Consumers Maxing Out their Home Equity
It's a sign of the times: Economic data indicates that homeowners may be padding their savings accounts with money borrowed from their home equity lines of credit (HELOC). Read More» |
New Angle on Home Equity Loans
A new service allows homeowners to cash out their equity without incurring interest charges and loan repayments. Read More» |
HELOC Cancellation: Are You at Risk?
HELOC lenders are now realizing that they were overly enthusiastic about approving big credit lines for borrowers. As they try to reduce their risk exposure, some homeowners are getting a surprise notification that their HELOC... Read More» |
Advertising and the Home Equity Fiasco
In the 1980s, financial companies set out to change the perception of second mortgages among the American public. Unfortunately, no one predicted just how expensive that endeavor would ultimately be. Read More» |
Home Equity: Thawing out a Frozen HELOC
Hundreds of thousands of consumers are getting notices from their banks that their home equity lines of credit (HELOCs) have been frozen. This is causing a wave of credit crunch panic. There are options for responding to a HELOC... Read More» |
Home Equity FAQ
Find the answers to all your questions about home equity and home equity debt. Read More» |
Home Equity Conversion Mortgages
The FHA's home equity conversion mortgage program (HECM) is designed to let older homeowners convert equity into cash without selling their homes. HECM loans are a type of reverse mortgage, and are made by banks, credit unions,... Read More» |
HELOCs: Accentuate the Positive
A home equity line of credit (HELOC) can give you the financial flexibility you need-and you might even feel like singing about it. Read More» |
Pay Off Debt with a Home Equity Loan
The consumer is the true engine of our economy. The more people buy, the better our capitalist system works. While consumerism works well on a macro level, sometimes people over-extend themselves on the micro-level and... Read More» |
Home Equity Debt: Take the Good with the Bad
Forrest Gump once noted that life is like a box of chocolates-you never know what you're going to get. A home equity mortgage is a little different. You know that there are going to be pros and cons. Consider them all before... Read More» |
PMI Losses Might Hurt Consumers
Private mortgage insurance (PMI) is typically required for homeowners who have less than 20 percent equity in their property. But PMI providers are suffering huge losses, and that may translate into higher costs for consumers-... Read More» |
Don't Count on Your HELOC
Home equity lines of credit, or HELOCs, have begun to dry up across the U.S., leaving many homeowners strapped for cash. If you can find one, they're no longer as dependable as they once were, so borrowers should wean themselves... Read More» |
Obstacles to Home Equity Loans
Two years ago, the easiest way for most Americans to raise fast cash was through a home equity loan. But nowadays, those same home equity products are among the hardest to qualify for, as lenders continue to tighten up on their... Read More» |
Pointers to Help Sell Your Home Now!
Home sales are hurting, and if you're trying to sell yours now, you're undoubtedly feeling the pain. It's a tight market, but not an impossible one. Here are some tips to help you get competitive and find the right buyer. Read More» |
Home Equity Loans Join the Ranks of Subprimes
Household budgets are currently strained, and many homeowners are falling behind on payments. The American Bankers Association reports that home equity loan defaults are rising. It seems that all kinds of loans may go the way of... Read More» |
Home Equity Lessons from the Texas Homestead Act
Today's housing crisis was fueled by home equity borrowing that turned houses into credit cards or ATM machines, and put Americans into dangerous debt. By following home equity mortgage rules like the ones in the original Texas... Read More» |
Home Equity is Where the Money is
Home equity lending is drying up; but that doesn't mean that you can't earn extra cash at home. Here are some common ways people are taking advantage of their homes, and earning money doing it. Read More» |
Home Equity Scams to Watch Out For
Arming yourself with information is the best way to protect yourself from some common home equity scams. Read More» |
All By Yourself: Sell Your Home without a Broker
In a declining real estate market, anyone selling a home is desperately trying to squeeze home equity dollars out of a sale. More sellers are deciding to be their own brokers-a bold move that has equal amounts of risks and... Read More» |
Scarce Solutions for the Home Equity Loan Freeze
As summer swelters across the U.S., so does the credit crunch. Many banks are putting home equity loans and HELOCs in the deep freeze, locking down home equity credit. Homeowners trying to continually tap their home equity now... Read More» |