Home Equity for Dummies

What it is

In a nutshell home equity is how much money one has paid against that appraised value of one’s home. To compute for it, all you have to do is simply subtract the mortgage balance of your home from its current market value. So how does home equity work? As an example let’s say that your house has an appraised value of $250,000 and you still owe $100,000 on your mortgage. This means that the amount you’ve already paid for amounts to $150,000. This is your current equity.

What the HEL?

The equity of an individual’s home is usually used to obtain loans. A home equity loan, abbreviated as HEL, is a kind of loan wherein the person applying for a loan uses the value of their equity as collateral. People usually take out this type of loan to be able to finance tuition fees for the college education of their children, to pay for medical expenses, or to spend for major repairs of their houses. How does a home equity loan work? A lien, or the legal right to seize an individual’s property if a debt is unpaid, is created against the borrower’s property once a HEL is obtained. A lot of factors are involved in order for one to be able to obtain home equity loans such as an individual’s salary and credit history, which should be at a good or excellent level.

Types of HELs

There are two types of home equity loans: open end and closed end.

Taking out a closed end loan means that the borrower will receive the entire sum of the loan once a deal is closed and will not be able to borrow in the future. Payment rates for these types of loans usually have a fixed rate and are amortized for a period of around 15 years. Some people can not explain line of credit. A borrower can usually obtain a loan of up to 100%, or even more for some lenders in over-equity loans, of the value of the home.

Another type is open end equity loan, which in contrast to the closed end loan, the borrower is able to select the terms of the loan. This means that the borrower sets how often he wants to borrow provided it is still within the initial limit established by the lender. One can pay for these loans for up to 30 years, given that he is willing to pay for the variable interest. It is possible to make monthly payments that are as low as the interest rate due. It is also possible to borrow up to 100% of the home’s value.