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Why Some People Take Out a Second Mortgage
from:The term “second mortgage” is easier to understand than home equity loan, but they are essentially the same. A second mortgage is any new loan, beyond the primary mortgage, taken out holding the home as the collateral for the loan. While, you can use a home equity loan to get money out of your home while still living in it, there are also other uses for second mortgages that are not tied to a home equity loan. There are different situations and times when people may try to get a second mortgage to save money or to tap money in equity.
Two Mortgages at Closing
Some people took out second mortgages during the closing of their first mortgage as a piggyback mortgage. This allowed them to put down the needed 20% as a down payment and avoid private mortgage insurance (PMI) costs. This works out well for buyers who have this type of access to credit but are low on down payment funds. If they only had 5 or 10% to put down, the PMI would automatically be triggered and added to their monthly payment. However, if they took out two loans and used the second to bring down the primary mortgage’s loan-to-value ratio then they wouldn’t have to pay PMI.
The difference in monthly payment is not that significant using this strategy, but there are other paybacks – including the ability to deduct the second mortgage’s payments from your taxes, in some cases. PMI, on the other hand, gives you no such tax benefits. Equity also accrues faster by taking out two mortgages upon closing to satisfy the PMI requirements.
The problem with this approach is that lenders are becoming wary of allowing someone to immediately take out a piggyback mortgage to bring up the loan-to-value ration of the first mortgage. If the home approaches foreclosure, the second mortgagee holder finds themselves in the position of absorbing a loss or having to buy the primary mortgage to get something out of the foreclosure on the piggyback mortgage. So, this type of financial two-step may end up being harder and harder to get approved by lenders.
Home Equity Loan
The other type of second mortgage strategy is to get a home equity loan after closing. This can be done any time, as long as the value of your home and your equity in it is enough to support the loan. There are risks for the borrower as the home is being used as collateral. If the home equity loan terms are not satisfied or payments are not made, the lender can foreclose even though it is not the primary mortgage. So, this type of financial tool should be taken on only after carefully reviewing the risks and benefits of a home equity loan.
Home Mortgage Loan News
Freddie Mac: 30-year mortgage rate down a tick at 3.78% - Los Angeles Times
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USDA Is a Tough Collector When Mortgages Go Bad - Wall Street Journal
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Most Underwater Homeowners Still Paying Mortgages - New York Times (blog)
 Los Angeles Times | Most Underwater Homeowners Still Paying Mortgages New York Times (blog) By ANN CARRNS Nearly a third of homeowners with mortgages, or roughly 16 million borrowers, remained underwater on their home loans in the first three months of this year, an analysis from the real estate site Zillow finds. Despite Home Value Gains, Underwater Homeowners Owe $1.2 Trillion More than ... One in three mortgage holders still underwater Zillow: 31.4% of US homeowners are underwater on mortgages |
Kirby McInerney LLP Investigating Potential Class Action Claims Against ... - MarketWatch (press release)
Kirby McInerney LLP Investigating Potential Class Action Claims Against ... MarketWatch (press release) To protect the lender's interest in secured property, mortgage loan contracts require the borrower to maintain specified levels of hazard insurance. If the borrower's coverage lapses, the lender is entitled to purchase coverage for the home, ... |
Bank of America's Interactive Home Loan Planner Shines Light on the Mortgage ... - MarketWatch (press release)
 eCreditDaily.com | Bank of America's Interactive Home Loan Planner Shines Light on the Mortgage ... MarketWatch (press release) CALABASAS, Calif., May 24, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Bank of America announced the launch of its online Home Loan Planner, an interactive tool created to help customers better understand the home loan process. An integral part of the company's ... Bank of America's 'Home Loan Planner' is New Interactive Tool Are We Facing a Student Loan Bubble? |