Tough Times for Getting a Home Equity Loan
Home equity lines of credit (or HELOCs in industry parlance) have gotten harder to get and more expensive when you can get them, according to an article in yesterday’s New York Times. The reason is pretty straightforward: “As the economy and housing market declined, it made little sense for banks to lend money on an…
Home equity lines of credit (or HELOCs in industry parlance) have gotten harder to get and more expensive when you can get them, according to an article in yesterday’s New York Times. The reason is pretty straightforward: “As the economy and housing market declined, it made little sense for banks to lend money on an asset that was becoming less valuable by the week, and in an environment where borrowers had a diminishing ability to repay.” At this point, you’ll need to have a credit score of 720 or better and be able to prove that you’ve still got 20 percent equity left in your house or apartment; and if the debt service on the HELOC you’re seeking combined with your existing mortgage payments would consume more than 38 percent of your income, you’re likely to strike out. The Times also says that HELOC rates in New York are now around 5.4 percent. Have any readers tried to get a loan like this recently?
Why Credit Lines Are Drying Up [NY Times]
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Home Equity Lines of credit financing has definitely tightened up. If you can get 80% financing on a heloc that is fantastic most banks now capped between 65-70% financing. Also some banks have floor rates even though heloc’s are tied to prime rate. The rates are usually prime plus right now rather than previously of prime minus.. Look out for prime rate to increase in the near future
I just got one from Soverign Bank just took a about 7 days, no problem at all. However my credit score is above 800 and the rate now is about 5.0 that I received for now. If you own a 3 family Brownstone you shouldn’t have much of a problem, unless you have bad credit and have no rents coming in.
I wouldn’t count on anyone getting a HELOC any time soon. And I can’t really imagine the circumstances where I would want to take on more debt on my house!
The rates sound cheap to me. The problem is the 20 percent equity.