home equity loan or

FRB: Putting Your Home on the Loan Line Is Risky Business ESPAÑOL Are you in need of cash? Do you want to consolidate your debts? Are you receiving home equity loan or refinancing offers that seem too good to be true? Does your home need repairs that contractors tell you can be easily financed? If you are a homeowner who needs money to pay bills or for home repairs, you may think a home equity loan is the answer. But not all loans and lenders are the same--you should shop around. The cost of doing business with high-cost lenders can be excessive and, sometimes, downright abusive. For example, certain lenders--often called "predatory lenders"--target homeowners who have low incomes or credit problems or who are elderly by deceiving them about loan terms or giving them loans they cannot afford to repay. Borrowing from an unscrupulous lender, especially one who offers you a high-cost loan using your home as security, is risky business. You could lose your home and your money. Before you sign on the line, Think about your options Do your homework Think twice before you sign Know that you have rights under the law Think about Your Options If you’re having money problems, consider these options before you put your home on the loan line. Talk with your creditors or with representatives of non-profit or other reputable credit or budget counseling organizations to work out a plan that reduces your bill payments to a more manageable level. Contact your local social service agency, community or religious groups, and local or state housing agencies. They may have programs that help consumers, including the elderly and those with disabilities, with energy bills, home repairs, or other emergency needs. Contact a local housing counseling agency to discuss your needs. Call the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development toll-free at 800-569-4287 or visit www.hud.gov/offices/hsg/sfh/hcc/hccprof14.cfm to find a center near you. Talk with someone other than the lender or broker offering the loan who is knowledgeable and you trust before making any decisions. Remember, if you decide to get a home equity loan and can’t make the payments, the lender could foreclose and you would lose your home. If you decide a loan is right for you, talk with several lenders, including at least one bank, savings and loan, or credit union in your community. Their loans may cost less than loans from finance companies. And don’t assume that if you’re on a fixed income or have credit problems, you won’t qualify for a loan from a bank, savings and loan, or credit union--they may have the loan you want! Do Your Homework Contact several lenders--and be very careful about dealing with a lender who just appears at your door, calls you, or sends you mail. Ask friends and family for recommendations of lenders. Talk with banks, savings and loans, credit unions, and other lenders. If you choose to use a mortgage broker, remember they arrange loans but most do not lend directly. Compare their offers with those of other direct lenders. Be wary of home repair contractors that offer to arrange financing. You should still talk with other lenders to make sure you get the best deal. You may want to have the loan proceeds sent directly to you, not the contractor. Comparison shop. Comparing loan plans can help you get a better deal. Whether you begin your shopping by reading ads in your local newspapers, searching on the Internet, or looking in the phone book, ask lenders to explain the best loan plans they have for you. Beware of loan terms and conditions that may mean higher costs for you. Get answers to these questions and use the worksheet to compare loan plans: Interest Rate and Payments What are the monthly payments? Ask yourself if you can afford them. What is the annual percentage rate (APR) on the loan? The APR is the cost of credit, expressed as a yearly rate. You can use the APR to compare one loan with another. Will the interest rate change during the life of the loan? If so, when, how often, and by how much? Term of Loan How many years will you have to repay the loan? Is this a loan or a line of credit? A loan is for a fixed amount of money for a specific period of time; a line of credit is an amount of money you can draw as you need it. Is there a balloon payment--a large