Home Equity Loans The Best 2nd Mortgage For Financing Home Improvements

Tired of looking at those avocado green kitchen appliances? The wood paneling and shag in your family room? The worn fiberglass tub enclosure in the guest bath? Home improvement is sweeping the country. Approximately half of fixer-uppers are do-it-yourself, while the other half is contractor driven.

So how do you decide when to move or stay around, when a home remodel is a good idea or not?

?The American Homeowner Foundation estimates the total cost of moving to be at least 10 percent of your home's current value. In other words, if you can make things right with your home for less than 10 percent of what you could sell it for, it makes sense to stay put and fix it up.?

There's a couple of ways for you to start the transformation of your home. If you have enough equity built up for the total cost of the project, a traditional home equity loan might work for you. Benefits of home equity loans often include a better interest rate. You might even lower your mortgage payment while increasing the value of your home.

For the do-it-yourselfer working toward several small projects, a home equity line of credit allows flexibility. The lender basically sets up a line of credit based upon the equity in your home. The, issues you checks or a credit card to draw from the account as you need the cash.

Simply make sure refinancing your home makes financial sense says Lori Vella a senior banking executive. "Improving your home is almost always a smart investment, especially in this rate environment. Just make sure you'll be in the home long enough to recoup the cost of refinancing," says Vella.

A 2004 survey by Remodeling Magazine compares construction costs to likely return on investment (ROI) at resale. RM sent surveys to 20,000 appraisers, sales agents, and brokers. Those industry insiders generating 356 responses (a 1.78% response rate).

The RM survey shows minor kitchen remodels do the best, returning 92.9 percent of your investment, followed closely by new siding at 92.8 percent. The survey also lists bathrooms, attic bedrooms, deck additions and family or sun room add-ons as lucrative investments. Most of those remodels returned 80% to 90% for the home owners.

A home remodel is one of the best ways to improve the value of your home. Financially speaking, a home-equity loan could allow you to lower your mortgage payment, lower your interest rate, and when the remodel is said and done add thousands of dollars to your net worth.

Don?t forget to check with your local utility company if you want to improve the energy efficiency of your home. Most offer an energy efficient mortgage program.

If purchasing a fixer-upper is what you looking to do. HUD has a 203(k) program designed to finance both the purchase of the home and the remodel costs in one easy mortgage. Most mortgage lenders offer access to the HUD 203(k) program.

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1st And 2nd Mortgage Refinance Loan - Why Refinance Both Mortgages?

The hassle of making two monthly mortgage payments has prompted many homeowners to consider refinancing their 1st and 2nd mortgages into one loan. While combining both loans into one mortgage is convenient, and may save you money, homeowners should carefully weigh the risks and advantages before choosing to refinance their mortgages.

Benefits Associated with Combining 1st and 2nd Mortgages

Aside from consolidating your mortgages and making one monthly payment, a mortgage consolidation may lower your monthly payments to mortgage lenders. If you acquired your 1st or 2nd mortgage before home loan rates began to decline, you are likely paying an interest rate that is at least two points above current market rates. If so, a refinancing will greatly benefit you. By refinancing both mortgages with a low interest rate, you may save hundreds on your monthly mortgage payment.

Furthermore, if you accepted a 1st and 2nd mortgage with an adjustable mortgage rate, refinancing both loans at a fixed rate may benefit you in the long run. Even if your current rates are low, these rates are not guaranteed to remain low. As market trends fluctuated, your adjustable rate mortgages are free to rise. Higher mortgage rates will cause your mortgage payment to climb considerably. Refinancing both mortgages with a fixed rate will ensure that your mortgage remains predictable.

Disadvantages to Refinancing 1st and 2nd Mortgage

Before choosing to refinance your mortgages, it is imperative to consider the drawbacks of combining both mortgages. To begin, refinancing a mortgage involves the same procedures as applying for the initial mortgage. Thus, you are required to pay closing costs and fees. In this case, refinancing is best for those who plan to live in their homes for a long time.

If your credit score has dropped considerably within recent years, lenders may not approve you for a low rate refinancing. By refinancing and consolidating both mortgages, be prepared to pay a higher interest rate. Before accepting an offer, carefully compare the savings.

Moreover, refinancing your two mortgages may result in you paying private mortgage insurance (PMI). PMI is required for home loans with less than 20% equity. To avoid paying private mortgage insurance, homeowners may consider refinancing both mortgages separately, as opposed to consolidating both mortgage loans.

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Fixed Home Equity Loan Or Adjustable Home Equity Lines Of Credit?

It seems that many mortgage lenders and brokers are offering homebuyers more options when it comes to second mortgages. From interest only equity lines of credit to fixed rate home equity loans to option ARM mortgages, what loan works for you? With so many marketing loan terms and no clear defining solution, many lenders need to simply tell me what kind of loans they have, so that I can make a decision.

Consider looking at the home equity line of credit versus a fixed rate home equity loan. The first question to ask is what is the difference? To begin, let's define what a home equity loan is and how it works. If a home buyer decides to use the equity already built up in his home he may qualify for a large amount of credit with a lower interest rate when needing to borrowing money. Also, depending on the situation the borrower may be able to deduct this interest rate from his taxes since the debt is protected by the home.

A home equity credit line is extended credit based on the equity in a home. This type of credit revolves like a credit card, because you can borrow and re-borrow. Of course other factors come into play when applying for this type of credit line. These include any additional outstanding debt, your financial history and your income. However, after you are approved you can borrow money up to the amount of the credit line whenever you need by using a check or credit card that has been furnished to you by the lender.

Home equity credit lines you will be given a specific period of time in which to borrow the money. At the end of the draw period your line converts to a traditional term loan with a repayment schedule. Do not forget to pay your 2nd mortgage payment on time.

Some lenders will offer a discounted interest rate on home equity loans, but chances are good that the lower interest rate will only apply for the first three to six months of the loan. If you choose an option with a variable interest rate you will find that your monthly payments will change as interest rates change. If you decide to sell your house you will also be expected to pay off the home equity line you have borrowed.

According to, Andrew Christie, who has been a loan originator for over seven years, "thel oan business goes up and down with interest rates, but consumer debt continues to rise." Christie continued, "The most important consideration for borrowers is how much money can they save by refinancing.?

Along the same lines of a home equity loan comes the fixed rate home equity loan with set monthly payments, as well as a set time period of repayment. The fixed rate home equity loan is typically secured by either a first or second mortgage and the loan can be granted for up to several years or more. Remember too that there is usually closing costs associated with establishing a line of credit or equity loan. Remember the cost versus the reward, when considering loan options.

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