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Home Loans

What Happens When You Default On Home Equity Loans?

If you default on home equity loans, the consequences can be severe.

Maintain your financial health and homeownership with the help of this blog. We discuss the consequences and reveal 6 tips to avoid defaulting on your loan.

2 main consequences of Defaulting on Home Equity Loans

1. Collection Agency Involvement: When borrowers default on their home loans, lenders often sell the debt to a debt collection agency.

These agencies will attempt to recover the outstanding balance through persistent calls, demand letters, and possibly sending collectors to your home. This process can be stressful and damaging to your credit score.

2. Foreclosure: In more severe cases, the lender may initiate foreclosure proceedings to recover the money lent. Foreclosure means the lender can sell your home to recoup their losses. The primary mortgage lender takes priority over the home lender during a foreclosure sale.

If the primary lender holds the certificate of title, they are entitled to the proceeds first. However, depending on the completion status and holder of the certificate of title, refinancing complications can affect which lender gets paid first.

Bad credit

6 Tips to Avoid Defaulting on Your Home Equity Loan

1. Communicate with Your Lender:

Avoiding your lender’s calls or ignoring their letters will not improve your situation. However, being transparent about your financial difficulties can encourage them to assist you.

If you’re struggling with payments, contact your lender immediately. Explain your financial situation and express your willingness to find a solution. They understand that working with you increases the likelihood of recovering their money

They may offer to modify the loan terms, adjust interest rates, or restructure your repayment plan. This can help to make the loan more affordable so you can avoid defaulting on your home equity loan.

2. Explore Foreclosure Alternatives:

If you’re struggling with payments, you could explore alternative options to provide temporary relief and prevent foreclosure.

It is worth noting that you should only do this if you lack funds due to a short-term cash flow issue. If you can’t afford repayments full stop because your circumstances have changed or you have racked up an uncontrollable amount of debt, then taking out another loan will only add to this financial burden.

Alternative forms of finance that might be suitable to prevent foreclosure include:

3. Consider Debt Consolidation:

If multiple debts overwhelm you, consolidating them into one low-rate loan with manageable monthly payments can help you regain control of your finances.

4. Refinance Your Mortgage:

Refinancing can lower your monthly payments and interest rate, making staying current on your loan easier. However, carefully consider the terms, as extending the loan term can increase the total cost over time.

5. Consult a Financial Advisor:

A financial advisor can provide valuable guidance on managing your finances and exploring potential solutions. They can help you create a feasible financial plan to navigate through tough times.

6. Resell and Downsize:

While drastic, selling your home and downsizing can be a practical solution. Use the proceeds to pay your mortgage and secure a smaller, more affordable living arrangement. This option can alleviate financial pressure and prevent foreclosure.

Don’t Default On Your Home Equity Loan

Contact Australian Lending Centre today to learn more about your options and find a suitable financial solution available to you.

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Mortgage Financial Fitness Financial Planning Home Loans

Will My Car Loan Affect My Mortgage Application?

A car loan can help you a lot if you plan to get your next car faster. However, a car loan can affect your mortgage application or other types of significant loans. If you are planning to buy an expensive car, this means that you will require a large loan. That car loan can impair your future borrowing power. But this doesn’t mean that you need to choose just one of these two.

Let’s see how a car loan can influence mortgage applications and how we can deal with such a situation.

First Things First

When you apply for a home loan, you will need to provide information regarding your financial status. This means that you will have to give documents regarding your monthly income, assets you own and other ongoing payments. This is how a lender will determine whether you can pay back the loan or not. Every lender wants to avoid doing business with people who might not be able to keep their word because of their financial problems. They want profit, not excuses.

If it were a personal loan, your mortgage application would be fine. But since we are talking about an expensive car loan, your mortgage application might get rejected due to your other massive loan. Either that or come with a lot of restrictions.

mortgage-application

Will My Car Loan Affect My Mortgage Application?

A car loan will have a high impact on your finances. Given all the taxes you need to pay, a car loan can take most of your monthly income. Still, aiming for a cheaper car might be of some help. Since cars tend to lose their value quite quickly, getting a very expensive one may not be a good idea, especially if you intend to apply for a mortgage.

Mortgage applications will act the same so that you will be left with little to no money. This is why a lender will probably have to refuse your mortgage application.

A lender wants to know that you will pay your mortgage and you won’t default on it. He will analyse your assets and other methods of income. If he sees that you have the financial power to afford a car loan and a mortgage at the same time, he might give you the green light. If not, it might be better for you if you only had one.

Defaulting on a mortgage is not a good sign for your lender and your finances. Car loans and home loans can quickly turn into uncontrollable debts, and you might end up losing everything. So don’t think of the lender as the bad guy, but be objective and calculate what you can and can’t afford, because in the end, if you are dishonest, you will suffer the most. Because banks and lenders make sure they never lose.

eligible-for-loan

Can I Still Be Eligible for a Mortgage Application?

Yes, you can. Your car loan will affect how much you can borrow, but if you don’t want an expensive house, that a limited amount of money can be just enough. If you can’t get the sum you need, you can search for an affordable home. When it comes to loans and money, flexibility is a must.

If you want to increase your chances of getting your mortgage application approved, then it’s time to clean a little bit of your credit file. Pay your debts and try to repair your bad credit. Also, consider debt consolidation as a possibility. Lenders will check your credit to find out who they are dealing with and also what other assets you own, just in case they might have to make up for that loan with something else rather than your money.

