Home Equity Loans With Bad Credit: Accessing Cash Through Your Home

Financial emergencies can strike at any time, and there is not always a ready reserve waiting to delve into. Most of us need to think outside the box to turn our assets into the extra cash that is needed. Even for those with a mortgage, it is possible to turn that into money too. However, seeking home equity loans with bad credit can be complicated.

With excellent credit scores, the route to loans and refinancing is generally clear, but a negative financial history tends to clutter the route, preventing fast approvals and creating uncertainty.

But the financial potential a home has, even one that still has a large balance due on its mortgage, is huge. Which is why accessing home equity loans quickly and cost effectively is important.

What is Home Equity?

Simply explained, equity refers to the share of the value of a home that is owned by the borrower. If a home was bought with a mortgage of $200,000, after 5 years of making repayments, the mortgage will have been reduced, perhaps by $35,000. This means that the equity has grown to $35,000, so when seeking a home equity loan with bad credit, it is this sum that is available.

Mortgage providers tend to only permit a certain amount of the value of the property to ever be used as equity in a loan agreement. Typically, this is 80% LTV (loan to value), but in some cases that percentage is 100%, or even 125%. So, the typical share is 80% of $35,000 ($28,000), and at an extreme 125% of $35,000 ($44,000). Fast approvals are generally not available, given the complexity of the transaction.

What must be remembered, is that home equity loans are effectively second mortgages and can be expensive. This means that a large monthly income is often needed to make such a deal affordable.

How Bad Credit Scores Figure

When applying for home equity loans with bad credit, the credit score has a big influence over the success or failure of the application. It is not just the matter of credit history, but how the low score affects the interest rate to be charged.

This is arguably the biggest factor to consider. It is practically impossible to get fast approvals when such things have to be calculated and checked, but once the interest rate is decided, it is easy to see whether the applicant can afford to meet the repayments.

This is why a high income earner is more likely to get the thumbs up, but even a $10,000 per month earner may fail, if the debt-to-income ratio does not allow it. The total debt repayments is not allowed to be more than 40% of the monthly income, so that plays a big factor in home equity loan assessments too.

Where to Find a Lender

Finding the right lender is important because not all terms are the same. The good news is that when applying for home equity loans with bad credit, there are options.

This means that it is important to have a shortlist of possible lenders, and to assess the deals each of them can offers. The first step in getting this shortlist together is to go online and carry out some detailed searching, combing through the thousands of online lending firms and comparing them. Taking the necessary time to find the right 3 or 4, cuts time and helps in securing fast approvals.