Friday, December 25, 2009

Types of Home Equity Loans to Stay Away From

By Lanre Ejihmon

Home equity loans, often referred to as HEL, take their name from the borrower's possibility to use the home equity for a collateral. The most common situations for the use of such loan options include medical bills, house repairs, college education and other situations of emergency when money is needed urgently. By home equity loans, there will be a lien created for the home.

It is more difficult to get home equity loans when you have a bad credit history, not to mention the fact that the loan-to-value ratios have to be adequate. There are two types of home equity loans, some with closed end and some with open end; yet, the terminology refers to both of them as secondary mortgages because the property makes the security or guarantee of the borrowed value. Let's see what the two variants of home equity loan involve.

One the borrower gets the loan, there is not possibility of getting another sum of money: this is what characterizes closed end home equity loans in the first place. The personal data, the income, the credit history and the value of the collateral establish the amount of the loan. While some lenders will give you a 100% amount of the house appraised value, in some states, legislation limits the borrowing up to 80% of the equity.

With closed end home equity loans, the paying-back period can extend up to fifteen years; the rates remain unmodified, with the mention that you can choose to refinance the loan if necessary. Open end home equity loans on the other hand are also called home equity lines of credit. The borrower can get money against the value of the property without any impediment, even if the sum cannot be higher than the imposed credit limit.

The difference from closed end home equity loans is that with the open end ones the interest rate is variable and the line of credit can be extended up to thirty years. Depending on the conditions in the financial agreement, and the lender's policy, the due monthly payment can be as low as the interest rate only. Besides the regular pay-back plan, there are all sorts of fees specific to home equity loans, and you need to take them into account very seriously too.

Thus, you will have to pay for title fees, stamp duties, originator fees, early pay off fees, closing fees or appraisal fees. It is of paramount importance to clarify all the aspects involving the fees, before the signing of the contract, and and remember that all loans come with fees. Moreover, don't forget to inquire on the tax benefits available with home equity loans because most charged rates are deductible. - 29904

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