single payment at the end of the loan term after a series of low monthly payments? When the balloon payment is due, you must pay the entire amount. Points and Fees What will you have to pay in points and fees? One point equals 1 percent of the loan amount (1 point on a $10,000 loan is $100). Generally, the higher the points, the lower the interest rate. If points and fees are more than 5 percent of the loan amount, ask why. Traditional financial institutions normally charge between 1 and 3 percent of the loan amount in points and fees. Are any of the application fees refundable if you don’t get the loan? How and how much will the the lender or broker be paid? Lenders and brokers may charge points or fees that you must pay at closing or add on to the cost of your loan, or both. Penalties What is the penalty for late or missed payments? What is the penalty if you pay off or refinance the loan early (that is, is there a pre-payment penalty)? Credit Insurance Does the loan package include optional credit insurance, such as credit life, disability, or unemployment insurance? Depending on the type of policy, credit insurance can cover some or all of your payments if you can't make them. Understand that you don’t have to buy optional credit insurance--that’s why it’s called “optional.” Don’t buy insurance you don’t need. Credit insurance may be a bad deal for you, especially if the premiums are collected up-front at the closing and financed as part of the loan. If you want optional credit insurance, ask if you can pay for it on a monthly basis after the loan is approved and closed. With monthly insurance premiums, you don't pay interest and you can decide to cancel if the premiums are too high or if you believe you no longer want the insurance. After you have answers to these questions, start negotiating with more than one lender. Don’t be afraid to make lenders and brokers compete for your business by letting them know you are shopping for the best deal. Ask each lender to lower the points, fees, or interest rate. And ask each to meet--or beat--the terms of the other lenders. Once You’ve Selected a Lender, Get the Following A “Good Faith Estimate” of all loan charges. The estimate must be sent within 3 days of applying. Blank copies of the forms you’ll sign at closing, when the loan is final. Study them. If you don’t understand something, ask for an explanation. Advance copies of the forms you’ll sign at closing with the terms filled in. A week or two before closing, contact the lender to find out if there have been any changes in the Good Faith Estimate. By law, you can inspect the final settlement statement (also called the HUD-1 or HUD-1A form) one day prior to closing. Study these forms. Write down any questions you want to ask. Think Twice before You Sign Have a knowledgeable friend, relative, attorney, or housing counselor review the Good Faith Estimate and other loan papers before you sign the loan contract. Be sure the terms are the same ones you agreed to. For example, a lender should not promise one APR and then--without good reason--increase it at closing. Refer to the list of questions you’ve written down. Ask where these terms are covered in the loan contract. And ask for an explanation of any dollar amount or term you don’t understand. Don’t let anyone rush you into signing the loan contract. Make sure all promises, oral and otherwise, are put in writing. It’s only what’s in writing that counts. Get a copy of the documents you signed before you leave the closing. Don’t Sign on the Dotted Line if the Lender … Tells you to falsify information on the loan application (for example, suggests that you write down more income than you really have). Pressures you into applying for a loan for more money than you need, or one that has monthly payments larger than you can afford. Promises one set of terms but gives you another with no good reason for the change. Tells you to sign blank forms or forms that aren't completely filled in. If an item is supposed to be blank, draw a line through the space and initial it. Pressures you to sign today. A good deal today should be available tomorrow. Know that You Have Rights under the Law You Have 3 Business Days to Cancel the Loan If you're using your home as security for a home equity loan (or for a second mortgage loan or a line of