Debt Consolidation using Home Equity Loan
Home equity loans are bank products where the bank, finance companies or sub-prime lender lends you money against the portion of your home you still own after taking on a mortgage. As an example, if after evaluation the bank determines that your home is worth $500,000 and you have a mortgage of $450,000, the bank will take your portion of the home (called equity) to be $50,000. Home equity loans also go by the terms “refinancing a mortgage” and “getting a second mortgage”.
If you are looking to consolidate your debt, you can use your home equity loan to ‘buy off’ smaller loans. This gives you unparalleled convenience since you will only have one monthly repayment to make. A home equity loan for purposes of debt consolidation should not be confused with a home equity line of credit (HELOC). A home equity loan is a lump-sum loan while a HELOC is a revolving credit that has an adjustable interest rate.
To qualify for a home equity loan, the Loan to Value ratio (mortgage value/property value) should not be more than 80% (or more than 90% if you have mortgage default insurance).
Applicable Interest Rates
Some banks and other mortgage lenders will give you the same interest rate for the second mortgage as you got on the first mortgage. The argument is usually that the factors considered when you were getting the first mortgage have not changed. However, not all lenders do this and you may be forced to pay a higher interest on your second and subsequent mortgage.
If you have to pay a higher interest rate, ensure the due date for the first and the second mortgage correspond. This way, you can combine them at the best possible interest rate from the bank once time for renewal comes.
In Canada, mortgages have been on the decline since the early 80s. After a high of 20% in the early 80s, they have ranged between 2% and 5% since then. Over the past 60 years, the average 5-year mortgage rate has been 8.95%, meaning you should ensure you can afford at least 9% interest for a long-term home equity loan.
- You can negotiate for a flexible repayment arrangement, something that may not be possible with the other smaller loans you want to consolidate. If you are struggling to make monthly repayments, you can always reduce your premiums by extending your amortization (time required to pay back the loan).
- The interest rates offered by banks are typically very low.
- You will get immediate access to cash once your home equity loan is approved, allowing you to pay off high-interest debt such as credit card debt.
- You are not limited on what you can use the money for, meaning you can even use it for home renovation, paying off bills, and even going on vacation.
- Paying off bad debt will help your credit score.
- Your credit score or previous bankruptcy filings are not a major factor since the lender will get your equity in the home if you are unable to make repayment (your equity acts as collateral).
- The current rates between 2% and 5% are historic. This means we cannot rely on them going further down. The rates can also go up without notice. Home equity loans, therefore, have an element of risk since the interest could go up any time.
- The amount you qualify for is dependent on your equity. This means this loan consolidation method will not work if you have a mortgage that is near in value to the value of your home.
- Finance companies and sub-prime lenders have higher interest rates. If you do not qualify for a second mortgage with a bank, you will end up paying between 14% and 30%. These higher rates are because these lenders usually lend to “high risk” individuals such as those with a poor credit score.
- Most banks have several fees to set up a second mortgage.
- Most banks will not give small second mortgages (most have a limit of $10,000 as the minimum).