125 Home Equity Loans: when it is needed
June 10, 2009 – 8:34 pmAt first glance, you might say that no one needs a 125% home equity mortgage. A home costs only 100% of its value and mortgages are for buying homes, right? Wrong. 125% home equity loans are an essential tool for many borrowers. For example, imagine that you want to buy a home that needs urgently repairs. You take your mortgage for $100,000 or $200,000 or whatever value and then you still need money for renovating it. That is when the 25% kicks in. With this share, you’ll be able to renovate it. It is not uncommon that a home with a value of $200,000 will need a renovation in the order of $50,000.

If 125% home equity loans were not possible, this homes that need renovation will stay vacant. Due to this fact, lenders developed such kinds of financial instruments. Of course, lenders do know that a 125% mortgage is more risky than an 80% mortgage. That means that you, as borrower, will have to pay more than a prime rate interest rate, but less than an interest rate without collateral securing it (like in the case of credit cards).
The obvious advantage is that you only have to apply for one loan, one time. If you negotiate the loan, you only have to negotiate it one time with one lender. That’s why many people also use it for debt consolidation. This financial instrument was not developed for that, however, as a client you can use it with any purpose that fits you.
A 125% home equity loan is also used in case of a sudden need of additional credit. Accidents happen, cars break down and sometimes you don’t have the extra cash for that. It makes perfectly sense to tap on your home equity in an urgent situation. For example, repairing a broken car means that you’ll be able to keep working and that translates as a higher income in the future. Increasing your debt in the expectation of future income poses some risk for you, but it often a good idea.
A case where a 125% home equity loan can be seriously discouraged is when you want it for spending. No matter if you need a vacation, consumer products like TV sets or clothes, don’t risk your home for getting this extra cash. Your home is the basis of your life and it makes no sense expanding the amount of home equity used as collateral just for that.
Often people are looking for this type of loan if they are considering bankruptcy, if so consider what is needed for a home equity loan while in bankruptcy.

