Cons Of Home Equity Loans You could risk losing your home in a foreclosure if you default on your loan. You'll have two mortgage payments: your original mortgage and the home equity loan. You'll pay closing costs.
A home equity loan could be a good idea if you use the funds to make home improvements or consolidate debt with a lower interest rate. However, a home equity loan is a bad idea if it will overburden your finances or only serves to shift debt around.
Consider, too, that when you liquidate equity, you dilute your homeownership stake. That makes your property a less valuable asset and decreases your overall net worth. Tapping into equity increases your overall debt and what you will owe your lender — both in principal and interest — over time.
Example 1: 10-year fixed-rate home equity loan at 8.75%
If you took out a 10-year, $100,000 home equity loan at a rate of 8.75%, you could expect to pay just over $1,253 per month for the next decade.
Using a home equity loan for debt consolidation will generally lower your monthly payments since you'll likely have a lower interest rate and a longer loan term. If you have a tight monthly budget, the money you save each month could be exactly what you need to get out of debt.
Calculating the monthly cost for a $50,000 loan at an interest rate of 8.75%, which is the average rate for a 10-year fixed home equity loan as of September 25, 2023, the monthly payment would be $626.63. And because the rate is fixed, this monthly payment would stay the same throughout the life of the loan.
Once the home equity loan has been repaid in full, the lender's interest in the property is removed, and your home equity becomes yours again.
Example 2: 15-year fixed home equity loan at 9.07%
As of December 21, 2023, the average national rate for a 15-year loan was nearly the same as for a 10-year loan: 9.08%. With that rate and term, you'd pay $764.27 per month for the loan.
Now let's calculate the monthly payments on a 15-year fixed-rate home equity loan for $20,000 at 8.89%, which was the average rate for 15-year home equity loans as of October 16, 2023. Using the formula above, the monthly principal and interest payments for this loan option would be $201.55.
The short answer? A resounding yes, because doing so has many benefits. If you're making regular payments on your HELOC, you may be able to pay off your debt sooner, so you're paying less interest over the life of the loan. You also decrease your loan to debt ratio, which is attractive to lenders.
Home equity loans use your home as collateral. If you can't keep up with payments, you could lose your home. Home equity loans should only be used to add to your home's value. If you've tapped too much equity and your home's value plummets, you could go underwater and be unable to move or sell your home.
Home equity loans and HELOCs typically have significantly lower interest rates than credit cards, so consolidating your high-interest debt may result in lower monthly payments and interest charges. "This can make it easier to manage debt and save money over time," says Carey.
In October of 2023, Bankrate data showed rates were averaging 8.75 percent on home equity loans and 9 percent for HELOCs. There is one bright spot, though: If you use a HELOC or home equity loan for housing-related repairs or remodels, the interest can be tax-deductible. That can reduce the real cost of your financing.
Though taking out a home equity loan can cause your credit score to drop, the impact is usually fairly small, and you can improve your score over time by managing your credit responsibly.
Dilution of ownership and operational control
The main disadvantage to equity financing is that company owners must give up a portion of their ownership and dilute their control.
Typically, HELOCs will have lower interest rates and greater payment flexibility, but if you need all the money at once, a home equity loan is better.
The current average rate for a 15-year fixed-rate home equity loan is just slightly higher than the 10-year average rate at 9.09%. If you took out a loan for $150,000 with these terms, you're monthly payment would come to $1,529.44.
For this example, we'll calculate the monthly cost for a $25,000 loan using an interest rate of 8.75%, which is the current average rate for a 10-year fixed home equity loan. Using the formula above, the monthly payment for this loan would be $313.32 (assuming there are no extra fees to calculate in).
The average national interest rate for a 15-year home equity loan is just slightly higher than for the 10-year option at 9.09%. Taking out a $200,000 loan with these terms would result in monthly payments of $2,039.25.
What is a good amount of equity in a house? It's advisable to keep at least 20% of your equity in your home, as this is a requirement to access a range of refinancing options. 7 Borrowers generally must have at least 20% equity in their homes to be eligible for a cash-out refinance or loan, for example.
Home equity loans have fixed interest rates, which means the rate you receive will be the rate you pay for the entirety of the loan term. As of February 7, 2024, the current average home equity loan interest rate is 8.97 percent. The current average HELOC interest rate is 9.12 percent.
HELOC or GELOC minimum monthly payments are determined by the HELOC or GELOC interest rate. HELOCs or GELOCs that closed at an interest rate of 8.0% or lower: Minimum monthly payment is 1% of the member's unpaid principal balance.
A home equity loan is a loan that allows you to borrow against your home's value. In simpler terms, it's a second mortgage. When you take out a home equity loan, you're withdrawing equity value from the home. Typically, lenders allow you to borrow 80% of the home's value, less what you owe on the mortgage.
You typically repay the loan with equal monthly payments over a fixed term. If you don't repay the loan as agreed, your lender can foreclose on your home. The amount that you can borrow — and the interest rate you'll pay to borrow the money — depend on your income, credit history, and the market value of your home.