credit), federal law gives you 3 business days after signing the loan papers to cancel the deal--for any reason--without penalty. You must cancel in writing. The lender must return any money you have paid to date. Do You Think You've Made a Mistake? Has the 3-day period during which you may cancel passed and you're worried that you've gotten in over your head? Do you think your loan fees were too high? Do you believe you were steered into monthly payments you can't afford? Has your lender repeatedly pressured you to refinance? Is your loan covered by insurance you don't need or want? If you think you've been taken advantage of, state and federal laws may protect you. Also, the following organizations may be able to help: Your local or state bar association--sometimes listed under "Lawyers Referral Service" in the Yellow Pages of your phone book. The association may be able to refer you to low-cost or no-cost lawyers who can help. Your local consumer protection agency, state attorney general’s office, or state office on aging, listed in the Blue Pages of your phone book. Your local fair housing group or affordable housing agency, housing counseling agency, or state housing agency. You can learn more about credit and home equity loans by visiting the federal government’s web site for consumers, www.consumer.gov (see the Home and Community section). If you don’t have access to the Internet, ask a friend or relative to get the information for you. Or visit your local library or senior center, which may offer you free access to the Internet on their computers. For More Information State Banks that Are Members of the Federal Reserve System Division of Consumer and Community Affairs Mail Stop 801 Federal Reserve Board Washington, DC 20551 (202) 452-3693 www.federalreserve.gov Federally Insured State Non-Member Banks and Savings Banks Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Consumer Response Center 2345 Grand Boulevard, Suite 100 Kansas City, Missouri 64108 (877) 275-3342 www.fdic.gov National Banks and National Bank-Owned Mortgage Companies Office of the Comptroller of the Currency Customer Assistance Group 1301 McKinney Street Suite 3450 Houston, TX 77010 (800) 613-6743 www.occ.treas.gov Federally Insured Savings and Loan Institutions and Federally Chartered Savings Banks Office of Thrift Supervision Consumer Programs 1700 G Street, N.W., 6th Floor Washington, DC 20552 (800) 842-6929 www.ots.treas.gov Federal Credit Unions National Credit Union Administration Office of Public and Congressional Affairs 1775 Duke Street Alexandria, VA 22314 (703) 518-6330 www.ncua.gov For state-chartered credit unions, contact your state's regulatory agency. Mortgage Companies and Other Lenders Federal Trade Commission Consumer Response Center 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Washington, DC 20580 (877) FTC-HELP (877-382-4357, toll free) www.ftc.gov Other Information Sources U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division 950 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W. Housing and Civil Enforcement Section, NWB Washington, DC 20580 (202) 514-4713 www.usdoj.gov/crt/housing/index.html Federal Housing Finance Board 1777 F Street, N.W. Washington, DC 20006 (202) 408-2500 www.fhfb.gov Department of Housing and Urban Development 451 7th Street, S.W. Washington, DC 20410 800-669-9777 (voice) 800-927-9275 (TTY) www.hud.gov Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight (OFHEO) 1700 G Street, N.W. 4th Floor Washington, DC 20552 (202) 414-6922 www.ofheo.gov Adobe acrobat version of text for printing (119 KB PDF) is formatted for printing on two sides of a 11 x 17" sheet of paper. Fold the paper in half. The PDF contains a fillable area on the back panel for you to provide your own contact information. Worksheet for printing (58 KB PDF) Obtaining the Acrobat Reader from the Adobe Web Site This information was prepared by the following federal agencies: Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Justice, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Federal Housing Finance Board, Federal Reserve Board, Federal Trade Commission, National Credit Union Administration, Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, Office of Thrift Supervision. Home | Brochures Accessibility | Contact us Last update: March 24, 2004

