How Homeowner Loans Can Help You Out When You Need Some Extra Money

Posted by Nick Niesen on October 29th, 2010

Homeowners are at an advantage when it comes to getting a loan. A home is one of the best pieces of collateral available. Lenders prefer to deal with homeowners for many reasons. They also are more likely to approve a homeowner loan then any other loan. A homeowner loan could be a borrowers ticket to money that is much needed.

A homeowner loan is a loan that uses the equity in a home as collateral to secure the loan. Equity is the amount of money a home is worth that exceeds the amount owed on the home. Collateral is something that the lender takes ownership of and can sell to get their money if a borrower defaults on a loan.

Lenders like homeowner loans because unlike other forms of common collateral, homes go up in value as time goes by, instead of down in value. What this means for the lender is that if the borrower defaults then they are more likely of getting all the money owed to them if they have to use the collateral.

Additionally, a home is a very important thing to a home owner, so they are less likely to default on a homeowner loan then other types of loans. With the risk of losing their home hanging over their head, a homeowner is not likely to not pay for the loan. This gives an extra reason to a lender to trust the borrower.

A home owner loan can be used for many different reasons. They are often used for home improvement projects, but they can be used to pay off debt, take a vacation or whatever the borrower desires. The amount of the loan is comparable to the amount of equity in the home.

Usually the first step of getting a homeowner loan is to get an appraisal for the home. An appraisal will tell the homeowner and the lender how much the home is worth. Then the outstanding mortgage is subtracted and the remaining amount is the equity the homeowner has in the home. This amount is used to decide the amount of the loan. A home owner can borrower up to the amount, but does not have to borrower the full amount.

A homeowner loan is still going to based upon other credit factors. Lenders do look favorably upon homeowners, but if the homeowner is having credit problems or financial problems, the loan could still be denied. The lender would much rather a borrower be able to afford a loan then have to collect the collateral. The process of collection is not easy and can be costly. If a homeowner is unable to meet the credit requirements then their homeowner loan can be denied.

It is important for homeowners to understand that owning a home is not a guarantee they can get a loan. It may be helpful in getting the loan and make the process easier, but it by no means guarantees a lender will approve the loan. A homeowner loan is still a loan and lenders will require certain conditions be met.