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Saturday, February 16, 2008

Home Equity Loan Second Mortgage: Is a Home Equity Loan Right for You

By Louie Latour

When you submit an application for a home equity loan the lender will look at your current mortgage and your credit to determine if you qualify. The lender evaluates your credit history, household income, and the amount of equity in your home. Here are several tips to help you decide if a home equity loan is right for your financial situation.

Your credit will largely determine the interest rate that you will qualify for. If you have poor credit you can still qualify for competitive interest rates if you invest the time to clean up your credit and shop for the best loan prior to applying. Qualifying for a home equity loan is easier than qualifying for a new mortgage because you already own the home securing the home equity loan. This is especially helpful for homeowners with poor credit because they can use the home equity loan to rebuild their credit. Before applying for any type of home equity loan it is important to request copies of your credit reports and carefully scrutinize them for errors.

Your income is another important aspect of your application. Lenders want to know that you are able to repay the loan. Your debt to income ratio is used to determine your ability to repay the home equity loan. Debt to income ratio is a numerical representation of the sum of your monthly obligations from credit cards, your mortgage, car payments, versus your monthly income. Lenders typically do not like to see debt ratios higher than 38% of your monthly income.

The amount you can borrow with a home equity loan depends on how much equity you have in your home. Equity is the portion you own; it is simply the difference between what you owe on you existing mortgage and how much your home is worth. Suppose your home is valued at $200,000 and you owe $90,000 on your mortgage, your equity is $100,000 and the ratio of your equity to the mortgage is 45%. Lenders prefer loan to value ratios below 80%. If your ratio is higher you can still be approved for a home equity loan; however, you may be required to pay more for the financing. You can learn more about your home equity options, including common mistakes to avoid by registering for a free mortgage guidebook.

To get your free mortgage guidebook visit RefiAdvisor.com using the link below.

Louie Latour specializes in showing homeowners how to avoid common mortgage mistakes and predatory lenders. For a free copy of "Mortgage Refinancing: What You Need to Know," which teaches strategies to find the best mortgage and save thousands of dollars in the process, visit Refiadvisor.com.

Claim your free guidebook today at: http://www.refiadvisor.com

Bad Credit Home Equity Loan

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