Tag: Home Equity Loan

FHA Mortgage Loan versus Conventional Mortgage Refinance for Debt Consolidation

The term conventional loan includes loans under the current lending limits set by the Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (FHLMC), commonly known as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, respectively. A Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loan is a loan based on an insurance program that enables you to buy a home with a down payment of as low as 3%. FHA is administered by Housing and Urban Development (HUD). It is one of two government loan programs available to borrowers. The other is a Veterans Administration (VA) loan, available only to veterans of the military service.

The FHA loan program, similar to conventional loan programs, allows for mortgage refinancing of owner occupied properties as fixed mortgage rate loans and adjustable rate mortgages (ARMs). Similar to conventional refinances, FHA refinances can be used for such purposes as:

o Home Improvements and Renovations.

o Debt Consolidation, including consolidating a home equity loan (second mortgage), if 2nd loan is less than 1 year old.

o Large Purchases.

o Schooling.

o Vacation.

o Investment(s), including second home or vacation home purchase.

According to the FHA, 1-2 unit primary residences may cash-out up to 95% of the estimated property value. For other property type the maximum cash-out is 85%. This is at least 5% more than on a conventional refinance loan. And, you do not have to have an existing FHA loan in order to get FHA refinancing.

While FHA loans are funded by financial institutions such as mortgage centers or banks like conventional loans, it does not actually lend money but rather guarantees a loan in case of borrower default. As a result, there is less financial risk to the lender, allowing them to offer lower rates to borrowers than rates offered by conventional refinancing. And, FHA has the most forgiving credit criteria–FICO scores of 580 (east coast), 560 (Midwest) and 520 (west coast) being considered acceptable.

Similar to conventional loans, FHA mortgages require mortgage insurance. Conventional loan mortgage insurance is cancelable under most circumstances once you build at least 20% equity in your home. The FHA states that, in most cases, FHA insurance will drop off after five years or when the remaining balance on the loan is 78 percent of the value of the property, whichever is longer.


Personal Loans For Debt Consolidation

Taking out a personal loan may be a good solution to your financial burdens. Renovating your home or taking an amazing holiday may have put you in more debt that you can handle. One use of a personal loan is to clear your existing high interest debts by paying them all off. This leaves you with only a single payment, and a single interest payment, to make each month instead of multiple payments, all with high interest rates.

If you are a home owner, you can easily get a debt consolidation loan through a home equity loan. Your house is kept as collateral for this type of debt consolidation loan. The amount of the loan varies according to the amount of equity you have built up in your home. In this case, you would be taking out a secured personal loan with your home as the security. If you fail to make payments, your lender may seize your house as repayment.

If you rent or if you do not have anything to put down as security, you can take out an unsecured private debt consolidation loan. Interest rates for this type of loan are higher and the term of the loan tends to be shorter than for a secured private loan because unsecured loans are riskier to lenders. They have no security in the case that you are unable to repay your debt.

To find a debt consolidation loan you have to research to find the lender offering the best competitive rates. The internet is a great tool for this kind of research. Online lenders will help you find the best possible rate for you, and all you have to do is go online and fill out a simple form with a few questions.

If you find yourself bogged down with multiple high interest bills each month, consider a personal debt consolidation loan. You will only need to pay a single payment each month, and you will only have one debt collecting interest. You will be able to choose the term of your loan, and you will be able to pay it back more flexibly then you would be able to pay back multiple debts. Getting a personal debt consolidation loan will not instantly rid you of all of your debt, but it will help you manage it more efficiently.


Bad Credit Debt Consolidation Home Equity Loans

Are you stuck with all kinds of debts and you need to figure out how to get out of them? Are you stuck with bad credit as well and need some help in that department also? There are answers, especially if you own your own home. One of those options is bad credit debt consolidation home equity loans that you can take out from your bank or from many other lenders.

First, if you own your home and have a FICO or credit score of at least 500, then you can refinance and use some of your equity to help pay off your debts. There are lenders that will work with you and will help you to get the home equity loan you need in order to get out of some of the debts that you have accumulated over the years.

Second, you can use a second mortgage if the first mortgage refinance is not enough for you. This will allow you to use more of your equity to pay off your debts. Debt consolidation is a very serious subject matter and you have to treat it as such. You need to use everything you can in order to get out of debt, but also make sure you can handle your new mortgage payments or you will be even more upside down.