Having a savings account is a great idea. It makes you more trustworthy and responsible in the eyes of your lender. Let’s not forget that having some savings might help you quite a lot to reduce the amount you would apply for.

Also, try to talk to your lender. The more information he gets regarding your situation and income, the bigger the chance of getting your request approved. Don’t forget to tell him your exact plans.

suitable-car-loan

Final Thoughts

So, the short answer is that a car loan can influence mortgage applications and under certain circumstances, it can get your requests denied. But do not let yourself discouraged. Evaluate your possibilities, cut down on the unnecessary expenses and, if you can, try to pay ongoing debts before applying for a mortgage.

You can talk about these details with Australian Lending Centre. Our friendly consultants will tell you about your chances of receiving a loan and, if you fit our criteria, you may even get a good mortgage option. Advice never harmed anyone so you should not miss the chance of clarifying your options face to face with an expert.

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Mortgage

The Reality of Mortgage Repayments

In spite of the loan solution you carefully select, you should comprehend the way in which a loan works, and what it implies. Understanding the reality of mortgage repayments is the first step to making the right decision to fit your financial status.

Understanding Interest

Recently, Australians have benefited from low and attractive interest rates. So, how does this influence your mortgage repayments? Mortgage providers grow or diminish their rates, to mirror the movement exercised by the set cash interest rate. At the moment, interest rates are estimated at around 4.5 per cent, depending on the lender.

Although selecting fixed mortgage repayments over variable ones might seem the right choice, as it protects you from fluctuations, some other aspects should be considered. If you’re locked into a variable home loan, when the cash rate lowers, your interest will also decrease. Even though this is an unmatched advantage, Aussies should know that low rates don’t plan on staying this way forever.

To grasp the way in which this phenomenon influences your mortgage repayments, hear us out. A standard variable rate for a 25-year old loan of $200,000 would have a $1112 monthly payment, with 4.5 per cent interest rate. If this would change with as little as one per cent, it will either rise to $1228 or diminish to $1001.

Also, bear in mind that, over the life span of a loan, fluctuations may reach $100 per month. What we’re trying to say is that you should embrace a repayment plan with the right contingency measures, in the case in which the interest rate spikes.

When the Loan Matures

You should also note that the market conditions are due to change. That is inevitable. In this respect, you should take advantage of whichever opportunity you have to refresh your financial approach. An option might be to discuss with your financial advisor. But, before doing that, there are some solutions for adjusting your mortgage repayments:

  • Refinancing: When the interest rates are low, you can always consider refinancing. That may be a more convenient option. Even though there are exit and entry costs that should be factored in, as a general rule, you’ll recoup those expenses over the life of the loan.
  • Pay ahead: If the interest rates are low and your budget enables you, you should consider getting ahead on your mortgage repayments. If you manage to make a considerable repayment during this time, not only that you will decrease your overall loan balance, but you’ll save a lot on interest rate payments.
  • Fix your loan: If your credit conditions are permissive enough, we advise you to lock in the new low rate.

To conclude, comprehending the market conditions does pay off. When you sign a loan agreement, you should know what it implies, how the market is due to change and how it can affect you.

In spite of your current status, don’t hesitate to refresh your mindset, in the case in which the market alters in your favour. Why shouldn’t you take advantage of it? Nonetheless, bear in mind that you should discuss with your financial advisor before taking the leap.

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Refinance and Refinancing

Desperate Mortgage Stress Fuelled by Rate Hikes

Australian home owners are falling into increasing despair as interest rates continue to rise. Mortgage stress is hitting hardest even in what are deemed the more affordable parts of state areas.

As home owners struggle under the climbing mortgage repayments nation wide, more and more Australians are falling into debt. New figures released by debt collector and credit reference group Dun & Bradstreet expose a sizeable 12% increase in the number of debts referred for collection in 2007. Struggles to meet these mortgage repayments have ensured “unprecedented levels of bankruptcy and repossession and loan defaults” as Australian Property Monitors general manager Michael McNamara stated.

Mr McNamara described “Property prices have increased 250 per cent since 1996 but mortgage debt increased by five times in the same period.”

With so many Australians living on the knife’s edge, it is of no surprise people are looking for ways out. Loan Market chairman Sam White advised struggling borrowers to “consider re-financing” before it becomes too late.

If you need assistance with refinancing your mortgage debts, ALC can help. Contact us now on 1300 138 188.

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Interest Rates

Homeowners Sigh Breath of Relief as Interest Rate Rises Halt

Homeowners Australia wide have sighed a breath of relief this month, as the Reserve Bank did not raise interest rates. There has been an ongoing climb in interest rates, with 12 steady rate hikes since 2002. This month signals the first time the RBA has remained static in 6 years.

As Icap senior economist Matthew Johnson discerned recently, “The bond market is saying pretty strongly that the RBA is not going to raise interest rates”. This is welcomed news for home owners struggling under the increasing pressures of mortgage repayments.

The stresses of mortgage debt is a wide spread problem across the nation, with homeowners’ living budgets suffering as they struggle to meet house basic repayments. The end to the rate rise crisis momentarily gives a cautious optimism for Australians.

If you are struggling under the rate rises and are falling into mortgage debt, ALC can help refinance your repayments into one easy monthly sum. For more information on the options right for you call us now on 1300 138 188.