Property Search

Welcome to the Cook County Assessor's Virtual Office Cook County Assessor's Office: Property Search Please select from the following search types: Search by Property Index Number and Property Class: PIN: - - - - Choose Residential Class --> 2-02: One Story Residence, Any Age, up to 999 Sq. Ft. 2-03: One Story Residence, Any Age, 1,000 to 1,800 Sq. Ft. 2-04: One Story Residence, Any Age, 1,801 Sq Ft. and Over 2-05: Two or More Story Residence, Over 62 Years, up to 2,200 Sq. Ft. 2-06: Two or More Story Residence, Over 62 Years, 2,201 to 4,999 Sq. Ft. 2-07: Two or More Story Residence, Up to 62 Years, up to 2,000 Ft. 2-08: Two or More Story Residence, Up to 62 Years, 3,801 to 4,999 Sq. Ft. 2-09: Two or More Story Residence, Any Age, 5,000 Sq. Ft. & Over 2-10: Old Style Row House, Over 62 Years 2-11: Two to Six Apartments, Any Age 2-12: Two to Six Apartments, Up to 62 Years 2-21: Corner Store, Office with Apartments Above Six Units or Less and Building Square Foot Less Than 20,000 2-34: Split Level Residence with Lower Level Below Grade, All Ages, All Sizes 2-78: Two or More Story Residence, Up to 62 Years, 2,001 to 3,800 Sq. Ft 2-95: Individually Owned Row Houses or Townhouses, Up to 62 Years 2-99: Residential Condominium OR Choose Non-Residential Class --> 0-00: Exempt 1-00: Vacant Land 1-90: Other minor improvement which does not add value 2-00: Residential land 2-01: Residential garage 2-13: Cooperatives (must have cdu of co) 2-24: Farm buildings 2-25: Qualified single room occupancy improvements (must have cdu of sr) 2-36: Any residence located on a parcel used primarily for industrial or commercial use 2-39: Farm land under use-value pricing 2-40: Farm land under market pricing 2-41: Vacant land under common ownership with adjacent residence 2-88: Home improvement exemption 2-90: Other minor improvements 2-94: Rented modern row houses or townhouses with less than seven units 2-97: Special residential improvements 3-00: Land Used in Conjunction with Rental Apartments 3-01: Garage used in conjunction with rental apartments 3-13: 2 or 3 story building, 7 or more units, sgl. devel., one or more contig. parcels, in common ownership 3-14: Two or three story non-frprf. crt. and corridor apts or california type apts, no corridors, ex. entrance 3-15: Two or three story non-fireproof corridor apartments,or california type apartments, interior entrance 3-18: Mixed use commercial/residential with apts. above seven units or more or building sq. ft. over 20,000 3-19: Mixed use commercial/residential with apts. above seven units or more or building sq. ft. over 20,000 3-20: Mixed use commercial/residential with apts. above seven units or more or building sq. ft. over 20,000 3-21: Mixed use commercial/residential with apts. above seven units or more or building sq. ft. over 20,000 3-90: Other minor improvements 3-91: Apartment buildings over three stories 3-96: Rented mdrn row houses, 7 or more units in a single develop. or 1 or more contig. parcels in cmn. ownshp. 3-97: Special rental improvements 3-99: Rental condo units in a sngl. dvlp. of 1 or more contig. parcels w 7 or more rental units, comn ownshp 4-00: Not for profit land 4-01: Not for profit garage 4-13: Not for prof. 2 or 3 stry bldg., 7 or more units, sng develop., 1 or more contig. parcels, in comn ownshp 4-14: Not for prof. 2 or 3 stry non-frprf crt and corridor apts or ca. type apts, no corridors, ex. entrance 4-15: Not for prof 2 or 3 stry non-frprf corridor apts, or ca. type apts, inter. entrance 4-16: Not for profit non-fireproof hotel or rooming house (apartment hotel) 4-17: Not for profit One story store 4-18: Not for profit Two or three story frame stores, with apartments above 4-19: Not for profit Two or three story old style store, with apartments above 4-20: Not for profit Two or three story modern inside store with apartment above 4-21: Not for profit corner store, office with apartment above 4-22: Not for profit One story non-fireproof public garage 4-23: Not for profit gasoline station 4-26: Not for profit commercial greenhouse 4-27: Not for profit theatres 4-28: Not for profit bank buildings 4-29: Not for profit motels 4-30: Not for profit supermarket 4-31: Not for profit shopping center 4-32: Not for profit bowling alley 4-33: Not for profit quonset huts and butler type buildings 4-35: Not