Credit report > Using Equity to Finance Home Repairs

Using Equity to Finance Home Repairs

by: John Mussi

A home equity loan allows you as a homeowner to get a loan by using the equity in your home as your collateral. The equity here consists of whatever funds you have invested in your property in order to own it or improve it. Since it is a debt against your own property, which you are in actual possession of, a home equity loan is a secured debt. The property can be required to be sold if you are unable to pay the money back that you have borrowed.

Home-equity loans typically have fixed rates and give you five to 15 years to repay. Home-equity lines of credit usually have variable rates and a 10-year period during which you make only interest payments, followed by a 10- or 15-year period during which you must pay off the debt.

Why Should I Consider a Home Equity Loan to Pay for Repairs?

Repairs and maintenance are part of the routine costs of owning a home. Such expenses ideally should be paid out of your current income. Some years you'll spend less, but other years you'll spend more, and it can be handy to have some cash saved up for bigger repairs. If you don't have the cash but need to make the repairs to preserve the value or safety of your home, then a home-equity loan or line of credit can be a good alternative. The interest rates on home-equity borrowing tend to be low, and your interest payments may be tax-deductible.

When you're using home equity for repairs, though, you should try to pay off the loan as quickly as possible. Unlike home improvements, repairs don't add much value to your home, so it doesn't make sense to stretch out the repayment.

Tax benefits of home equity loans

A home equity loan is also beneficial because the home equity loan rate charged is usually tax deductible, as the loan is used for its primary functions. You can check on various home equity interest rates with a home equity loan calculator and decide what the best rate is for you. This is not the case with other forms of consumer credit, like credit cards and auto loans.

Do Your Homework

Contact several lenders--and be very careful about dealing with a lender who just appears at your door, calls you, or sends you mail. Ask friends and family for recommendations of lenders. Talk with banks, savings and loans, credit unions, and other lenders. If you choose to use a mortgage broker, remember they arrange loans but most do not lend directly. Compare their offers with those of other direct lenders.

Be wary of home repair contractors that offer to arrange financing. You should still talk with other lenders to make sure you get the best deal. You may want to have the loan proceeds sent directly to you, not the contractor.

Comparison Shop

Comparing loan plans can help you get a better deal. Whether you begin your shopping by reading ads in your local newspapers, searching on the Internet, or looking in the phone book, ask lenders to explain the best loan plans they have for you. Beware of loan terms and conditions that may mean higher costs for you. Negotiate with more than one lender; don't be afraid to make lenders and brokers compete for your business by letting them know you are shopping for the best deal. Ask each lender to lower the points, fees, or interest rate. And ask each to meet--or beat--the terms of the other lenders.

You may freely reprint this article provided the following author's biography (including the live URL link) remains intact:

About The Author

John Mussi is the founder of Direct Online Loans who help homeowners find the best available loans via the www.directonlineloans.co.uk website.

How to Prevent Online Identity Theft

How to Prevent Online Identity Theft

by: Jim Edwards

Identity theft rates one of the fastest growing crimes in mAmerica today and the Internet can make it even easier for some criminals to take your good name and drag it through the mud.

Identity theft involves criminals stealing your personal information such as credit card numbers, social security numbers and other information, usually to buy things on credit or to empty out your bank accounts.

Through your financial liability with your credit cards may be limited to $50 to $500, it can take years for you to clean up the mess online identity thieves leave behind.

As with any crime, an ounce of prevention may just cause the would-be identity thieves to leave you alone and move on to an easier target.

The following tips can help you avoid having your identity stolen.

1. Never give out your social security number, online or otherwise. No company you buy things from...

How to Prevent Online Identity Theft

Credit report > How to Prevent Online Identity Theft

Making A Credit Card Work For You

Making A Credit Card Work For You

by: Max Hunter

Boosting Your Credit-Rating With A Well-Managed Credit Card

A considerable obstacle standing between many Americans and the consumer goods they consider a necessary or desirable part of life is a ready way to pay for them. From a new piece of furniture to a car or even a house an age old problem stands in their way: MONEY ? or rather how to get hold of it.

A lucky few earn enough to never have to worry about this problem. Many more consumers have lenders simply falling over themselves with offers of credit. For a lot of people, however, a poor credit history or a low credit rating stands as an inexorable difference between living the life they want, and looking with perpetual envy at their neighbor. Even relatively low cost essentials, such as a vacuum cleaner or television set, can be too expensive if a way of spreading the initial cost is not available.

But it doesn?t have to be...

Making A Credit Card Work For You

Credit report > Making A Credit Card Work For You

Buying A Car After Bankruptcy? These Suggestions Could Help

by: R. Lawrence Anderson

If you are buying a car after bankruptcy, here are a few suggestions that could help:

First, you want to make sure you've done everything you can to increase your credit score. Once you've done that you're ready to start shopping for your car!

Here's a question for you: Is it better to get outside financing or get financing through the dealership when you are buying a car after bankruptcy. The answer is... drum roll please... it depends!

It's worthwhile to apply for outside financing when buying a car after bankruptcy. But make sure you do it through the right lender. If you don't, you could end up paying $100s or $1,000s more in extra interest. If you even get approved at all.

Now let's assume you've done your homework. You found the car you like, you know how much that make and model sells for, and you know how much your trade in is worth....

