The Consumer Debt Trap
A recent survey determined the average American family has consumer debt balances of over $10,000. Once a debtor gets into the position of carrying credit card balances over from month to month it becomes very difficult to pay the balance down to zero because of high interest finance charges and carrying fees.
Utilizing Home Equity Consolidation to Lower Debts
There are many uses of a home equity loan. Many home owners borrow against their equity for home improvements, college tuition, even vacations. The loan money can be used for virtually anything. One of the best uses for the loan is to pay off high interest credit card and other consumer debt.
Benefits of an Equity Debt Consolidation Loan
One strategy for getting credit card debt paid off is applying for a real estate equity consolidation loan. This approach will not miraculously remove debt however the loan will allow the debt to be paid off with lower monthly debt payments. Credit card interest rates charged on unpaid balances are high and getting higher. Additionally, these rates most often fluctuate with the prime bank rate making it impossible to work out a longer range budget to pay the balance off. Once consolidated into a home equity loan the payment and interest rate can be fixed. Also, there will be an immediate positive impact on monthly cash flow as the one new equity loan payment will be lower than the combined payments of the debt paid off. With only one debt payment one can plan to be debt free in a few years.
The Disadvantages of Home Equity Loans
Home equity consolidation can be very useful. However, it is always important to use loans prudently and borrow only what can comfortably be paid back. All loans create another monthly bill to pay. If the funds are used to pay off credit card balances then discontinuing credit purchases to avoid piling up more debt is mandatory. Increasing total debt by not curtailing charges on credit will create a deeper and more serious financial crisis. If a home equity loan used for debt consolidation results in financial over-extension then the consequences could very well end up in foreclosure because now the debt is collateralized whereas consumer debt is not.
Also, there are other disadvantages one should be aware of. First of all, although the interest rate charges are lower than the debt paid off with the loan, the term of the loan is generally for years – much longer than someone who could pay off consumer debt without a loan would carry a balance. This means there will be many more debt payments with interest on each payment adding up to more total interest than if the debtor just “tightened the belt” and paid off their consumer and card debt within months rather than years.
So if the new home equity consolidation loan monthly payment is within the budget, has lower interest rate finance charges and still does not leverage the home more than 80% accounting for all mortgage debt, this debt consolidation strategy can be a good way to refinance high interest credit card and consumer debt.
By: Mason Smith
Posts Tagged Home Improvements
Home Equity Consolidation
Sep 10
The longer you live in your home the more equity you are building up in it. Home equity can be very important and can be a good buffer if an emergency comes along because you can obtain an equity loan depending on how much equity you have built up.
If you are in need of an equity loan what will happen is first of all the lending institution will send out an appraiser to set a value on your home and then based on this you may qualify for a percentage of that amount for your loan. This will be your loan ratio.
Quite often, you hear the term market value and what this refers to is the price that if someone wanted to buy your home what would they be willing to pay for it at this particular time. That does not necessarily mean that that is the sale price of your home now because it can vary.
Once you know these facts then it is a little easier to get a decision made about your home equity loan. It is a wise choice not to go and take out a loan against your equity unless you absolutely have to. You want to consider the future when it comes time to sell your home.
The more equity you have built up the more money you will end up with in your pocket after you have made your sale. As we mentioned though there are times that it just is not avoidable.
You need to shop around for your home equity loan the same as you did for your first mortgage. Again, there are variable rates and quite often for the home loans, you get a good rates because you have the collateral in your home.
Some of the reasons you might want to use your home equity is perhaps to pay off some debts that are at a high interest rate and by doing this at a lower interest rate than you are going to pay off the principal much faster.
Another reason for obtaining and utilizing your home equity by way of a loan is for home improvements. This is a potentially good investment because quite often most updates and remodeling can add value to your home. Another good use for home equity is to put the kids through school or even for starting a business. Whatever your reasons for choosing to use your home-equity make sure that they are good ones and think about your future as well.
By: Thomas B. Chuong