for profit golf course improvement 4-80: Not for profit other industrial improvements 4-83: Not for profit industrial quonset huts and butler type buildings 4-87: Not for profit special industrial improvements 4-89: Not for profit industrial condominium units 4-90: Not for profit other minor improvements 4-91: Not for profit improvement over three stories 4-92: Not for profit Two or three story building containing part or all retail and/or commercial space 4-93: Not for profit industrial 4-96: Not for profit rent mdrn row houses, 7 or more units a sing dvlp or 1 or more contig prcls in comn ownshp 4-97: Not for profit special improvement 4-99: Not for profit condominium 5-00: Commercial land 5-01: Garage used in conjunction with commercial improvements 5-16: Non-fireproof hotel or rooming house (apartment hotel) 5-17: One story store 5-22: One story non-fireproof public garage 5-23: Gasoline station 5-26: Commercial greenhouse 5-27: Theatres 5-28: Bank buildings 5-29: Motels 5-30: Supermarket 5-31: Shopping center 5-32: Bowling alley 5-33: Quonset huts and butler type buildings 5-35: Golf course 5-50: Industrial land 5-80: Other industrial minor improvements 5-81: Garage used in conjunction with industrial improvements 5-83: Industrial quonset huts and butler type buildings 5-87: Special industrial improvements 5-89: Industrial condominium units 5-90: Commercial minor improvements 5-91: Commercial buildings over three stories 5-92: Two or three story building containing part or all retail and/or commercial space 5-93: Industrial 5-97: Special commercial improvements 5-99: Commercial condominium units 6-37: Industrial brownfield land 6-38: Industrial brownfield 6-50: Industrial land 6-51: Industrial land 6-54: Other industrial brownfield minor improvements 6-55: Garage used in conjunction with industrial brownfield incentive improvements 6-63: Industrial 6-66: Industrial brownfield quonset huts and butler type buildings 6-68: Special improvements 6-69: Industrial brownfield condominium units 6-70: Other industrial minor improvements 6-71: Garage used in conjunction with industrial incentive improvements 6-73: Industrial quonset huts and butler type buildings 6-77: Special improvements 6-79: Industrial condominium units 6-80: Other industrial minor improvements 6-81: Garage used in conjunction with industrial incentive improvements 6-83: Industrial quonset huts and butler type buildings 6-87: Special industrial improvements 6-89: Industrial condominium units 6-93: Industrial 7-00: Commercial incentive land 7-01: Garage used in conjunction with commercial incentive improvements 7-16: Non-fireproof hotel or rooming house (apartment hotel) 7-17: One story retail, restaurant, or banquet hall, medical building, miscellaneous commercial use 7-22: Garage, public/service 7-23: Gasoline station, with/without bays, store 7-26: Commercial greenhouse 7-27: Theatres 7-28: Bank buildings 7-29: Motels 7-30: Supermarket 7-31: Shopping center (regional, community, neighborhood, promotional, specialty) 7-32: Bowling alley 7-33: Quonset huts and butler type buildings 7-35: Golf course 7-42: Commercial incentive land 7-43: Garage used in conjunction with commercial incentive improvements 7-45: Golf course 7-46: Non-fireproof hotel or rooming house (apartment hotel) 7-47: One story retail, rstrnt, or bnqt hall, med. blding, miscellaneous commercial use 7-48: Motels 7-52: Garage, public/service 7-53: Gasoline station, with/without bays, store 7-56: Commercial greenhouse 7-57: Theatres 7-58: Bank buildings 7-60: Supermarket 7-61: Shopping center (regional, community, neighborhood, promotional, specialty) 7-62: Bowling alley 7-64: Quonset huts and butler type buildings 7-65: Other minor improvements 7-67: Facilities (tennis, rqtball, hlth club), (nursing, retirement home), auto. dlrshp, comm. structure 7-72: Two or three story building containing part or all retail and/or commercial space 7-74: office building (One story, low rise, mid rise, high rise) 7-90: Other minor improvements 7-91: Office building (one story, low rise, mid rise, high rise) 7-92: Two or three story building containing part or all retail and/or commercial space 7-97: Facilities (tennis, rqtbll, hlth club), (nursing, rtrmnt home), auto dlrshp, comm. structure 7-98: Commercial/industrial-condominium units/garage 7-99: