Joseph Kenny asked:




When it comes time to get the money you need to renovate your home, you have some choices to make concerning the financing of it. Both ways, either refinancing your first mortgage, or a home equity loan, will give you access to your equity. After that, though, a number of differences will clearly stand out. Here is what you need to know about these differences so you can intelligently choose the best one for your needs.

Features Of Refinancing Your First Mortgage

By getting a cash out mortgage, you can replace your first mortgage and obtain your equity. This means that you will have to pay the fees again that you paid when you bought the house in the first place. However, if you wait until the interest rates are down, you can get a better deal than you had before. The amount that you can gain could easily offset the costs of refinancing and save you thousands of dollars over the life of the new mortgage.

The interest rate for a first mortgage is always lower than what you would get for a second mortgage – which makes this the ideal choice. You also will have only one payment each month, which you could even make lower than what you have now by extending the time length on the mortgage. If you already have more than one mortgage, then this is also a good way to consolidate them and get your equity at the same time, as well as reduce your monthly payment.

If you currently have an adjustable rate mortgage that is about to run out of the fixed rate portion, then this should be the way you would want to go. Not only will it give you level payments with a fixed interest rate, assuming you get a fixed rate mortgage, but also your equity for the upcoming renovation project you have in mind. This means you could take care of more than one problem at once.

Features Of A Home Equity Loan

A home equity loan is considered a second mortgage. This means it will give you an additional payment each month. If you can afford the extra payment, this may be the way you want to go. It will also have a higher rate of interest than a first mortgage, and usually has a time frame of up to 15 years for repayment.

You can take out your equity but need to leave enough in there that is equal to 20% of the value of the house. This is true with any kind of mortgage, since you may need to pay private mortgage insurance if you go over this amount.

A home equity loan is mostly fixed rate, but some may also be adjustable. Your loan payments are fully amortizing, and money used for fixing up your home is often tax deductible. This type of loan is seeing some new variations come out recently, so you will want to see what is out there before you choose.

The Choice Is Yours

Obviously, only one of these choices will best meet your needs. After you choose a course to take, you will then want to get a few quotes – whether you choose to refinance, or get a home equity loan. You will need to look them over carefully and consider all aspects in order to find the one that is best for you.

Tom

Jimmy Jenkins Ray asked:




A mortgage loan means a lending which is secured by mortgaging a property of the borrower. The borrower’s right to the property is pledged as a security to the loan. In day to day life the term ‘mortgage’ is used to refer to a loan secured by a property. The properties mortgaged can be personal properties or commercial properties. A conditional right is maintained by the lender on the property until the borrowed amount including the interest is repaid. The repayment amount is amortized.

The rate of interest on mortgage loan is comparatively less. This is because the property in hands of the lender reduces the risk of uncertainty of repayment. People generally opt for mortgage loan while procuring residential or commercial properties. The same property which is being purchased is pledged for the loan.

There are different types of mortgage loans available. They vary in terms of risk, rate and cost. Some of these are:
FRM Loans-These are fixed rate mortgage loans. The rate of interest remains the same during the lending period. ARM-The rate of interest fluctuates during the loan period. There are various factors that determine the change in the interest rate. Blanket Loans-These are loans which are secured by pledging more than one property. This type is mostly considered by real estate developers. Buy down Loans-The borrower can pay a part of the lending in lump sum in order to reduce the rate of interest of the loan. Convertible loans-The terms of the lending change after the passage of a predetermined period. Balloon loans-The lending period is short and the monthly payments are also low. The rate of interest is fixed. At the end of the period the borrower will have to pay a huge amount.

Jessica

Joseph Kenny asked:




When you need the cash out of the equity of your home you may wonder which one is better for you – a cash out mortgage or a home equity loan. The truth is that both have their advantages – but probably one will be better for your situation than the other. This will mean that you need to know a little about each in order to make up your mind. Here are some differences between the two.

A cash out mortgage will involve refinancing your first mortgage. This could be a great way to go, especially if you can get interest rates on the refinance that are at least one percent (two percent is to be preferred) lower than your present mortgage rates. So not only could you get the equity you want, but also you will save thousands of dollars by getting better interest rates, too.

You get the equity you want in a lump sum when your cash out mortgage is approved. All you need to do is to refinance for the amount of the mortgage that is still outstanding, and add the amount of cash you want from your equity. You will want to watch and make sure that you do not refinance for an amount equal to 80% of the value of your house – that includes the equity, as well. The reason for this is simple, you want to make sure that 20% of the value of your home is left intact so that you do not need to pay the Private Mortgage Insurance. This could add thousands of dollars each year to your payments.

You can enjoy further savings if you decide to shorten the term length, too. If you make the remainder of the refinanced loan to be about 5 years less than what you have now, you could literally save tens of thousands of dollars more over the life of the mortgage.

A home equity loan is another way to get to the cash in your equity that you want. A home equity loan is a second mortgage, and you may be able to get it as either an adjustable rate mortgage or a fixed rate mortgage. While it obviously does not require you to refinance your first mortgage, it will give you a new monthly payment – and the cash you want. As a second mortgage, there will also be closing costs and other fees – with the possible exception of going through your present lender.

The interest rate will be higher than on a first mortgage, when you get a home equity loan. The interest rate, as well as the amount you can borrow, will depend mostly on your credit rating, and your ability to repay the loan. Make sure your credit report is accurate before you apply. If there are inaccuracies on the report it can hurt you and give you higher interest rates than you might have otherwise, or even cause your home equity loan to be rejected.

Before you agree to either a home equity loan or a cash out mortgage, you will want to shop around to find the best deal. It will take some time to do it right – but you are the one who will benefit from the savings. Check the various features, such as the interest rate, the fees, and the terms of repayment – including the monthly payments.

The choice is now yours. It can basically be summed up as – do you want to refinance your existing mortgage, or get a second mortgage? Both have their benefits, but only you can decide which one will work best for you.

Stella