Posts Tagged ‘Mortgage Terms’

Lower Bills With Debt Consolidation Refinancing Vs Home Equity

Written on April 13th, 2010 by adminno shouts

Lower Bills With Debt Consolidation Refinancing Vs Home Equity Loan

Consolidating your debt can help you lower your monthly bills and interest rates. While refinancing and home equity loans can both help you pay off accounts, they have their own benefits. The best choice depends on your current mortgage terms and future financial goals.

The Goal Of Debt Consolidation

The goal of debt consolidation is to pay off your current debt with a new, lower rate loan. The lower your rates, the more of a savings your pocketbook will see each month. But loan fees can eat into those savings.

Extending your loan term can also lower your monthly payments. But your interest costs will be higher over the life of the loan than if you choose a shorter term.

For debt consolidation to be most affective, plan on paying off and closing accounts as soon as your receive your loan amount. That way you wont be paying interest on two account or be tempted to use your credit.

Refinancing Your Mortgage For Debt Consolidation

Refinancing your mortgage to cash-out your equity for debt consolidation purposes will qualify you for lower rates than a home equity loan. Having one mortgage is seen as less risky by lenders than by having two loans.

But you also have to consider overall rates. If you currently have a low rate mortgage, then refinancing for a slightly higher rate doesnt make sense.

For example, if you have a $200,000 mortgage at 5% for 30 years, your interest costs $186,513.24. Say you refinance for an additional $10.000, but now your rate jumps to 6%. Your interest costs jumps to $231,677.04 an increase over $45,000. It would have been better to go with a home equity loan.

Using A Home Equity Loan

A home equity loan allows you to use your equity without affecting your current mortgage rate. In some cases, it can also protect you from having to provide private mortgage insurance, an additional cost.

However, home equity loans, also known as second mortgages, have higher rates than if you refinance your mortgage. This is only an issue if you have a high rate mortgage. In this case, the better choice is to combine the cash-out with a refinance.

In the end, you need to compare numbers to find what is your best option. Luckily, lenders offer free online quotes to make this easy.

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Debt Consolidation Loans

Written on January 12th, 2010 by adminno shouts

Debt Consolidation Loans

Wouldnt it be nice to make just one payment per month instead of several? Most of us not only have a mortgage payment. We have car payments, credit card payments, student loans, etc.

If you have been living in your home for a reasonable amount of time and you have acquired enough equity, you might want to consider a debt consolidation loan.

A debt consolidation loan is using the equity you have acquired in your home from monthly payments and appreciation to pay off all of your outstanding debt, leaving you with one monthly payment instead of several.

Consolidating your debt has the potential to save you a lot of cash on a monthly basis if you have accumulated a lot of debt.

The interest rates on credit cards alone are considerably higher than that which you would receive on a mortgage.

Another benefit is the interest you pay on your debt consolidation loan is tax deductible, unlike your other debt.

Consolidating your debt is a great way to save money, but dont just dive in. Take the time to educate yourself about the mortgage industry and definitely shop around for the best deal. The mortgage industry is very competitive, so let them compete for your business.

Another benefit to consolidating your debt is that it will help your credit score go up.

The accounts you have outstanding that you owe money to are called open trade lines, by paying these off and than closing a few of them to keep your debt under control, you will be effectively increasing your credit score over time, which is how lenders determine your payment history.

Jennifer Hershey has more than twenty years of experience in the Mortgage Industry as a loan officer. She is the owner of http://www.explainingmortgages.com/, a mortgage resource site devoted to making mortgage terms and products easy to understand.

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