Commercial/industrial-condominium units/garage 8-01: Garage in conjunction with commercial incentive improvements 8-16: Non-fireproof hotel or rooming house (apartment hotel) 8-17: One story retail, restaurant, (banquet hall, fast food), medical, miscellaneous commercial use 8-22: Garage (public/service) 8-23: Gasoline station with/without bay, store 8-26: Commercial greenhouse 8-27: Theatres 8-28: Bank building 8-29: Motels 8-30: Supermarket 8-31: Shopping center (regional, community, neighborhood, promotional, specialty) 8-32: Bowling alley 8-33: Quonset huts and butler type buildings 8-35: Golf course 8-50: Industrial incentive land 8-80: Other industrial minor improvements 8-81: Garage used in conjunction with industrial incentive improvements 8-83: Quonset huts and butler type buildings 8-87: Special industrial improvements 8-89: Industrial condominium units 8-90: Other minor improvements 8-91: Office building, (One story, low rise, midrise, high rise) 8-92: Two or three story building containing part or all retail and/or commercial space 8-93: Industrial buildings 8-97: Facilities, (tennis, rqtball, hlth club), (nursing, retirement home), auto. dlrshp, misc. comm. structure 8-99: Commercial/industrial condominium units/Garage 9-00: Land used in conjunction with incentive rental apartments 9-01: Garage used in conjunction with incentive rental apartments 9-13: 2 or 3 story bldng, 7 or more units, sngle devel., 1 or more contig. parcels, in common ownership 9-14: 2 or 3 story non-freprf crt and corridor apts or california type apts, no corridors, ex. entrance 9-15: 2 or 3 story non-frprf corridor apts, or california type apts, interior entrance 9-18: 2 or 3 story frame stores, with apts above (must be split coded with another class) 9-19: 2 or 3 story old style store, with apts above (must be split coded with another class) 9-20: 2 or 3 story modern inside store with apts above (must be split coded with another class) 9-21: Corner store, office with apartments above (must be split coded with another class) 9-59: Rental condo unts in a sing. dvlp. of 1 or more contiprcls w/ 7 or more rent units, commn ownrshp 9-90: Other minor improvements 9-91: Apartment buildings over three stories 9-96: Rental mdrn row houses, 7 or more unts in a sing. dvlpment or 1 or more contig. prcls in comm. ownrshp 9-97: Special rental improvements Enter Permanent Index Number (P.I.N.)Search by entering your 14 digit Property Index Number PIN in the corresponding boxes in the Search by Property Index Number function. Your PIN can be found on your Notice of Proposed Assessed Valuation, or on your tax bill. The first 2 digits should be entered into the first box, the second 2 in the second box, 3 digits in each of the third and fourth boxes, and the remaining 4 digits in the last box. Once you have entered your PIN, click once on the Search button. This will bring up a page with your desired PIN, corresponding address, class code, neighborhood, assessed value, and city. View Instructions Close Instructions Search by Address : House Number (from): (to:) Direction: Street: Note: For more accurate results, do NOT include labels such as St., Ave. Dr.,etc. City: Property Class: (optional) Choose Residential Class --> 2-02: One Story Residence, Any Age, up to 999 Sq. Ft. 2-03: One Story Residence, Any Age, 1,000 to 1,800 Sq. Ft. 2-04: One Story Residence, Any Age, 1,801 Sq Ft. and Over 2-05: Two or More Story Residence, Over 62 Years, up to 2,200 Sq. Ft. 2-06: Two or More Story Residence, Over 62 Years, 2,201 to 4,999 Sq. Ft. 2-07: Two or More Story Residence, Up to 62 Years, up to 2,000 Ft. 2-08: Two or More Story Residence, Up to 62 Years, 3,801 to 4,999 Sq. Ft. 2-09: Two or More Story Residence, Any Age, 5,000 Sq. Ft. & Over 2-10: Old Style Row House, Over 62 Years 2-11: Two to Six Apartments, Any Age 2-12: Two to Six Apartments, Up to 62 Years 2-21: Corner Store, Office with Apartments Above Six Units or Less and Building Square Foot Less Than 20,000 2-34: Split Level Residence with Lower Level Below Grade, All Ages, All Sizes 2-78: Two or More Story Residence, Up to 62 Years, 2,001 to 3,800 Sq. Ft 2-95: Individually Owned Row Houses or Townhouses, Up to 62 Years 2-99: Residential Condominium OR Choose Non-Residential Class --> 0-00: Exempt 1-00: Vacant Land 1-90: Other minor improvement which does not