Home Equity

Debt Consolidation Home Equity Loans - Advantages and Disadvantages

Getting a home equity loan, or second mortgage, for the sole intent of consolidating and ultimately eliminating unnecessary debts is a great plan. Many consumers are burdened with high credit card balances, consumer loans, etc. Reducing or paying off debts takes time. Furthermore, many do not have the disposable income to lessen credit card balances.

Owning a home places you at a huge advantage. Those who have built equity in their homes may acquire a home equity loan as a way to reduce debts. These loans are affordable, and serve a useful purpose. However, debt consolidation home equity loans have certain risks.

How Do Debt Consolidation Home Equity Loans Work?

The concept of debt consolidation home equity loans is simple. Home equity loans are approved based on your home's equity. A home's equity can be calculated by subtracting the amount owed from the home's market value. Hence, if you owe $50,000 on a home worth $120,000, the equity totals $70,000.

Once the lending institution approves your loan request, and the money received, the funds are used to payoff creditors. Creditors may include high interest credit card balances, consumer loans, automobile loans, student loans, etc. Furthermore, debt consolidation can used to payoff past due utility bills and medical bills.

Debt consolidation loans are not free money. These loans have to be repaid within a reasonable timeframe. On average, home equity loans have short terms of seven, ten, or fifteen years - sometimes less. Because home equity loans have fixed and lower rates, these loans are easier to payoff than credit cards.

Pros and Cons of Debt Consolidation Home Equity Loans

The major advantage of home equity loans is the ability to become debt free. However, home equity loans involve careful planning. Once credit cards and other loan balances are eliminated, closing credit accounts is a smart maneuver. This way, you avoid accumulating additional debts.

Sadly, some consumers repeat past credit mistakes. Along with paying a home equity loan, they acquire more credit card debt, which increasing their debts and payments. Excessive debt makes it difficult or impossible to maintain regular home equity loan payments. This will present another home equity loan danger - inability to repay the loan. A huge disadvantage of debt consolidation home equity loans involves the risk of losing your home. Before accepting a loan, realistically analyze whether you can afford a second mortgage.

View our recommended lenders for Home Equity Online Loans.

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Home equity loans drying up for some - Personal finance- msnbc.com
Some homeowners are finding that even with great credit and 20 percent or more home equity, getting a line of credit on that equity can be difficult or impossible.
Equity in Americans? homes falls to historic low - Mortgage Mess ...
And homeowners? percentage of equity has declined steadily even as home values surged during the housing boom due to a jump in cash-out refinancing, home equity loans and an ...
Use of home equity hits a four-year low - Real estate- msnbc.com
The amount of money Americans pulled out of their homes is at a four-year low as homeowners battle falling home values and stricter standards among lenders, Freddie Mac said ...
Late payments for home equity loans rise - Real estate- msnbc.com
Late payments on home equity loans climbed to a 1½-year high in the opening quarter of this year, while delinquencies on credit card bills fell, painting a mixed picture of how ...
Morgan Stanley to freeze home-equity lines - Mortgage Mess- msnbc.com
Morgan Stanley told thousands of clients this week that they will not be allowed to withdraw money on their home-equity credit lines, according to a news report.
Late payments rise on home-equity loans - Stocks & economy- msnbc.com
Late payments on certain auto and home equity loans climbed in the final quarter of last year, while delinquencies on credit card bills largely held steady, suggesting some U.S ...
Should I get a home equity credit line? - Answer desk- msnbc.com
Free money In this week's video Answer Desk, msnbc.com's John W. Schoen has some advice on how to avoid giving the government more of your money than you need to.
How to tell if now is the time to refinance - Personal finance- msnbc ...
You have at least 10 percent equity in your home and aren?t FHA-eligible. To get good rates, you?ll need to have equity in the home. In most markets, 10 percent equity is a ...
Retirement Calculator - Cracked Nest Egg - MSNBC.com
See today's average home equity rates across the country.
The New Yorker: When owning isn?t better - The New Yorker- msnbc.com
The problem was exacerbated by an explosion in home-equity loans, fuelled by our faith that house prices can only rise. According to a recent study by the Federal Reserve ...

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