Is Home Equity Loan Suitable for You?

Aside from long-term appreciation, real estate properties have a lot of benefits. If you need more money and are planning to secure a loan, you might want to consider getting a home equity loan. A home equity loan is a form of a loan based on your home’s equity. Home equity refers to the difference between your house’s value and your remaining mortgage balance. For example, if your house costs $200,000 and your remaining balance is $130,000, then you have home equity amounting to $70,000.

The maximum loan amount depends on different factors such as the following:

● Combined-loan-to-ratio-value (CLTV) – The CLTV is based on 80% to 90% of the house’s appraised value. Lenders use CLTV to determine the risk by comparing the desired loan amount to the home’s appraised value.

● Credit Score – Credit score refers to the borrowers’ debt history. Lenders will check whether or not the borrower can still pay, given the existing debts and other financial responsibilities. Credit score will also show if the borrower is a good payer or not.

Types of Home Equity Loan in Australia

To know what suits your need, here are the different types of home equity loans in Australia:

● HELOC (Home Equity Line of Credit) – It is a loan with similar functions to a credit card. HELOC uses your home equity as collateral to generate withdrawable funds. It has a draw period, which lets the borrower take money out and pay it back at low-interest rates. When borrowers settle their credit balance, the withdrawable funds replenish, similar to a credit card.

●  Traditional home equity loans – Like conventional mortgages, traditional home equity loans have a defined repayment duration. The borrower makes set payments that cover both principal and interest regularly. If the loan is not paid off, the house may be sold to cover the remaining debt, just like any other mortgage.

For more information, visit: Odin Mortgage