Sunday, 25 December 2011

Secured Home Improvement Loans

Home improvement- sometime we urge for it, sometimes it becomes urgency. But every time it is a matter of expense, for which funds are required. Though loans are good option that can be taken for home improvement purpose, but many of us are unwilling to spend extra money for loans. In that case, secured home improvement loans can be a perfect choice for them.
The name, secured business loans, clearly indicates that these loans are served against a security that secures the loan amount. So no doubt, one has to pledge some worthy security while availing the loan amount. Here worthy security means any valuable property of borrowers including home or other real estate, automobile etc.
Now let's come to the range of borrowed amount. Obviously due to the presence of security, a borrower can access higher amount as secured home improvement loans. Furthermore, using valuable collateral, having good credit score can ensure borrowers to avail higher amount at lower interest rate. However, one can borrow anything from £ 5,000 to £ 75,000 as secured home improvement loans. And the repayment period of these loans varies from 5 to 25 years.
Wide spectrum of usages of home improvement loans has made the loans a borrowers' delight. With a single home improvement loan various purposes can be fulfilled. Like
oExpanding home by adding extra rooms
oRepairing and renovating home
oRefurnishing home
oLandscaping for a lush garden... this list is enormous.
Secured home improvement loans are cost effective in true sense. Why...because of, lower interest rate. As presence of security covers the risk of lending money, thus these loans are available at the lower interest rate. It means decorating home along with saving money.
Generally availing any sort of loans is tougher for poor credit scorers, like CCJ's, IVA's, arrears, bankruptcy etc. But as secured home improvement loans are offered against security, thus they all sorts of borrowers including poor credit scorer can apply for these loans. But for them the interest rate may be different.
But do not ask for the amount that will overload your repayment capacity. Your desired amount should justify your repayment capacity. Do remember, in case of failing to repay the loan amount, borrowers can lose their ownership on their property.
We all wish for making our home the best place in the world. But without fund thinking of home improvement is completely unfeasible. In such cases, secured home improvement loans can be the best solution. With these loans borrowers can improve their home at the same time they need not to spend extra cash for that.

Wednesday, 21 December 2011

Why Home Improvement Loans Suck

Imagine the scenario: you're ready to buy your first house. But you don't have the cash lying around to buy your dream house, so you decide to settle on a fixer-upper that you'll spend your free time turning into the perfect home. If you've been through the home buying process this already, then you probably remember this quite well. In fact, buying a fixer upper in need of major TLC is a rite of passage for many homeowners. Tons of first homes need work done like re-painting, deck repair, all new floors and wallpaper or an extra bathroom.
Of course the problem is that most first time home buyers simply don't have the funds to pay for these home improvements after closing on their mortgage. So they go into a do-it-yourself mode. Sometimes they use home improvement loans to help pay for the work. Other times they do all the work on nights and weekends. Maybe the financing comes from credit cards. Sometimes, it's all one terrible experience. This begs the question: Why do home improvement loans suck?
  1. They take too much time. From the bidding process for the work, to the actual upgrades and construction to moving day, it can be very time-consuming. Many borrowers say closing a home improvement loan takes more than 3 months, and might never even close. An efficient lender who understands the home improvement loan process should be able to get your loan closed in a little more than a month. Sometimes even less time than that.
  2. Renovation mortgages are too much work. Yes this option will take more paperwork. After all, the bid process alone can add a lot of extra work to the process. However, working with an experienced mortgage consultant will help you avoid the extra work, requiring mostly just extra signatures.
  3. No one understands programs like FHA 203k or HomePath Renovation. It's true that many real estate agents haven't heard about some of the options for financing upgrades. Many deals die because the buyer sees a house they like but there may be a few things they'd like to change. The challenge to home improvement loans lies with the effort to help educate real estate professionals and buyers alike.
  4. Do it yourself work is a real pain. Putting in a new kitchen takes time and skill, and doing all on your own isn't likely something you want to do. Same with a bathroom, wider hallways for wheelchair access or painting the entire house. Again, it's not something you may want to do, and that's okay. Home improvement loans are generally for paying a professional to do the work. They're not really for the DIY crowd.
  5. Buying a new home is easier than buying a fixer-upper. This is certainly true in many cases, but it's not always feasible. And with so many homes on the market today under the foreclosure cloud, you can actually find a great deal on a fixer-upper and roll the cost of the repairs right into the monthly payment! Plus, older houses have more character than subdivision cookie-cutters.
  6. They are expensive. Home improvement loans generally come with a little higher interest rate, it's true. Interest rates are based in part on risk. Paying for home improvements can be risky, as the after-improved value is used to predict the future worth of the house. But the difference between a home improvement loan and a regular mortgage is pretty low. It's definitely lower than the cost of financing the work and materials on a credit card!
  7. Store credit is so much easier to get. Again, this may be true, but you'll pay a much higher rate than a home improvement loan and you'll have to do the work yourself. If that's your goal, then a home improvement loan isn't for you.