How does a home equity loan work?

posted by askmrmortgages on (5 years, 7 months ago)

If you're a homeowner, you've probably heard about Home Equity Loans. But do you really know how they work? Here's the basic information:

  1. You're tapping into your home's equity.
  2. The amount of equity in your home is equal to the current market value of your home, minus any amount you still owe (on things like the mortgage and other home equity loans). So if your home is worth $250,000, and you currently owe $200,000 on your mortgage, you have about $50,000 in equity. That's the amount from which you'll be borrowing.

  3. Your home is the loan's collateral.
  4. By tapping the equity in your home, you're essentially using your house as the loan's collateral. That means if you're unable to make the payments and you default on your loan, the lender may repossess your house and sell it in order to pay off the loan.

  5. The amount you can borrow is limited.
  6. You won't be able to borrow any more than the total amount of equity in your home. So, in the above example, you'd be limited to borrowing $50,000 which is 100% of your home's value.

  7. You'll still have to apply.
  8. Just because you have equity in your home doesn't mean you'll automatically get approved for a Home Equity Loan. You'll still have to fill out an application and qualify for the loan based on the lender's guidelines. In most cases that consists of a credit check, appraisal completed on your home and verification of income and/or assets.

  9. There are lots of financial perks.
  10. In general, the home equity loan interest rates tend to be very low compared to other types of loans. And, in many states, the interest you pay throughout the year is also tax deductible. Many lenders also charge few or no closing costs and fees, which means a cheaper loan for you.

Now you have some information regarding Home Equity Loans. If you are serious about pursuing this product we recommend you submit an online application to receive free home equity loan quotes and talk to a profesionnal to determine the correct program to use.

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