repairing your credit or responding to a specific applicant situation and usually is a short term solution. Hefty prepayment penalties may lock you into a subprime mortgage for a longer term than is necessary or cause you to pay a substantial price for refinancing to a conventional mortgage at a later date. You may have to accept some sort of prepayment penalty but negotiate with the various lenders to guarantee you have the least burdensome penalty possible.
Even though you are looking for a subprime mortgage lender you still have many options. After comparing the loan offers from the different lenders, negotiate the terms. Do not feel that a lender is doing you a favor by offering you a subprime mortgage. Many times the compensation a lender receives for a subprime mortgage is greater than that which is received for a conventional mortgage.
Most subprime mortgage lenders are honest and responsible business people. Still, the regulation of subprime loans varies widely and you should be careful not to fall victim to a predatory lender.
1. Don?t respond to telephone or direct mail offers from subprime mortgage lenders. Do your own research. The Better Business Bureau, the telephone book and the Internet are all good resources. Ask friends for referrals.
2. Don?t allow yourself to be pressured. Ask for offers in writing and use plenty of time to compare them.
3. Don?t sign any documents that have blank spaces or incorrect dates.
4. Don?t be convinced to inflate your income or net worth.
5. Don?t skip reading any portion of your loan documents because your lender tells you ?that part isn?t important?.
Choosing a subprime mortgage lender is like any other purchase. The more knowledge you have and the more research and analysis you do, the better your decision will be.
Bad Credit Mortgage Refinancing
Bad credit mortgage refinancing loans are used to solve two different problems.
Problem Number One: The homeowner has bad credit, significant high interest credit card debt and a home with substantial equity. In order to pay off the high interest bills, the person refinances his/her home and cashes out all or part of the equity. The cash from the equity is used to pay off the high interest obligations. Although the interest rate on the bad credit mortgage refinancing loan may be higher than that of a conventional loan, the house payment should still be less than the total of the high interest consumer debt.
A bad credit mortgage refinancing where the owner intents to use the cash from the home?s equity to pay off bills is called a debt consolidation loan. The value of the home being refinanced must have grown so that the homes appraised worth will justify a larger loan. The new loan amount must be high enough that the owner can cover the loan?s closing costs and still have enough left over to pay off the credit card debt.
A bad credit mortgage refinancing such as this can have several advantages. The term of the loan will be longer. Since even a high interest subprime loan carries a lower interest rate than do high interest credit cards the new house payment will be smaller than the total of the old house payment and the consumer debt payments. However, choosing to refinance in this manner carries risks. If the homeowner does not change the behavior that led to the high debt, even more high interest credit card bills may be accumulated. Since the homeowner?s equity has already been ?cashed out? of his/her house the only alternative in a money crunch may be bankruptcy or foreclosure.
If a homeowner chooses a debt consolidation loan as the method of bad credit mortgage financing, it is imperative to use the cash received to pay off the accumulated debts. Credit counseling to keep from returning to poor credit practices should also be considered.
Problem Number Two: The homeowner had bad credit when the home was originally purchased and had to take out a high interest subprime mortgage loan at that time. Two or more years have passed since the loan was made during which time the homeowner has made all of the loan payments on time and has incurred no other bad credit. Now the time has arrived to refinance the loan and receive a better interest rate.
Even with two years of excellent credit history, a homeowner trying to refinance a bad credit mortgage may not be able to obtain a conventional low interest loan. The type of loan that can be attained will depend on a variety of factors such as current income and how much debt the homeowner has.
Refinancing a bad credit mortgage under these circumstances may be a good idea if the following two statements are true.
1. The new loan will carry an interest rate two or more percentage points lower than the current loan.
2. The homeowner plans to stay in the house for three or more years.
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