Home equity loans are term loans that are taken out against the value of your home already paid or the amount of the home owned. For example, homeowners who have paid 25% of their full outstanding loan balance, say $50,000 of a $200,000 mortgage, have that much equity in their home or how much of their home they actually own.
While understanding the basics is imperative for applying for a home equity loan, knowing when to apply for one is just as important.
Here’s a quick guide to the top three reasons most homeowners take out a home equity loan:
Home repairs
Home improvement projects can be taxing on both the homeowner and the homeowner’s budget. However, if the repair is one that will add value to your home, looking into a home equity loan may be a decent option.
This is usually a great way to reinvest your home equity back into your home, especially if you’ve already paid a significant portion of your mortgage’s outstanding balance.
Debt consolidation
For those attempting to defeat high-interest rates and consolidate their credit, utilizing your home’s equity could be another excellent way to manage your financial situation. Many who have adapted to this type of refinancing have found that taking out a low-interest, term-based loan like a home equity loan helped them regain their financial standing.
By using a home equity loan, they’ve managed to reduce their monthly payments in other financial areas and regained their monthly budgets.
Life expenses
Sometimes life happens. It can also happen in a way that’s more expensive than expected or just as costly as anticipated. Regardless of whether you’re paying for a ceremony, helping with a college tuition or simply need the extra money for an unexpected circumstance, a home equity loan can help you manage your expenses.
Just as with debt consolidation or home improvement, applying for a home equity loan during your more expensive life events can help you keep the payments manageable without over stressing you or your wallet.
Home equity loans are excellent ways to make your home and monthly mortgage payments work for you.
If you find yourself wanting to reinvest in your home or simply need an extra bit of assistance, reach out to a lender of your choosing and ask what options they have available for you. They have formulas and methods that can calculate home equity loan rates based on your specific needs and circumstances.
About the Author
Sandy Malbrue
Hi, I'm Sandy Malbrue and I'd love to assist you. Whether you're in the research phase at the beginning of your real estate search for representation or you know exactly what you're looking for, you'll benefit from having a real estate professional by your side. I'd be honored to put my 14 years real estate experience to work for you. Be it to gain wide exposure for your home with my marketing plan, negotiate offers or manage the transaction once you've accepted an offer, in a way that will get you the best price and cause the least amount of disruption to you life as possible.
If you are a buyer, allow me put those skills to work for you to help with the pre-approval process, work with you to locate and arrange for you to view homes of interest to you , and negotiate your offer. Once you have an accepted offer, I will help you arrange inspections, I will manage the transaction for you, from helping to arrange for inspections to keeping you up to date on contingency removals and walking you through the process to a new set of keys.
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