Buying A Car After Bankruptcy? These Suggestions Could Help

Credit report > Buying A Car After Bankruptcy? These Suggestions Could Help

Car Finance

Car Finance

by: Joseph Kenny

These days when you step into a car showroom, there will be two major things that the dealer will be offering you. First he will be offering you cars, and secondly he will be offering you finance packages. This is how you should look at it. The fact of the matter is you may probably wouldn?t buy a car from your bank, even if they started offering them, so you may wish to apply the same scrutiny to the finance packages available at the car dealership and choose to buy only you car there and the finance package elsewhere.

It may be that there is nothing wrong with the finance being offered at the car dealership and in many cases this will be true. However, you must be aware that just because you buy your car there, does not in any way imply that you have to use the finance options and terms that they are offering. You are always free to take a loan from somewhere else, such as a bank, and pay for the car outright,...

Car Finance

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Simple Tips On Getting Your Loan

Simple Tips On Getting Your Loan

by: T. O' Donnell

So, you want to get a loan? Here are some simple tips that will help you make an informed decision about what kind to buy, and who to buy from.

A loan varies according to:

The amount borrowed;
The interest rate;
The type of rate (fixed or variable);
The term (length in years) of the loan;
Deposit (downpayment);
Associated fees (broker, origination, prepayment etc.);
Insurance required by the lender.

You are buying money for more than it cost the lender. Simple.

It's a mistake to only care about the interest rate; there are also *arrangement fees* and *prepayment penalty* clauses to consider. This is how brokers and lenders make their money. Work out the total cost of your loan before committing.

Keep a copy of every cheque you write for your loan. If you call your lender about your loan, make sure...

Simple Tips On Getting Your Loan

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Can Your Customers Pay By Electronic Check?

by: David Bell

What's the Real Story About Electronic Checks?

Accepting electronic checks is essential to any business, and should not be overlooked. As many as 20% of America Online, Prodigy, and CompuServe users pay for their internet access by electronic check.

Are you curious about how some web-sites take checks? Have you ever paid your electric bill or cable TV bill by check over the phone? Have you paid your doctor, dentist or insurance company this way?

Many of these businesses and individuals are using popular software called CheckWriter to make this possible. CheckWriter is a stand alone software program that allows anyone to accept checks as payment over the phone, by fax or at any web-site. These check drafts can be deposited into any U.S. bank account the same day.

CheckWriter runs on a Windows 95/98 operating systems. Using a laser, ink-jet...

Can Your Customers Pay By Electronic Check?

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The What and the Why of Homeowner Loans

The What and the Why of Homeowner Loans

by: Valentine Udeala

Homeowner loans are loans that are given to borrowers who own a house. Homeowner loans are secured loans for which the borrower has to offer his house as collateral. If you avail a homeowner loan against your house which is already mortgaged, then the homeowner loan becomes a second mortgage loan. In such a situation, you can avail a homeowner loan only to the extent of your home equity. Home equity is the value of your house subtracted by the unpaid mortgage balance. You may avail a homeowner loan amount covering the entire value of the house to repay your existing mortgage. Such a homeowner loan is called a remortgage loan.

There are several benefits of homeowner loans. Since homeowner loans are secured, they carry low rates of interest. Lenders usually grant homeowner loans with easy repayment terms. You may avail a homeowner loan with an extended loan period. This will allow you...

The What and the Why of Homeowner Loans

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First Time Renter? You Need Credit

by: Dan The Roommate Man

Planning to move out of your parents' house and into an apartment is a difficult process. In order to avoid adding additional stress to that which inevitably comes along with planning, preparing and packing, you should consider establishing good credit. Without it, some apartment complexes will give first time renters the option to have a guarantor. However, every complex has it's own rules and some refuse applications from people without a good credit history. In order to make sure that your application will be accepted, you should consider applying for a credit card.

Getting a credit card is a huge responsibility, but if you handle it well, you might be able to rent the apartment of your dreams all on your own. If you don't try to get some sort of credit, and the apartment complex requires a co-signer, they usually want the guarantor to be a parent or legal guardian. In this case, you...

First Time Renter? You Need Credit

Credit report > First Time Renter? You Need Credit

puppy training Credit report Using Equity to Finance Home Repairs

Home Loans and Mortgages ? One Third of Homes in U.S. Overvalued

by: Charlie Essmeier

A new study by National City Corp. looked at home values for 299 American cities and compared them to where they ?should be? based on a number of economic factors that determine home prices. The results were not encouraging; homes in nearly one third of America were judged to be ?extremely overvalued.? That?s the part that?s getting headlines. A complete read of the report shows...

home generator Credit report Home Loans and Mortgages ? One Third of Homes in U.S. Overvalued

Credit report > Home Loans and Mortgages ? One Third of Homes in U.S. Overvalued

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How To Choose Perfect Christmas Gifts For Boys

by: Janice Wee

What do boys want for Christmas?

Every year, there would be one particular item that every child must have. That would probably be the gift the kid would pester mom or grandma for. If the little boy in question tells you what he wants for Christmas and it is within your budget, then problem solved. That is the ideal gift for him.. that is, if it is not something that is potentially dangerous...

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Credit report > How To Choose Perfect Christmas Gifts For Boys