How Long Are Home Equity Loan Terms
Editorial Note: The content of this article is based on the authors opinions and recommendations alone. It may not have been previewed, commissioned or otherwise endorsed by any of our network partners.
A home equity loan is a lump sum of cash paid to you and secured by your home. Depending on your lender, home equity loan terms can range from five to 30 years.
Homeowners across the U.S. have collectively gained more than $1.5 trillion in home equity during 2020, according to data from CoreLogic. Turning that equity into spendable cash sounds attractive if you need to consolidate high-interest debt, expand a business or replace an aging roof.
Using Student Loans To Refinance College Debt
Student loans are purpose-built financing products that can only finance one type of debt but theyre usually the best type of loan for that debt. So, if youre looking to refinance your existing college debt, you can use a student loan if youre trying to pay off other debt, keep looking.
Student loans to pay for college expenses can be either federal student loans loans made by the government or private student loans, which are financed by a bank or lender. Federal student loans are generally considered to be more desirable because they have fixed interest rates and income-dependent repayment plans.
While initial loans can be federal or private, you can only refinance student loans with a private loan, as there are no federal student loan refinance programs. This means going through a bank or third-party student loan lender, where credit requirements may be more restrictive.
If you have federal loans, make sure youve already investigated your options for the various government repayment options, like Pay As You Earn , as you wont be eligible for these programs if you refinance with a private loan. Similarly, most public service-based loan forgiveness programs will only apply to federal loans.
Applying For A Home Equity Loan After Your Home Is Paid Off
One of the things that makes a paid-off homeowner a great candidate for a home equity loan is how much equity they own. The full value of their home represents their equity, rather than the difference between the mortgage and the appraised value, as is the case for most homeowners who still hold a mortgage.
Another point in the paid-off homeowners favor is that since there is no other lien against the property, the new loan takes the spot of primary lien and therefore is paid off first in the event of foreclosure. That makes the loan less risky from a lenders perspective and often warrants a lower interest rate.
But thats not all lenders are looking for when evaluating homeowners for loan approval. You still might find yourself denied for an equity loan even if you own the home free and clear. This can be due to other aspects of your financial profile.
Don’t Miss: Usaa Refinance Rates Auto
Pro #: Youll Have Fewer Monthly Payments
When youre juggling multiple payments to several different creditors each month its easy to lose track of when things are due. If you end up paying something late, youll likely have to fork over a fee and theres also a chance that your credit might take a hit. When you consolidate everything into a home equity loan, you only have one payment to worry about so theres less of a chance of overlooking something.
Make A Plan To Use Your Home Equity Line Of Credit
Establish a clear plan for how you’ll use a home equity line of credit. Consider a repayment schedule that includes more than just minimum monthly interest. Make a realistic budget for any projects you may want to do.
You may be able to borrow up to 65% of your homes purchase price or market value on a home equity line of credit. This doesnt mean you have to borrow the entire amount. You may find it easier to manage your debt if you borrow less money.
Read Also: What Credit Score Is Needed For Usaa Auto Loan
What To Look For In A Hel
There are two things to keep an eye on the closing costs and whether theres a pre-payment penalty. A home equity loan is very similar to a second mortgage so youre getting a loan with a set period and most banks have a minimum amount, typically $10,000.
Capital One offers home equity loans with zero closing costs, no annual fees, and has loans for terms of 5, 10, 15, and 20 years. There is a pre-payment penalty if you close your account within 24 months, though theres no pre-payment penalty for residents of Texas.
Many banks may charge application fees, closing costs, and other fees related to the loan because it is so similar to a mortgage. Its not uncommon to see a property or title-related fees, so be sure to ask about these when doing your research.
Home Equity Loan Vs Heloc For Debt Consolidation
The principles of using either product for debt consolidation are the same: youll take out your HELOC or home equity loan, use it to pay off existing debt, then only have that one existing loan to worry about.
A home equity loan is a more-structured, traditional loan. Youll take out a lump sum, against your home, and usually consumers can use it to knock out their debts fairly quickly, according to Arevalo.
Youll have a fixed interest rate for a home equity loan. That means youll lock in your interest rate at the beginning of your loan term and it wont change.
A HELOC, on the other hand, offers a bit more flexibility. Its similar to a credit card, and therefore your payments will be variable based on how much you spend on your line. Your interest rate will also be variable with a home equity loan, meaning if rates rise youll be subject to higher interest payments.
