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This article summarizes the differences between conventional and government loans for first-time buyers, homeowners looking for mortgage refinancing, and those looking to cash out on equity for loan consolidation, debt consolidation or home improvement through home equity loans (second mortgages).

Conventional Mortgages

o Not guaranteed or insured by the Federal Government.

o Features 0% to 20% down payment options.

o Usually fixed mortgage rates for 15 to 30 years or adjustable rate mortgages (ARMs).

o Maximum conforming limit is $417,000. Otherwise, it’s a jumbo or non-conforming conventional loan.

Government Mortgages

o Insured against default by the Federal Government, making qualification less stringent:

- FHA loans are insured by the Federal Housing Administration.

- VA loans are guaranteed by the Department of Veteran Affairs.

o FHA loans require 3% down payments and are 15 and 30 year fixed rate loans or 1 year ARMs.

o VA loans are only available to eligible veterans or surviving spouses of deceased veterans.

o No down payment required–up to 100% financing allowed.

o Maximum loan amounts for government loans are set geographically.

o Mortgage refinancing into government loans is only available to existing holders of government mortgages.

Stated Income Mortgage Loans

“Stated-income mortgages are for people who make the money they say they make, but that amount doesn’t show up on the bottom line of their income taxes,” says Hugh McLaughlin, president and CEO of KMC Mortgage Services Inc., a lender and broker in Naples, Florida. They are non-conventional loans with higher rates than conventional mortgages–borrower interest rates depend on several factors: income stability, debt-to-income ratio, credit score, down payment and property appraisal value. Stated income mortgages can be 15 or 30 year fixed rate loans or adjustable rate mortgages.

If you find yourself in need of a large sum of money for some reason, you may be considering using the equity in your home by either doing a cash-out refinance or getting a home equity loan in order to gain access to the money you need.

With the federal government beginning to slowly lower interest rates, you may be wondering if you should do a cash-out refinance in order to get that lower interest rate as well as gain access to the money you have in equity. This may be a tempting situation, but a lower interest rate is only one of the things that you should take into consideration.

When you refinance your home, you are taking out an entirely new mortgage. You use this new mortgage in order to pay off your original mortgage. In the case of a cash-out refinance, you borrow more on your home than the original mortgage balance, using your equity as collateral. You can then use the money left over after the refinance is completed to do anything you’d like. You can pay off credit cards, take a vacation, make home improvements, etc.

There are drawbacks to cash-out refinancing. First of all, your mortgage balance will be bigger and will most likely be extending your loan term. Mortgages are written with either 15 year or 30 year terms. If you only have 8 years before you pay off your mortgage, refinancing to even a 15 year mortgage is nearly doubling your loan term.

There are also considerable fees involved when you refinance. It would be worth your time, and sometimes a great deal of money, to find the best deal on fees that you can find.

With a home equity loan you are using the equity in your home as collateral on a loan. Home equity loans can be for a set amount or you can get a home equity line of credit, which is an open-ended loan that can be used just as you would use a credit card, keeping in mind that when you use that line of credit, you are using the equity in your home.

Home equity loans are easier to get than a refinance, especially if you have bad credit. The interest rate is also usually lower than a refinance, and the payments sometimes qualify as being tax deductible.

No matter whether you choose a cash-out refinance or a home equity loan, be sure to do some research on the companies you are considering working with. The best way to choose a good company to work with is to ask your friends, family and coworkers for recommendations. Ask not only about the process itself, but about how they were treated by the people they were working with. Were they rushed into decisions, or did they feel that they were given good information so that they could make the final decisions themselves? Remember that you are the customer, and when you are taking a large amount of money out against your home, you shouldn’t be rushed into anything.

As many college students go through the rigors and necessary steps to finish their educations, once they’re done and successfully graduated, they know it’s time to start their own, independent lives. With school out of the way, jobs on the horizon and a bright future ahead many will be seeking to purchase their own homes – if not right away, sometime down the line. Going with the assumption that students will in fact buy a home within a 5 year span of graduating, they’re probably also looking to satisfy their student loan balances within that time frame. Here is where opportunity lies.

