125% Home Equity Loans – Are These Loans Beneficial or Risky?

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By Carrie Reeder

Home equity loans are beneficial for numerous reasons. If you own a home, and need extra cash, obtaining a home equity loan will put cash in your pocket. The money received can be used for any purpose. Because home equity loans are dispersed as a lump sum, homeowners usually apply for these loans to pay for a huge expense.
No-Equity Home Equity Loan Basics
For the most part, the amount received for a home equity loan is according to your home’s equity. Lenders are reluctant to approve homeowner for loans that exceed the equity value. However, you may find a lender willing to offer a no-equity home loan. Also referred to as 125% home equity loans, these loans are both secured and unsecured. Lenders that offer these loans will grant you a home equity loan up to 25% more than your home’s value.
Why Get a No-Equity Home Loan?
125% home equity loans were extremely popular in the 1990’s. In more recent years, the amount of people applying for these loans has dwindled. Those who apply for these sorts of loans generally require a large sum of money, and do not have sufficient equity in their homes. However, because of rising home values, few people are taking advantage of no-equity home equity loans.
Dangers of No-Equity Home Equity Loans
While obtaining more than your home’s value may appear to be a solution to extreme money woes, no equity home loans are very dangerous. Today, the housing market is strong. Most cities throughout the country show a 22% increase in home values annually.
However, if the housing market was to slow down, and home values began to fall, those who obtain a 125% home equity loan would likely be unable to sell their homes. For example, if your first and 125% second mortgage amounts to $200,000, and you can only sell your home for $150,000, you are responsible for paying the lender the addition $50,000.
Furthermore, some homeowners are unable to afford the extra monthly payment of a high second mortgage. If you default on a home equity loan for three consecutive months, the lender may foreclose. While these loans are ideal for paying off bills and debt consolidation, some homeowners fail to close paid off accounts, which results in acquiring more credit card debt after the accounts are paid.