Home Equity Loans

If you are a consumer who owns a home, then you might be tired of getting mortgage solicitations to refinance your mortgage. Most likely, you are a savvy homeowner who locked into a 30-year mortgage a few years at 5% with a fixed interest rate loan. You may be wondering why these mortgage lenders and brokers think you would be interested in refinancing your 5% loan with a 6.5% mortgage rate. Mortgage companies are blasting direct mail campaigns that are targeting many homeowners in Southern California. You may not need to refinance your 1st mortgage, but chances are, you will want to access cash in the coming months. A fixed rate second mortgage or variable home equity credit line can get you cash, and a tax deduction without requiring you to refinance you low interest mortgage.

Second mortgage are effective financing vehicles for funding home construction, purchasing a second home or refinancing variable rate credit card debt. Home equity lines of credit are convenient, for people with changing plans. HELOC’s can improve cash flow because only the interest is due on the portion of the line that you actually accessed. This offers a financing arsenal for borrowers needing cash on a whim for investing, and purchasing rental properties. A homeowner armed with a home equity line of credit protects their family with a safety net of cash reserves in case a emergency or tragedy arises.

I recommend to all of my clients to establish a home equity credit line whether they think they need it or not. If they never use the credit line, then it never costs them a penny. There are no crystal balls in the world, so you have to plan for both opportunities, and financial hardships. Get a second mortgage or line of credit, while your credit scores are high. Why wait until you are late on a bill and your credit scores are low. Take the small window of opportunity, and get your finance vehicles tuned up, because when you wake up tomorrow the opportunity may have already passed.

Popularity: unranked

The past five years has witnessed the institutionalization of sub-prime lending, with the locus of sub-prime loans shifting from small, independent lenders to large mortgage subsidiaries of banks (particularly national banks). Investment banks and their affiliates increasingly are not only underwriting sub-prime securitizations but originating loans in sub-prime loan pools as well.

Because sub-prime loans are generally more expensive than traditional prime loans, advocacy organizations nationwide are urging tighter restrictions on these types of loans. However, sub-prime loans are intended for borrowers who pose a greater risk to lenders, typically because of the lack of credit or previous credit problems. And, without the sub-prime segment, an increasing number of borrowers wouldn’t be able to secure purchase loans or cash out on their home equity with a mortgage refinance or home equity loan (second mortgage).

Like California, the state of Maryland is imposing excessively strict predatory lending laws including the imposition of a max 7.99% annual percentage rate (APR) limit which is lower than that of other states. Maryland also has a finder’s fee law that limits the fee a mortgage broker’s finder’s fee to 8% of the total loan amount brokered, and limits the fee on subsequent loans on the same property in a twenty-four month period to 8% of the amount by which the subsequent loan exceeds the initial loan.

Now, Maryland’s Montgomery County is in the news for its new predatory lending law that has at least 50 national and local lenders making a mass exodus out of that county due to the law’s vague language and exorbitant fines. Weighing the unknowns of the law, many financial companies have preferred to exit the market, meaning it could become increasingly difficult for consumers to find a lender for mortgage loans. Financial officials have said the law could make it difficult to find fixed-rate loans for many of the median-priced to more expensive homes in the county, since many of the lenders that bought such loans on the secondary market decided to stop doing business in the county. “The fixed rate conduit market has basically dried up because of this law,” said Kathleen M. Murphy, president of the Maryland Bankers Association.

This new Montgomery County law is on hold until November, which is a welcome relief to lenders and mortgage brokers as well as consumers seeking purchase loans, mortgage refinancing and second mortgages.

Popularity: unranked

Borrowers that find they are in over their head with debt and credit card payments may also discover that they suddenly have low Ficos and bad credit as well. Many consumers assume that once they’ve dug this hole there is no getting out. However, today’s mortgage products also offer solutions to those who no longer have good credit. Non conforming loans are available to consumers with home equity from many reputable mortgage companies not only for a purchase loan, but also for second mortgages. The underwriting guidelines for second mortgages became more lenient recently and may be the answer for those that are burdened with unsecured debt.

Bad credit equity loans, often called a sub-prime second mortgage can help borrowers that have hit hard times get back on their feet. These loans can be easier to secure than a refinance to cash out on home equity. Even borrowers with bankruptcies and late mortgage payments can likely qualify for a loan.

Using an unconventional mortgage to consolidate your debt can save you money on interest, lower your payments and raise your credit score. A fixed rate home equity loan can also eliminate the annual fee of credit lines. Once your payments are manageable and are being made consistently on time, this will also help your credit score rise. This trick, of course is to cut up credit cards and stay on track getting out of debt.

There are many more options today for securing and using a second mortgage. Marc Stefanski, chairman and CEO of Third Federal Savings & Loan, notes that “Today, second mortgages are widely acceptable. People view their homes as just another way to tap into their credit.” He warns though that, “Debt is not bad, as long as it’s managed. On the other hand, it can get away from you very quickly.” Don’t forget that it is your home that secures your debt in a second mortgage. A bad credit second mortgage can get you back on your feet, but if you don’t curb your debt building, you could lose your home. Find a lender you trust, then choose and use your nonconforming second mortgage wisely.

Popularity: unranked