Last, there is also a line of credit that can be used as bad credit debt consolidation home equity loans. This is an option that usually requires either more equity or better credit, but it can help. These usually come from banks and are a bit harder to get, but they can be gotten and can help you with your debts.


The Pro’s and Con’s of Debt Consolidation Loans

You are swimming in debt. You have 4 credit cards maxed out, a car loan, a consumer loan, and a house payment. Simply making the minimum payments is causing your distress and certainly not getting you out of debt. What should you do?

Some people feel that debt consolidation loans are the best option. A debt consolidation loans is one loan which pays off many other loans or lines of credit.

I’m sure you’ve seen the advertisements of smiling people who have chosen to take a consolidation loan. They seem to have had the weight of the world lifted off their shoulders. But are debt consolidation loans a good deal? Let’s explore the pros and cons of this type of debt solution.

Pros

1. One payment versus many payments: The average citizen of the USA pays 11 different creditors every month. Making one single payment is much easier than figuring out who should get paid how much and when. This makes managing your finances much easier.

2. Reduced interest rates: Since the most common type of debt consolidation loan is the home equity loan, also called a second mortgage, the interest rates will be lower than most consumer debt interest rates. Your mortgage is a secured debt. This means that they have something they can take from you if you do not make your payment. Credit cards are unsecured loans. They have nothing except your word and your history. Since this is the case, unsecured loans typically have higher interest rates.

3. Lower monthly payments: Since the interest rate is lower and because you have one payment vs many, the amount you have to pay per month is typically decreased significantly.

4. Only one creditor: With a consolidated loan, you only have one creditor to deal with. If there are any problems or issues, you will only have to make one call instead of several. Once again, this simply makes controlling your finances much easier.

5. Tax Breaks: Interest paid to a credit card is money down the drain. Interest paid to a mortgage can be used as a tax write-off.

Sounds great, doesn’t it? Before you run out and get a loan, let’s look at the other side of the picture – the cons.

Cons

1. Easy to get into further debt: With an easier load to bear and more money left over at the end of the month, it might be easy to start using your credit cards again or continuing spending habits that got you into such credit card debt in the first place.

2. Longer time to pay off: Most mortgages are the 10 to 30 year variety. This means that rather than spend a couple of years getting out of credit card debt, you will be spending the length of your mortgage getting out of debt.

3. Spend more over the long haul: Even though the interest rate is less, if you take the loan out over a 30 year period, you may end up spending more than you would have if you had kept each individual loan.

4. You can lose everything: Consolidation loans are secured loans. If you didn’t pay an unsecured credit card loan, it would give you a bad rating but your home would still be secure. If you do not pay a secured loan, they will take away whatever secured the loan. In most cases, this is your home.

As you can see, consolidated loans are not for everyone. Before you make a decision, you must realistically look at the pros and cons to determine if this is the right decision for you.


Debt Management Programs



Being in serious debt can be very stressful. In fact it can destroy your life. It can lead to hopelessness and despair. I know, because I have been there. Easy access to credit cards and store cards are the main reason people get into debt. High interest rates make it difficult to get out of debt. However it’s important not to panic as there are option available to you in the form of debt management programs and debt counseling services. With some commitment on your part and good debt reduction company you could become debt free in just a few years.

There are many organizations offering different options for debt relief, some good and other not so good. Debt management programs are a booming business especially in the correct financial crisis. Whether you decide to hire a debt relief service or take it on yourself, you should do your research before making a decision.

While debt reduction company can be a big help, they cannot solve all your debt problems for you. Any organization that promises this is promising something they probably cannot deliver. Be very wary of any firm that makes extravagant claims. For a debt reduction program to work will require changes to your lifestyle. These changes will seem time consuming and difficult at first, but over time they become an instinctive part of your life and are really no problem at all in the long run.

Other options available to you include debt consolidation or a home equity loan as a debt reduction strategy. This would become easier if you owned a home and have sufficient equity. In addition, the interest may be tax deductible. However, this option requires careful thought as you may end up losing your home if you fail to make the payments.

No single debt reduction strategy may be ideal for your situation, the best thing you can do is to be very careful about which option you do decide on, and remember to do your research before making a decision.


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