Categories
Home Loans

What Happens When You Default On Home Equity Loans?

If the value of your home, or the amount you paid for it, is higher than your first mortgage or the principal, it means that you have equity in your home. You can tap into your equity by applying for a loan, secured by it. These can be a great option to acquire finance, but what happens if you default on home equity loans?

Here are the consequences if you default on home equity loans

1.The account will be sold to a collection company.

Unlike what other people think, foreclosure is usually not the course of action home lenders choose to recover the amount you owe. When you default on your debt, your lender may sell it to a collection company who will take it from there. They will call you, send collectors to your door steps or send demand letters to attempt to recover your outstanding balance.

standard-lawsuit2. Standard lawsuit

If the second mortgage holder decides not to foreclose, can it still recover the money it has lent you? Yes. In an attempt to recover payments, the lender may file a standard suit against you. It is less scary than a foreclosure where you will lose ownership of your home, but it can seriously hurt your credit score.

3. Foreclosure

In case of default, the holder of your second mortgage may initiate a foreclosure to recover the money it lent to you the moment your house is sold at a foreclosure sale. Since mortgage is a senior lien which takes priority over a home equity like a second mortgage (because the loan was registered earlier) the first lender gets paid first. But, what if you refinanced the loan—does it mean that the second mortgage lender becomes the first priority? It depends. Whichever lender has the certificate of title will be entitled for the payout first. If you were in the process of refinancing but it was never complete before the foreclosure on the property and you didn’t pay the previous lender out, they are not eligible for the funds. If your previous lender still holds the certificate of title, then they are the ones who need to be paid out.

avoid-consequences

Here are tips to avoid the above-mentioned consequences of not paying your home loan on time…

Don’t hide from your creditors.

They will not be so enthusiastic in working with someone who avoids their calls, ignores their letters and refuse to cooperate with their offer to help for a few months. Remember that most mortgage lenders will work with borrowers who are struggling to make payments to encourage payment. So, if you’re missing payments, contact your lender right away. Inform them about your current financial situation and express your willingness to work out a repayment plan suited to your condition. Your lender may modify the terms of your loan, lower or raise the interest rate, increase or decrease the monthly payments, depending on your situation and financial capacity. It can also be a combination of the abovementioned options to make the home loan more affordable.

Explore available options to avoid foreclosure

Are you struggling to make your second mortgage payments? If foreclosure is imminent because of default, check out some of the alternatives to foreclosure that Australian Lending Centre offers:

If you want to consolidate your debts into 1 easy-to-pay, low-rate loan with low monthly repayments, get your finances back into order with a debt consolidation loan. Learn more about home equity loans and the suitable financial solutions available for you by calling 1300 138 188 today!

Categories
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.

Categories
Mortgage

When Is It Best to Apply for a Mortgage Without Your Spouse?

Applying for a mortgage is a tough decision to make, especially when you have a spouse and/or kids. There are cases when in fact it’s best to apply for a mortgage without your spouse. We’ll tell you all there is to know about mortgages and what helps you get your application approved, or what could get it dismissed.

Although starting a marriage and looking for a home might be a dream come true for most of us, applying for a mortgage is a rational decision to make. This takes time and ultimately, it might be smarter to apply separately for it.

Let’s see when it’s the best time to apply for a mortgage without your spouse:

If One of You Has a Bad Credit Score

Applying for a mortgage with your spouse means that both of your credit scores will be put on display for the lender to check and compare. Unfortunately, even if one of you has an excellent score, the one with the bad credit can bring both of you down.

The bank will pay more attention to the negative score even if the other score could balance the negative one. As a general rule, it would be best for both spouses to have a medium rating, rather than big discrepancies.

In Case of Identity Theft

There’s nothing worse than applying for a mortgage and finding out that someone has used your name, destroyed your credit score, made many debts and, in addition, had a high credit usage.

To avoid this, check your credit score regularly. As rare as it is, identity theft is hard to prove and it also takes time to sort out the situation.

If your spouse has fallen victim to this sort of crime, but you’ve already found the perfect home, applying for a mortgage on your own is a wise decision.

In Case of Excessive Debt

A high credit card usage is considered to be over 20% of the current loan you’ve taken. Applying for a mortgage when your spouse’s debt has a high-income ratio might come with a denied mortgage application.

If the loan is still approved, consider that you’ll have to deal with higher interest rates, so it might be best to choose to apply on your own.

If There Is No Credit Score

Let’s say that maybe a person has saved money, and never had to take on a loan. From the bank’s point of view, that individual presents a risky application. By not knowing anything about his/her finances and not having any proof that the applicant is trustworthy, the bank will be sceptical in approving the loan.

Your spouse’s non-existent credit history or a short one will certainly be detrimental when applying for a mortgage.

Start by checking both of your credit scores and then talk to a mortgage specialist to give you some advice. He/she will surely tell you if it’s best to apply together, or on your own.

Categories
First Home Buyer

Home Loan Debt Increases Mortgage Stress

45% of first home buyers are currently in mortgage stress and racking up debt on their credit cards to make home loan repayments. With rates expected to rise again – this obscurity is only going to worsen.

As tens of thousands of young homebuyers use credit cards or other loans to meet their financial responsibilities, they are making paying off a home loan severely stressful because now they have multiple debts with increasing interest to pay off, and their income has remained the same.