A home equity loan allows you as a homeowner to get a loan by using the equity in your home as collateral. The equity consists of whatever funds you have invested in your property in order to own it or improve it.
Since it is a debt against your own property, which you are in actual possession of, a home equity loan is a secured debt. The property can be required to be sold if the creditor wants the money back that you have borrowed.
Home equity loan vs. Home equity line of credit
A home equity loan can be obtained in a lump sum or used as a revolving home equity line of credit.
A home equity loan can be either of the following:
A fixed rate mortgage
An adjustable rate mortgage
A homeowner who requires more money in large amounts usually applies for a home equity loan. Some expenses that make a home equity loan useful are:
Debt consolidation
Home repairs
Medical bills
College tuition for family members
Tax benefits of home equity loans
A home equity loan is also beneficial because the home equity loan rate charged is usually tax deductible, as the loan is used for its primary functions. You can use our home equity loan calculator to check what various home equity loan rates will mean for your monthly payments. Always compare offers from several lenders and brokers to obtain the lowest home equity rate possible.
More information on home equity loans and rates
If you would like more information on home equity loan rates, and how to find the best home equity loan, please fill out the form above! Home equity loan specialists will get in touch with you to consider your options and see how a home equity loan can help you make the most of what you have.
There are several choices available for homeowners to free up the equity they possess in their homes.Start here to compare home equity rates from top lenders in our network
Since it is a debt against your own property, which you are in actual possession of, a home equity loan is a secured debt. The property can be required to be sold if the creditor wants the money back that you have borrowed.
Home equity loan vs. Home equity line of credit
A home equity loan can be obtained in a lump sum or used as a revolving home equity line of credit.
A home equity loan can be either of the following:
A fixed rate mortgage
An adjustable rate mortgage
A homeowner who requires more money in large amounts usually applies for a home equity loan. Some expenses that make a home equity loan useful are:
Debt consolidation
Home repairs
Medical bills
College tuition for family members
Tax benefits of home equity loans
A home equity loan is also beneficial because the home equity loan rate charged is usually tax deductible, as the loan is used for its primary functions. You can use our home equity loan calculator to check what various home equity loan rates will mean for your monthly payments. Always compare offers from several lenders and brokers to obtain the lowest home equity rate possible.
More information on home equity loans and rates
If you would like more information on home equity loan rates, and how to find the best home equity loan, please fill out the form above! Home equity loan specialists will get in touch with you to consider your options and see how a home equity loan can help you make the most of what you have.
There are several choices available for homeowners to free up the equity they possess in their homes.Start here to compare home equity rates from top lenders in our network
What home equity debt is
By Bankrate.com
A home equity loan or line of credit allows you to borrow money, using your home's equity as collateral.
Wait. Don't click to another page. If the above paragraph seems like gibberish, you have surfed to the right place. We will explain what home equity is, what collateral is, how these loans and lines of credit work, why people use them, and what pitfalls to avoid.
First, some definitions:
Collateral is property that you pledge as a guarantee that you will repay a debt. If you don't repay the debt, the lender can take your collateral and sell it to get its money back. With a home equity loan or line of credit, you pledge your home as collateral. You can lose the home and be forced to move out if you don't repay the debt.
Equity is the difference between how much the home is worth and how much you owe on the mortgage (or mortgages, if you have more than one on the property).
Example:
Let's say you buy a house for $200,000. You make a down payment of $20,000 and borrow $180,000. The day you buy the house, your equity is the same as the down payment -- $20,000: $200,000 (home's purchase price) - $180,000 (amount owed) = $20,000 (equity).
Fast-forward five years. You have been making your monthly payments faithfully, and have paid down $13,000 of the mortgage debt, so you owe $167,000. During the same time, the value of the house has increased. Now it is worth $300,000. Your equity is $133,000: $300,000 (home's current appraised value) - $167,000 (amount owed) = $133,000 (equity)
