Second Mortgage: How do you even qualify?
When you think about a second mortgage, what do you think of first? Which aspects of a second mortgage are important, which are essential, and which ones can you take or leave? You be the judge.
Great news! You qualify for a second mortgage. Now what would you like to do with the second mortgage? It will be your answer to this question that determines whether or not your second mortgage is your friend, or your foe. That seems to be an awfully strange way to look in a second mortgage; however that’s exactly what the mortgage will be. Your friend or your foe.
How do you even qualify for a second mortgage, what is a second mortgage, and why would you want a second mortgage? Well, the answers here are as varied as the consumers who apply for such mortgages. Many times consumers need a second mortgage to make improvements on their home. Many times consumers need a second mortgage to put their child to college. And sometimes, consumers need a second mortgage to start a business. The reasons given here for obtaining a second mortgage increase the value of the home, provide opportunity as an investment in your child’s future, or provide the opportunity to increase income. These are the original and most beneficial reasons for obtaining a second mortgage.
Are they the only reasons consumers obtain second mortgages? No. Today’s market has been a great influx of second mortgages to pay off credit card debt, to buy new car, or to simply take a vacation. Should consumers receive a second mortgage for those reasons? Absolutely. Should consumers actually ask for a second mortgage for those reasons? Absolutely not.
If you find yourself confused by what you’ve read to this point, don’t despair. Everything should be crystal clear by the time you finish.
An educated consumer understands the consequence of a second mortgage. The educated consumer understands the price of the second mortgage. What is the price of the second mortgage? The equity in your home. When you apply for a second mortgage, you’re trading the equity in your home for cash. You’re giving up your savings.
If you’re trading your savings, in order take a step up, you’ve made the right decision. If you’re trading your savings for a frivolous expense, you’ve made the wrong decision. That’s how you determine if your second mortgage is your friend or your foe.
Today’s consumer is acquiring second mortgages that for many will prove to be their foe. They’re not increasing the value of the home; they’re not educating their children. Nor are they increasing their income earning potential, they’re simply spending their savings. Rising real estate prices, increasing availability of mortgage products, and the decline of savings for the public as a whole is creating the “bubble” effect. The bubble effect occurs when prices rise, spending rises, at a rate greater than can be supported on a long-term basis. At some point, the bubble bursts.
Your second mortgage, if used to increase the value of your home, will have insulated you against the drop in price. Your home is actually worth more; therefore, if prices drop you’re protected. This was the original intent of the second mortgage; to provide the consumer with easy access to the savings accumulated in their home for home improvements, emergency events, or in order to better their homes or lives. You know for the most part consumers do not save money in a savings account; consumers only save money when they aren’t aware that they’re saving money. Home equity was one of the last hidden ways consumers were saving. Second mortgages and other loan mortgage products have managed to eliminate those savings as well. Has the consumer stop to contemplate the consequence of negative saving? Absolutely not, and our current system of mortgage lending encourages negative savings.
There’s a lot to understand about a second mortgage. We were able to provide you with some of the facts above, but there is still plenty more to read about in in our article directory.
By: Hans Hasselfors
Using an 80 20 Mortgage to Avoid Mortgage Insurance
An 80 20 mortgage is also called a zero down loan or no money down loan. It is actually two loans, a regular home mortgage which constitutes 80% of the price of the home and a second mortgage or home equity loan that consists of 20% of the cost of the house. The idea behind this type of loan is avoiding mortgage insurance (PMI) by using the home equity loan as the down payment.
Just about all mortgages require some form of mortgage insurance if you are unable to make a down payment of at least 20 percent. By obtaining a second mortgage or home equity loan for 20 percent of the homes cost you can circumnavigate this requirement by using that second loan as the down payment.
There are variations of this type of mortgage such as an 80-15-5 loan. This means that the borrower got a main mortgage of 80 percent of a home’s purchase price, a piggyback loan for 15 percent, and made a 5-percent down payment. This can be a good option if you have some money for a down payment but not enough to cover the entire 20%.
The second mortgage can either be a fixed second mortgage or it can be a line of credit. If it is a fixed second mortgage then the interest rate is normally fixed for the entire length of the mortgage. Most fixed second mortgages are a 30 due in 15 which means that the second mortgage is amortized over 30 years, but is due in 15 years. The benefit of going with the line of credit as the second mortgage is that the interest rate is normally much lower than the fixed second mortgages rate. They can also be an interest only loan which could save you hundreds of dollars in mortgage payments every month.
The 80 percent first mortgage can be a fixed-rate (15-year or 30-year), adjustable-rate (usually 5/1, 7/1 or 10/1fixed period ARM) or interest-only loan. Typically, the interest rate on the second mortgage loan is higher than the interest rate of the first loan. But because the borrower doesn’t have to pay mortgage insurance, the overall cost is less than a traditional mortgage even with the higher mortgage interest rate on the second loan.
Plenty of mortgage programs allow borrowers to buy houses with little or no money down, but they usually require private mortgage insurance, or PMI. Getting an 80 20 mortgage can be a good way to avoid the extra cost that PMI will add to your monthly payments.
By: Andrew Bicknell
Understanding Second Mortgages and Home Equity Loans
There are many benefits to buying a house rather than renting. Many people would argue that renting a property essentially creates ‘dead money’, in that the money for all intents and purposes vanishes into thin air.
Contrary to this, those who choose to buy their own home – if all goes well – will see a gradual increase in their property’s equity over a number of years, as a result of them paying their mortgage off month by month. In some cases, the equity can rise rather rapidly if a number of factors combine forces.
If a homeowner is shrewd with their money and pays off more than they are obliged too, then not only does the mortgage decrease, but the amount they are paying on interest should decrease too, assuming interest rates don’t increase. Additionally, if an area experiences an unexpected boom, perhaps due to unforeseen development work in the neighbourhood, then this can see local house prices go through the roof, so to speak.
When both the above factors occur in tandem, then the equity in a home can rise considerably in a relatively short period of time, meaning homeowners can often be sitting on mini goldmines.
Many people choose to unlock the equity in their home rather than opting to profit immediately through selling it on. The most convenient way of doing this is by going down the home remortgage route. The funds raised from this can then be reinvested back into the home, with a new conservatory, patio, garage or kitchen serving to increase the value of the home even more.
Of course, any funds acquired through taking out a second mortgage don’t necessarily have to be invested back in the home – they can be used to buy a new car, consolidate existing loans or even go on holiday. Second mortgages may have a fixed or variable rate of interest and will normally constitute borrowing a lump sum amount. As with a first mortgage, it will need to be paid back over a pre-established period of time.
One alternative to taking out a second mortgage would be to opt for a home equity loan (HEL) instead. Similar to a second mortgage, the funds are secured against the value of the property. However, a home equity loan is perhaps more similar to a credit card in that an approved line of credit is given up to a certain amount of money. Furthermore, it may even come with a credit card so that money can be spent against the credit.
Which option is best really depends on the circumstances. For a remodel or a renovation, then a second mortgage may be the best choice, as it’s easier to have an idea of exactly how much money will be needed. In situations where the actual amount of money required isn’t clear, then a home equity loan may be the answer.
By: Adam Singleton