With a home equity loan in particular, its more likely that youll have to pay closing costs and get an appraisal on your home, though some lenders require the same measures for HELOCs. These will be out-of-pocket expenses.
Also Check: What Is The Maximum Fha Loan Amount In Texas
Refinancing Pros And Cons
The main reason to go through with cash-out refinancing to pay off your credit card debts involves interest rates. The interest rates for credit cards can approach 30 percent. By contrast, mortgage interest rates today are generally much lower.
Paying off all of your credit card debt might also help your credit scores. However, some lenders might require that you close your credit card accounts after paying them off, which could harm your credit scores, particularly in the case of longstanding accounts that add to your credit history.
Consumers who refinance their mortgages to pay off credit cards can run into several potential pitfalls. For example, if you fail to change your spending habits, you might rack up more credit card debt on top of your new mortgage payments. Additionally, you will end up paying for the purchases that got you into trouble over a much longer period of time since they’re now part of your mortgage. Further, cash-out refinancing leaves you with less equity, meaning you own less of your home.
Transfer Your Home Equity Line Of Credit
When your mortgage comes up for renewal, you may consider transferring your mortgage and home equity line of credit. Youll likely have to pay legal, administrative, discharge and registration costs as part of the switch.
You may also be required to pay off all other forms of credit, such as credit cards, that may be included within a home equity line of credit combined with a mortgage.
You may be able to negotiate with a lender to cover some costs to transfer any credit products you may have. This can be difficult if you have different sub-accounts within your home equity line of credit combined with a mortgage that have different maturity dates.
Ask your lender what transfer fees apply.
Don’t Miss: Usaa Auto Loans Bad Credit
Should You Use 401k Loans To Pay Off Debt
One of the most difficult things about saving for retirement is having to keep your hands off the cash until youre eligible to withdraw it, penalty-free, when you hit retirement age. Seeing that nest-egg sitting there while you struggle to pay down debt can be downright maddening.
Sure, you can, technically, take out a loan from the money in your 401k generally up to 50% of your vested funds without a credit check these loans typically charge the U.S. Prime Rate plus 1%, and the interest essentially goes right back to you as part of your repayments.
But, the hard fact is that you really should just leave your retirement money alone. That money doesnt actually belong to you it belongs to future you. And future you will be a lot better off if your retirement funds remain in your retirement account, growing fat on yummy compound interest gains.
And for more reasons than you might think. To start, when you remove money from your 401k, youre not just sacrificing the earnings you would have made on that money while you repay your loan. Youre also sacrificing the compound earnings those earnings would have accrued over the life of your account.
For an example, consider Imaginary Irving, who took out a $10,000 401k loan with a 6% interest rate and repaid it over five years. If the market showed a 7% return , Irving would lose out on $335 in earnings $335 that would have added more than $3,500 to his nest egg over 35 years.
What Is A Home Equity Loan
A home equity loan allows you to borrow against the equity that has accumulated in your home over the years. For example, if you own a home that’s currently worth $300,000 and you owe $200,000 on your mortgage, you have $100,000 in equity.
Based on that, a bank, credit union, or other lender may be willing to issue a home equity loan equal to some percentage of your equity. How much you can borrow and whether you can get a loan at all will also be affected by other factors, such as your .
You May Like: Texas Fha Loan Limits 2020
Use The Debt Snowball Method
Now that youve got your budget set, its time to start paying off debt! And the best way to pay off your debt is with the debt snowball method. This is the way to gain momentum as you pay off your debts in order from smallest to largest.
We know there are a lot of people out there who will tell you to pay off your largest debt or the one with the highest interest rate first. Sure, the math makes sense, but paying off debt is more than just the numbers. If youre going to stick with it, you need to see quick wins and feel like youre making progressthats where the debt snowball comes in.
Lets look at how the debt snowball works:
We Hope To See You Again Soon
Youre about to leave Regions to use an external site.
Regions provides links to other websites merely and strictly for your convenience. The site that you are entering is operated or controlled by a third party that is unaffiliated with Regions. Regions does not monitor the linked website and has no responsibility whatsoever for or control over the content, services or products provided on the linked website. The privacy policies and security at the linked website may differ from Regions privacy and security policies and procedures. You should consult privacy disclosures at the linked website for further information.
Read Also: Can You Use A Va Loan For A Manufactured Home
Balance Transfer Credit Card
If you have strong credit, you may be eligible to transfer your balance from a high-interest credit card to one with an introductory 0% annual percentage rate for a set time. Some credit cards will allow you to transfer a balance with no fees and make payments without interest for up to a year or longer, which can buy you time to pay down the balance minus extra fees.