add value 2-00: Residential land 2-01: Residential garage 2-13: Cooperatives (must have cdu of co) 2-24: Farm buildings 2-25: Qualified single room occupancy improvements (must have cdu of sr) 2-36: Any residence located on a parcel used primarily for industrial or commercial use 2-39: Farm land under use-value pricing 2-40: Farm land under market pricing 2-41: Vacant land under common ownership with adjacent residence 2-88: Home improvement exemption 2-90: Other minor improvements 2-94: Rented modern row houses or townhouses with less than seven units 2-97: Special residential improvements 3-00: Land Used in Conjunction with Rental Apartments 3-01: Garage used in conjunction with rental apartments 3-13: 2 or 3 story building, 7 or more units, sgl. devel., one or more contig. parcels, in common ownership 3-14: Two or three story non-frprf. crt. and corridor apts or california type apts, no corridors, ex. entrance 3-15: Two or three story non-fireproof corridor apartments,or california type apartments, interior entrance 3-18: Mixed use commercial/residential with apts. above seven units or more or building sq. ft. over 20,000 3-19: Mixed use commercial/residential with apts. above seven units or more or building sq. ft. over 20,000 3-20: Mixed use commercial/residential with apts. above seven units or more or building sq. ft. over 20,000 3-21: Mixed use commercial/residential with apts. above seven units or more or building sq. ft. over 20,000 3-90: Other minor improvements 3-91: Apartment buildings over three stories 3-96: Rented mdrn row houses, 7 or more units in a single develop. or 1 or more contig. parcels in cmn. ownshp. 3-97: Special rental improvements 3-99: Rental condo units in a sngl. dvlp. of 1 or more contig. parcels w 7 or more rental units, comn ownshp 4-00: Not for profit land 4-01: Not for profit garage 4-13: Not for prof. 2 or 3 stry bldg., 7 or more units, sng develop., 1 or more contig. parcels, in comn ownshp 4-14: Not for prof. 2 or 3 stry non-frprf crt and corridor apts or ca. type apts, no corridors, ex. entrance 4-15: Not for prof 2 or 3 stry non-frprf corridor apts, or ca. type apts, inter. entrance 4-16: Not for profit non-fireproof hotel or rooming house (apartment hotel) 4-17: Not for profit One story store 4-18: Not for profit Two or three story frame stores, with apartments above 4-19: Not for profit Two or three story old style store, with apartments above 4-20: Not for profit Two or three story modern inside store with apartment above 4-21: Not for profit corner store, office with apartment above 4-22: Not for profit One story non-fireproof public garage 4-23: Not for profit gasoline station 4-26: Not for profit commercial greenhouse 4-27: Not for profit theatres 4-28: Not for profit bank buildings 4-29: Not for profit motels 4-30: Not for profit supermarket 4-31: Not for profit shopping center 4-32: Not for profit bowling alley 4-33: Not for profit quonset huts and butler type buildings 4-35: Not for profit golf course improvement 4-80: Not for profit other industrial improvements 4-83: Not for profit industrial quonset huts and butler type buildings 4-87: Not for profit special industrial improvements 4-89: Not for profit industrial condominium units 4-90: Not for profit other minor improvements 4-91: Not for profit improvement over three stories 4-92: Not for profit Two or three story building containing part or all retail and/or commercial space 4-93: Not for profit industrial 4-96: Not for profit rent mdrn row houses, 7 or more units a sing dvlp or 1 or more contig prcls in comn ownshp 4-97: Not for profit special improvement 4-99: Not for profit condominium 5-00: Commercial land 5-01: Garage used in conjunction with commercial improvements 5-16: Non-fireproof hotel or rooming house (apartment hotel) 5-17: One story store 5-22: One story non-fireproof public garage 5-23: Gasoline station 5-26: Commercial greenhouse 5-27: Theatres 5-28: Bank buildings 5-29: Motels 5-30: Supermarket 5-31: Shopping center 5-32: Bowling alley 5-33: Quonset huts and butler type buildings 5-35: Golf course 5-50: Industrial land 5-80: Other industrial minor improvements 5-81: Garage used in conjunction with industrial improvements 5-83: Industrial quonset huts and butler type buildings 5-87: Special industrial improvements 5-89: Industrial condominium