Home equity is a great asset to have. It is computed as the difference between the home’s market value and the sum the homeowner still owes. A large home equity is built over time as the homeowner is able to pay mortgage. It is largest when the homeowner is totally debt-free.
Understanding Home Equity
With the above said, home equity is the percentage of the property that the homeowner truly owns. It is the value of the property asset that the homeowner can use because any mortgage left unpaid is ‘owned’ by the lender.
Say you bought a $500,000 home and placed a $100,000 down payment on it with the remaining $400,000 in mortgage. This means that you ‘truly’ own 20% of your home’s value at this point. As you pay your mortgage, the percentage that you ‘truly’ own increases, more so when property values go up.
Does this mean that the lender owns 80% of your home in the beginning? It would look like that but technically you own your home all along only that the house is your collateral for the loan that you take to buy it.
What does the lender gain in this set-up? Well, you pay for interest rate. The lender may also end up owning your home if you fail to pay according to terms set up and agreed by both your parties.
How to Build Home Equity
You can build equity by paying off your loan and improving your property so that it gets a higher market value.
Your equity will increase as you pay off the balance in your loan. You have to ensure that you’re paying more than just the interest and that you’re paying towards the principal. This way, you build equity over time.
Your equity will also increase during surges in the real estate market or when you take on home improvement projects that has a positive effect on home value.
How to Use Home Equity
Like any other asset, you can tap your home equity when in need. You can do this by getting a home equity loan or a HELOC. You can also use the equity you’ve built when you sell your current home to buy another one that’s better suited to your needs.
Another possibility is to use your home equity to fund your retirement by getting a reverse mortgage. This will allow you to use your home equity like a savings fund. You get to stay in your home and not have to sell it to enjoy the equity.
The most popular ways to use home equity is by applying for a HELOC or applying for a lump-sum home equity loan. Both have pros and cons and are good solutions for needing a large sum of accessible cash. What’s best for you will depend on several factors such as how much cash you need, your ability to pay, and for what purpose you’re taking the home equity loan for.
Do you want to use your home equity but still unsure whether you want to apply for a HELOC or apply for a second mortgage? Speak with our professional mortgage brokers so they can help you determine which one would be a better way of using your home equity for you! Contact us today!
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