Have you ever wondered what exactly is up with
first equity home loans
Home Equity Loan : Loansmagician Real estate prices across the country have skyrocketed in the last five or six years. Low interest rates, combined with a lack of trust in the stock market has led to a tremendous inflow of capital into real estate. To put that in perspective, take into account the median household income, which is a little over 44,000,dollar and compare that with the national median home price of 216,000 dollar, a very high multiple. Of course, in many metropolitan areas ( http://www.ixs.net ) where a large fraction of the nations population lives, the rise has been even more spectacular. San Francisco has seen the median home price rise from 395,000 dollar in 2000 to 713,000 dollar in early 2005
For those who did not get in at the right time, the situation is lamentable, many others, on the other hand, find themselves sitting on potential gold mines in many cases they have witnessed the doubling, trebling or even quadrupling of their investments in a matter of a few years. Walking and sleeping on land that has appreciated under your eyes is a satisfying experience, and some people are quite happy to count their chickens without wanting to cash-in on their gains. Others, for whatever reasons want to enjoy their newfound wealth. Home equity loans offer an opportunity to do just that.
The fact that property prices have risen means that more Americans than ever before are eligible for home equity loans. Let me illustrate that by an example say you bought a home for 300,000 dollar five years ago, putting down 20% (60,000 dollar) at that time. If you have a typical thirty-year fixed mortgage then you have not made a significant dent in the principal (in this case the loan principal is 240,000 dollar) in the first five years. Now suppose, quite realistically in many cases, that the house value has appreciated from 300,000 dollar five years ago to 500,000 dollar today. In this case your equity in the house would have jumped from 60,000 dollar (your down payment) to 260,000 dollar (down payment plus unrealized capital gains). You would be eligible to take a loan against that increased equity. Most institutions are willing to extend home equity credit for upwards of 50% of total equity in the home.
Now that we have established that a rising real estate market has produced many more potential candidates for home equity lines of credit, let us show why this is a financially savvy way of consolidating loans or of securing financing. Whether the reasons are personal, such as Ferrari you have been drooling over, or for your home business, home equity loans are usually the best first option for obtaining liquidity. First, home equity loans take advantage of tax breaks that the federal and state governments give all homeowners all interest payments made to service the loan are tax exempt.
This advantage alone warrants serious consideration a family in the 30% federal income tax bracket will stand to save a substantial amount on a typical home equity loan. The implications of the tax advantage are such that many people with no need for additional credit take out home equity loans and invest elsewhere just so they can take advantage of Uncle Sams generous handout. Second, home mortgages are handled a little differently from other consumer loans because of two reasons. First, the loan is secured by a tangible asset (i.e. the house, comprising of the value of the land and the material with which the house is constructed) and second, there is a huge industry that deals exclusively with home mortgages and home loans, resulting in a fiercely competitive environment. To the consumer, this results in significantly lower interest rates on home loans.
So, let us recap the win-win situation for a home equity line of credit. Rising real estate prices have made more people eligible for bigger loans, in many cases significantly bigger loans than ever before. Relatively low interest rates, thanks to the Fed and a competitive home mortgage industry has kept the cost of borrowing low. And finally federal and state tax breaks on home loans further reduce the cost of borrowing.
If you are thinking of borrowing money and you are a homeowner, be sure to consider a home equity line of credit before pursuing alternative methods of financing.
About the Author :
Jill Murtha hosts http://www.loansmagician.com and expresses her passion for loans through writing and discussion. She works for Less Corporation at http://www.sofizar.com/click-fraud.php . Copyright Jill Murtha.
More Useful Resource and Updates on first equity home loans
- Time to refinance? Mortgage rates historically low (Summit Daily News)
The Federal Reserve announced last week that it would purchase up to $100 billion in direct debt of Fannie, Freddie, and the Federal Home Loan Banks, along with up to $500 billion of mortgage-backed securities backed by Fannie, Freddie and Ginnie...
- Bankrate: Mortgage Rates Fall Further (PR Newswire via Yahoo! Finance)
Mortgage rates dipped again this week, with the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate falling from 5.97 percent to 5.92 percent. According to Bankrate.com's weekly national survey, the average 30-year fixed mortgage has an average of 0.37 discount and origination points.
- Improve Your Credit Score (Forbes)
What you thought was a good FICO score could keep you locked out of getting a loan. Here's what to do.
- Kiwibank Responds To OCR Cut (Scoop.co.nz)
Kiwibank has reacted immediately to the cut in the Official Cash Rate by reducing all home loan rates. The bank is now offering a one-year fixed rate of 6.49% p.a. and a variable rate of 7.45%.
- Five Home-buying Myths (Carteret County News-Times)
(ARA) - As first-time homebuyers grow curious about the home-buying process, they often turn to friends and family for advice about purchasing a home. While these sources can provide useful tips and information, they also may perpetuate some common home-buying myths.
- Fixed-rate trap snares 43,000 home owners (Sydney Morning Herald)
MORE than 40,000 unlucky people have been caught out in a fixed mortgage rate trap, having taken out their loan at the highest fixed interest rates in a decade, denied any saving from the recent cuts and confronting costly break fees if they decide to refinance.
- Low rates breathe life into mortgage market (The Columbus Dispatch)
A recent half-percentage-point drop in 30-year home loans is jolting a mortgage market that has been weighed down by a nose-diving economy and troubled credit markets.
- Fixed-rate trap snares home owners (Sydney Morning Herald)
More than 40,000 unlucky Aussies are being denied any saving from the recent interest rate cuts.
- Family refinances into fixed-rate loan (Bankrate.com via Yahoo! Finance)
This couple made some moves to free up cash, which enabled them to shed their dreadful option ARM.
- Proposal could drop mortgage rates to 4.5 percent (San Jose Mercury News)
If Treasury Department approves plan, said one mortgage broker, 'We would have everybody and their brother who had equity in their homes coming to refinance. That would be an amazing influx of loan applications. It would keep things going for a long, long time.' Rates drop to 11-month low Bernanke: More foreclosure help needed Real estate news | Economic crisis news
- First Tennessee Individual Banking : Home Equity Loans
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- First Horizon > Business Banking, Home Loans, Mortgage Loans, Home ...
... and First Horizon Home Loans, a leading mortgage home loan financing, retail and ... Loans and Lending: Home Loans | Home Equity Loans | Home Equity Line ...
- Home Financing and Lending with First Equity Mortgage
First Equity Mortgage offers an Online Loan Application, 1 Hour Loan Response, ... In that time, we've closed more than $1 billion in loans. ...
- PremierEquity.com
Offers mortgage products including fixed rate equity loans, credit lines, and first mortgages.
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