Archive for April, 2011

Second Mortgages or a Further Advance

Tuesday, April 19th, 2011

If you are a homeowner and in need of some extra cash, one possibility you could consider is taking out a second mortgage. If the present value of your house exceeds the amount you paid for it (your mortgage total), then you have equity that can be used to borrow more money. This is basically a loan that is secured on your house and is sometimes termed a further advance.

Finding Another Lender?

You can approach your existing lender for a second mortgage, or shop around for a lower interest rate. Its likely your second mortgage will be for a lesser amount of capital, but will nevertheless be subject to higher interest rates and possible charges. This is because it represents more of a risk to the lender the lender takes a second charge over your property, which means that if the debt was recalled and your house repossessed, they would be second in line after your main lender to receive their debt.

For What Purpose?

Secured loans and second mortgages are popular with people who want to raise extra funds for example if you want to carry out home improvements or set up in business and need capital to get going. Although it can be a good way to find a cash lump sum fast, be aware that you are eating into the investment that your property should be. You should make sure that you have planned for the extra cost of repayments beyond what you initially were bound to. If the mortgage term will last into your retirement, will you be in a position to keep up the repayments?

Understanding The Small Print

While there are any number of lenders offering second mortgages, before you commit yourself to one you should be totally clear about the terms offered. Although there may be a special offer or discounted period of low interest, often these will revert to a higher rate after the set period once again, you need to take the long term view rather than the short term. Also, your equity can provide a security cushion so that if market prices fall, you will avoid the negative equity gap taking out a second mortgage means you will lose that safety feature. (This is where the phrase mortgaged up to the eyeballs is particularly apposite.)

You should also take into account any other costs that you may incur arrangement fees, a re-valuation survey, additional payment protection etc.

Second mortrgage

Tuesday, April 12th, 2011

An individuals home is the biggest asset that one has at his disposal. A home to back you up when you need a loan is one of the greatest advantages of home ownership. In recent years, there has been a major boom in the amount of people looking to use their homes as a way to get access to extra money when they need it most. One of the best ways to do this is through a second mortgage.
Second mortgage loans are loans that are made in addition to the first mortgage, and it is usually based on the amount of equity that the borrower uses to build into his home. Usually its required to fund home renovations. Since the borrower has already been through the process once, the underwriting that is required to get a second mortgage is much simpler than it was the first time around when the borrower had taken the first loan. The cost of the transactions involved will be lower when the borrower applies for the loan second time. This usually happens for the fact that interest rates on the second mortgage are a bit higher than they were on the first one. But then, there are some positive points too. For example, the fact that the interest paid on the loan may be tax deductible. In most cases the interest is 100% fully deductible as long as the combined loan to value of the 1st and 2nd mortgage does not exceed the value of the home.
On a second mortgage, one borrows a fixed sum of money against the home equity, and pays it back after a specific time. The amount borrowed will be combined with the amount the borrower still owes on his first mortgage. But there are a few things that one should keep in mind. First of all, one should not take a second mortgage on his home unless one has made payments on the original mortgage balance for a good amount of time. One may be able to get a second mortgage if one does not have much equity, but then the loan rates will be much higher, and the amount that one can borrow much lower. It will essentially be a waste of time and money.
A second mortgage is a loan that is secured by the equity in ones home. While obtaining a second mortgage loan the lender places a lien on the borrowers house. This lien will be recorded in 2nd position after the primary or 1st mortgage lender’s lien, hence the term second mortgage. Second mortgages aren’t for everyone. Borrowing more than 80% of the home’s value will subject the borrower to private mortgage insurance. The monthly payments should also be a factor. If one refinances in the future, he will have to pay off the 2nd mortgage.
Loan proceeds from a second mortgage loan can be used for just about anything. Many consumers take out 2nd mortgage loans to consolidate debt, do home improvements or pay for their childrens college education. Whatever one decides to do with the loan proceeds it is important to remember that if one defaults on then payment then he can lose his home. So one would want to make sure that he is taking the loan out for a worthwhile purpose
Thus we see that a second home loan can be of great help to the borrowers, although the borrower must take steps to ensure that he does not squander away the advantages of second mortgage.

Reverse Mortgages Can Benefit Elderly

Tuesday, April 5th, 2011

Reverse mortgages are available through lenders insured by the federal government and can be of great benefit to those who are eligible to apply. There are three types of reverse mortgages currently available in the United States, including Home Equity Conversion Mortgages (HECM), Fannie Mae (FNMA) Home Keeper and Financial Freedom Cash Accounts. The basic premise of a reverse mortgage is that it allows homeowners over the age of sixty-two to convert part of the equity in their homes into tax-free income without having to sell the home, give up the title to the home, or take on a new monthly mortgage payment. The reverse mortgage is titled as such because lenders pay the borrower fixed payments or a lump sum over time as opposed to a traditional mortgage arrangement. Eligible property includes single-family dwellings, manufactured homes built after June 1976, condominiums and town houses.

The process for applying for a reverse mortgage is more involved than with a traditional mortgage. Aside from meeting the age and property type restrictions, applicants must discuss the loan with a counselor employed by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development prior to signing. There are five different types of payment methods for each United States government insured loan available, allowing for flexibility to meet the needs of the applicants. These include monthly, quarterly, semi-annual and annual payments to the borrower for a fixed number of periods or a lump sum that can be invested.

Repayment terms also vary by the interest rate, as with traditional mortgages. Those who choose variable rate mortgages will pay over one percent less since the risk assumed by the borrower for agreeing to monthly adjustable rate calculations can greatly increase their risk over the life of the mortgage. The total of the mortgage is due when the house is no longer occupied by the borrower and can be paid by the borrower or by his or her heirs in the event of death.

While many consider borrowing to be a bad idea later in life, reverse mortgages simply allow seniors to enjoy the equity they have already established without carrying the risk of having to meet monthly payments while on a reduced or fixed income. This can substantially increase the quality of life for many older Americans and allow them to enjoy the fruits of their life long labor.