The housing market is on an upswing with prices climbing higher, driven by the twin forces of inflation and demand. Which begs the question: can you still Buy a house for the price of a car? Absolutely! On any given day there are hundreds of single-family homes, and even some viable multifamilies, listed for $60,000, $50,000, and even $40,000. At MY SMART COUSIN, we teach clients, especially Black and Brown folks and women, exactly how to evaluate and buy these properties, as well as how to start or scale their business and build their finances. As a successful real estate investor and real estate investment coaches, we help clients make the right choice, based on their present circumstances and goals.
THE VALUE OF A HELOC
If you’re a homeowner, you know that having a home equity line of credit (HELOC) can come in handy. A HELOC is like a credit card connected to your home’s equity – it’s a great way to borrow money when you need it. But before you decide if a HELOC is right for you, be sure to weigh the pros and cons. Here are some things to keep in mind:
WHAT IS HELOC AND HOW DOES IT WORK?
HELOCs are a great way to get access to money without the hassle of applying for credit cards or other personal loans. You can use your home equity line for anything you want, but there will always be interest charged so it’s important not to use your HELOC like your own personal ATM!
HELOCs work like credit cards. You can use your home equity line of credit for both home-related renovations and repairs and non-home-related items like paying off car notes, credit cards, or other expensive debt. Since HELOCs are attached to your home, the cash you drawdown is essentially a second mortgage. Meaning that once you draw on your line of credit, you have two mortgages outstanding on your property instead of just the one you started out with. This point is worth paying special attention to as your house itself is at risk if you default on your HELOC. For those who are considering a HELOC while heading towards or are already in retirement, an emergency fund might make sense to add an extra buffer of protection and ensure that you can repay your HELOC.
THE PROS OF USING HELOC TO FUND HOME IMPROVEMENTS OR OTHER EXPENSES
· LOWER INTEREST RATES
HELOC interest rates are much lower than credit cards or personal loans. The reason is that while credit cards are unsecured, relying solely on your promise to repay, HELOCs are secured by your home. HELOC loans often also have an interest-only component to them, allowing you to pay just the interest for as long as ten years before having to repay the principal. The interest rate is variable rather than fixed, so drawing on your HELOC during high-interest, high-inflation periods is less optimal than under low-interest rate and inflation climates. But that said, under certain conditions the interest payments on a HELOC are tax-deductible, helping to lessen the sting of high rates.
· FLEXIBLE AND ADAPATABLE
The greatest advantage of HELOCs is that they are flexible and able to accommodate your needs. Unlike a loan, a line of credit, once approved, sits in standby mode, giving you the convenience of having it available without the obligation of having to use it. Since HELOCs are approved for a ten-year period, the line of credit serves as a guaranteed secondary source of funding for ten years, should you need it or choose to use it.
· USE OF MONEY
Ideal uses for a home equity line of credit are saving and investing money. On the savings front, you can use your HELOC to consolidate debt or pay off more expensive loans. On the investment front, a HELOC can serve as seed capital to start a new venture, buy stocks or other investments, or buy an investment house for the price of a car. You are also allowed certain tax benefits if you use a HELOC for home renovation.
· THE APPROVAL TIME
The approval time for a home equity line of credit is very short, on the order of a couple of weeks, which means that you can get your finances in order and launch your investment or debt repayment plan much faster than if you were to apply for a business loan or personal loan.
· FEWER ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS
The HELOC application process is much more affordable than other loan applications. There may be some additional charges which have to be paid, but these are minimal in comparison with traditional loans that require high processing fees.
THE CONS OF USING A HELOC TO FUND HOME IMPROVEMENTS OR OTHER EXPENSES
· FLUCTUATING INTEREST RATES
One of the most important factors to consider when applying for a home equity line of credit is whether it has a variable interest rate. Most HELOCs have some type of variable-rate feature, which means that the interest rate could increase over time.
· COLLATERAL
A HELOC requires that you own your property. You do not need to own it outright, you may have a mortgage on it already, but you can’t obtain a HELOC if you rent the property, for instance. The reason is that the collateral for a HELOC is the property itself. The line of credit available for a HELOC is usually capped at 90% of the equity you have in the home. Using an example, if your home is worth $200,000 and you have a mortgage of $100,000 on it, then your equity in the home is $100,000. A 90% loan to value ratio means that your HELOC would be $90,000.
· HIDDEN FEES AND CHARGES
Your lender may charge hidden fees if you cancel or terminate your HELOC. In some cases, the bank will bill an amount even when there is no balance owed at all. As always, it pays to read the fine print before taking out any loan because it could cost more than expected in unexpected expenses.
· THE TEMPTATION TO MAKE ONLY MINIMUM PAYMENTS
When you take out a mortgage, the temptation can be irresistibly high to make only minimum payments. But unlike making minimum payments on a credit card where the lender’s primary sway over you is canceling the card if no payments are made, with a HELOC, the lender has a much bigger hammer, in the form of having a lien on your primary residence. As such, it is critical to treat your HELOC with the same degree of seriousness and respect that you treat your mortgage payments.
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