Key balance transfer card takeaways:
- It may feature a 0% APR for a predetermined period
- It can include upfront balance transfer fees
- It may not be the best option for borrowers with high amounts of debt
Guide: Using Loans To Pay Off Debt
Is it wise to use loans to pay off debt? The phrase, To rob Peter to pay Paul, is a common way of describing a situation in which paying off one debt requires incurring a second debt. Using loans to pay off other debts is a textbook Peter/Paul scenario, as you are, by definition, taking on a new debt to pay off an existing debt.
While it can seem counterintuitive to deal with debt with, well, more debt, sometimes the math really does work out favorably. This can be especially true when dealing with high-interest debts, like credit card debt, as you can potentially lower your interest rates and reduce the amount you owe.
The type of loan you need to pay off your debt will depend mostly on the type of debt you carry. Each type of loan has its own requirements, restrictions, and associated costs and thats before you factor in the challenges associated with having bad credit. In the article below, well take a deeper dive on this topic where we look at a number of scenarios where taking on loans may be beneficial in the long run, and well also present our choices for some of the top lenders out there for various loan types.
| | | | | | |
Also Check: Can I Refinance My Sofi Personal Loan
Can I Get A Home Equity Loan If My Name Is Not On The Mortgage
You can, even though you have no claim to the property and don’t appear on the deed. Just like when you co-sign on a mortgage, you’ll have no ownership or claim to the money received from the loan but you will share responsibility for it.
6 ways to pay off credit card debt fast
How To Qualify For A Heloc Or Home Equity Loan
Before COVID-19 stuck its ugly nose in the picture, qualifying for a home equity loan to pay off debt was almost too easy. Come to the table with a steady income, a decent credit score, and a house with proper equity, and you were golden.
Now its tougher, but not impossible, and American homeowners are riding an precedented wave of equity.
Building on steady gains since the end of the Great Recession a decade ago, U.S. homeowners padded their equity share by $590 billion through the first quarter of 2020 compared to a year earlier a rise of 6.5%, to a record $19.7 trillion.
While lenders differ in their terms and their risk-tolerance, they apply essentially the same criteria to their approval processes.
Also Check: Loans Without Proof Of Income
Benefits Of A Home Equity Line Of Credit
A home equity line of credit is not the same as a home equity loan. With a home equity loan, you will receive a lump sum payment from your bank or financial institution.
As for a home equity line of credit, you can actually borrow against a line of credit that is provided on a need-to-use basis.
A home equity line of credit can be modified in order to adhere to your unique borrowing needs, making it a highly adjustable solution to your debt issues.
The interest rates also tend to be quite low. The initial costs and interest rates tend to be lower than credit cards, making a home equity line of credit a superlative option for ongoing projects or even consolidating/combining your debts.
In fact, the interest that you are charged may actually be tax-deductible if you use the funds to improve your home. Both a home equity loan and a home equity line of credit will provide you with access to cash in a convenient and quick manner. With a home equity line of credit, you can draw only as much as you need, asn draw multiple times throughout the month as long as your home equity is enough to support your needs.
The benefits of HELOC can help you pay off your credit card debts or consolidate your debts in order to make debt repayment quicker and more convenient.
If You Have Home Equity
If you have home equity you can use it to get a loan or refinance your mortgage and pay off your high interest debt. If you find yourself in a tough financial situation and you see yourself getting into financial trouble in the short or long term, but your credit score isnt yet hit, then we recommend you begin making some tough decisions right now. If you believe that you can benefit from consolidating debt then use your home equity and good credit score now and pay off your high interest debt. Home loan and home equity loan interest rates are at record lows right now, with banks offering rates as low as 3%. Take advantage of todays financial market.
What types of loans can you get to consolidate your debt that utilize the equity in your home? You can go for a home equity line of credit, a second mortgage, you can refinance your mortgage or you can apply for a debt consolidation loan.
Note: If you have a bad credit score you may also benefit from debt settlement. To illustrate, you can negotiate with the institution that you owe to so that your debt is brought down and settled at a smaller amount. Learn more about debt settlement. If you have debt in collections then debt settlement paired with a private loan secured against your home equity to pay off your high interest debt is a pretty safe bet.
You May Like: Conventional 97 Loan Vs Fha