If such a situation exists for you, where student loans need to be paid and you now own a home, there is a way in which you can use your new home to pay off your student loans. How, you might ask? Well, it’s simply a matter of using a home equity loan to pay off your student loans, and quite quickly too.

Shortening Student Loan Payoff Through A Home Equity Loan

It’s no surprise that most students coming out of college feel that paying off their student loans will be a long haul. Yet, to your delight, as many other students’, there is a quicker solution to rid your self of student debt – through managing your debt responsibly and considering using a home equity loan. Considering here is mentioned merely because using a home equity loan to pay off your student loans is a two-sided financial action, having both ups and downs, defined pros and cons.

Take Into Mind Home Equity Loan Perks

When looked at and reviewed initially, it would seem that consolidating your student loans into a home equity loan would be a wise decision, one with little to think or worry about. This is so due to how home equity loans work. Since these types of loans essentially use your newly owned property as collateral, banks are able to offer much lower rates than the majority of what private student loans would. This is a saving grace, in more ways than one. Financially, you’ll save literally thousands of dollars (via long-term interest payments), not to mention benefiting from added tax perks. And better still, in terms of lowering your total expenditures, home equity loans are tax-deductible.

But, Also, Consider The Pitfalls of Using A Home Equity Loan

It’s clear that utilizing a home equity loan to pay off student loan debt is beneficial, yet it is still a bold and weighted move. Know that using a home equity loan isn’t 100 percent without caution. Firstly, it’s paramount to mention again that your house is used as collateral, which could be to your detriment, especially if rough times unexpectedly pop up, which could cause you to have to default on your mortgage. This could cause you to lose your home, which would be an awful thing to deal with.

And also, factor in that you will lose the deduction that comes with student loan interest, despite gaining a tax deduction for the paid interest on your home equity loan. The ideal thing to do here is to calculate, by crunching numbers, which loan option would best suit you in the long run. Make sure that you understand your options, as well as the ups and downs of home equity loan use to pay off your student loan balances.

Debt consolidation, whether it relates to credit card debt consolidation, the consolidation of other bills or loans, or some combination of the three, is a growing trend. The promises that a 125% home loan offers, like no-hassle consolidation, extra cash, and the possibility of lower monthly mortgage payments are all very tempting, But is a 125% home loan right for you?

If you are a homeowner with relatively good credit trying to streamline your finances, the answer may be yes. Here are some facts to consider when making this decision:

1. A 125% home loan allows you to borrow more than your home is worth, as opposed to a traditional mortgage or refinance. According to eloan.com, “if your home is worth $100,000 and your first mortgage is $90,000, you can borrow $30,000, for a total of $125,000 and shrink your monthly payments.”

2. The interest rate that you get with your loan contributes significantly to whether or not you actually end up with lower monthly payments. The ideal scenario would be to obtain a mortgage loan with a fixed or secure interest rate, (APR) Lenders at Capital Resource Finance report an estimated savings of up to three times more with a simple interest, fixed rate loan to pay off your debt versus simply making the minimum payments on your credit cards. This is because the interest on credit cards and other types of credit lines is compounded daily. Compound interest means that for each day your credit card has a balance, you end up paying on the interest, instead of directly toward the balance that you owe. This adds up to more money for the credit card company, not to mention that it will take longer for you to get out of debt.

3. If you are not able to obtain a fixed rate loan because of less than perfect credit or some other reason, you still have options. If you can qualify for an adjustable rate loan, it can still save you money in the long run, since your interest rates may become lower over time, and you will be able to consolidate your bills.

4. Several lending companies offer loan programs for people with no equity. Many lenders offer damaged credit options,but only a few mortgage brokers can help you with sub-prime 2nd mortgages. Also consider the option of obtaining a rate quote or pre-qualification online.

So do your homework: Take the time to find out what all of your options are and review them carefully before deciding, and you will be on your way to being debt free.