Do you own a house? If so, you already have realized the Greatest Canadian Dream, which many of us continue to work hard to have. Additionally, because you already have a house, you already have easy access to money through Home Equity Loan or Home Equity Line of Credit.
It is thus easier for you to acquire funds for myriad of reasons. Lenders can provide you a credit of up to 80% of your total equity.
Funding children’s college education or renovations for your house or even for purposes of paying off the entire balance of your primary mortgage may be available through home equity loan or line of credit.
You may even opt to consolidate your debt, like your credit cards and other unsecured credits with the options available in a home equity loan or line of credit.
This facility is getting to be very popular nowadays because of the convenience of owing only one institution and the added advantage of lower interest rates. In addition, interests in consumer loans like your home equity loan or line of credit could be tax deductible if used for investment purposes.
The facility of acquiring loan through home equity loan or line of credit is flexible in various payments terms depending on the institution that is providing you with the loan.
All of these flexibility and advantages of acquiring a home equity loan and line of credit notwithstanding needs some intelligent decision-making. This is because even with the numerous advantages available in a home equity loan or line of credit, the only one and most important factor to consider is the fact that you put your house as collateral.
Consequently, failing to pay your debt may cause you to loose the most precious asset you have, your home.
For this reason, before you embark on the convenient way of acquiring a loan through home equity loan or line of credit, you may need to consider if you really need this facility.
There may be other loan facilities available where you can choose from, thus you may not need to put your house as collateral. However, admittedly considering taxes and interest rates may lead you back to home equity loan or line of credit. In this case, you may need to seek additional advice.
I have been mentioning home equity loan or line of credit. This is because the two differ in one most significant factor. Home equity loan is a facility where you get the proceeds of your loan lump sum. On the other hand, home equity line of credit is a facility where you have a credit line, just like in a credit card, where you may opt to get funds only when you need it.
However, in a home equity loan, you pay equal installments throughout the duration of the paying period and you pay part interest and part principal loan. In the case of home equity line of credit, the interest rates are variable and you may choose to pay interest only.
The negative side of this is that you need to pay a balloon payment at the end of the term, which may be hard for you if you are not ready to pay such a huge amount. You may end up taking another loan, which will put you at a disadvantageous position later on.
Finally, financial experts recommend that before you embark on acquiring a home equity loan or line of credit, you may need to do your homework by shopping around for the best terms, payment options, and conditions where the lender may consider you in default. Analyzing your needs may be an additional advantage for you to make the intelligent decision.
Because a home equity loan is backed by your home as collateral, it is considered more secure by lenders than unsecured debt, such as credit card debt. Further, because the loans are less risky for banks, you benefit by paying a much lower interest rate than you would on credit cards or most other kinds of loans.
For additional information and advice, contact your mortgage broker before you decide if home equity loan or line of credit is good for you. You may find other loan facilities that will not be as risky, but understanding what you need and how you need it may be necessary.