units 5-90: Commercial minor improvements 5-91: Commercial buildings over three stories 5-92: Two or three story building containing part or all retail and/or commercial space 5-93: Industrial 5-97: Special commercial improvements 5-99: Commercial condominium units 6-37: Industrial brownfield land 6-38: Industrial brownfield 6-50: Industrial land 6-51: Industrial land 6-54: Other industrial brownfield minor improvements 6-55: Garage used in conjunction with industrial brownfield incentive improvements 6-63: Industrial 6-66: Industrial brownfield quonset huts and butler type buildings 6-68: Special improvements 6-69: Industrial brownfield condominium units 6-70: Other industrial minor improvements 6-71: Garage used in conjunction with industrial incentive improvements 6-73: Industrial quonset huts and butler type buildings 6-77: Special improvements 6-79: Industrial condominium units 6-80: Other industrial minor improvements 6-81: Garage used in conjunction with industrial incentive improvements 6-83: Industrial quonset huts and butler type buildings 6-87: Special industrial improvements 6-89: Industrial condominium units 6-93: Industrial 7-00: Commercial incentive land 7-01: Garage used in conjunction with commercial incentive improvements 7-16: Non-fireproof hotel or rooming house (apartment hotel) 7-17: One story retail, restaurant, or banquet hall, medical building, miscellaneous commercial use 7-22: Garage, public/service 7-23: Gasoline station, with/without bays, store 7-26: Commercial greenhouse 7-27: Theatres 7-28: Bank buildings 7-29: Motels 7-30: Supermarket 7-31: Shopping center (regional, community, neighborhood, promotional, specialty) 7-32: Bowling alley 7-33: Quonset huts and butler type buildings 7-35: Golf course 7-42: Commercial incentive land 7-43: Garage used in conjunction with commercial incentive improvements 7-45: Golf course 7-46: Non-fireproof hotel or rooming house (apartment hotel) 7-47: One story retail, rstrnt, or bnqt hall, med. blding, miscellaneous commercial use 7-48: Motels 7-52: Garage, public/service 7-53: Gasoline station, with/without bays, store 7-56: Commercial greenhouse 7-57: Theatres 7-58: Bank buildings 7-60: Supermarket 7-61: Shopping center (regional, community, neighborhood, promotional, specialty) 7-62: Bowling alley 7-64: Quonset huts and butler type buildings 7-65: Other minor improvements 7-67: Facilities (tennis, rqtball, hlth club), (nursing, retirement home), auto. dlrshp, comm. structure 7-72: Two or three story building containing part or all retail and/or commercial space 7-74: office building (One story, low rise, mid rise, high rise) 7-90: Other minor improvements 7-91: Office building (one story, low rise, mid rise, high rise) 7-92: Two or three story building containing part or all retail and/or commercial space 7-97: Facilities (tennis, rqtbll, hlth club), (nursing, rtrmnt home), auto dlrshp, comm. structure 7-98: Commercial/industrial-condominium units/garage 7-99: Commercial/industrial-condominium units/garage 8-01: Garage in conjunction with commercial incentive improvements 8-16: Non-fireproof hotel or rooming house (apartment hotel) 8-17: One story retail, restaurant, (banquet hall, fast food), medical, miscellaneous commercial use 8-22: Garage (public/service) 8-23: Gasoline station with/without bay, store 8-26: Commercial greenhouse 8-27: Theatres 8-28: Bank building 8-29: Motels 8-30: Supermarket 8-31: Shopping center (regional, community, neighborhood, promotional, specialty) 8-32: Bowling alley 8-33: Quonset huts and butler type buildings 8-35: Golf course 8-50: Industrial incentive land 8-80: Other industrial minor improvements 8-81: Garage used in conjunction with industrial incentive improvements 8-83: Quonset huts and butler type buildings 8-87: Special industrial improvements 8-89: Industrial condominium units 8-90: Other minor improvements 8-91: Office building, (One story, low rise, midrise, high rise) 8-92: Two or three story building containing part or all retail and/or commercial space 8-93: Industrial buildings 8-97: Facilities, (tennis, rqtball, hlth club), (nursing, retirement home), auto. dlrshp, misc. comm. structure 8-99: Commercial/industrial condominium units/Garage 9-00: Land used in conjunction with incentive rental apartments 9-01: Garage used in conjunction with incentive rental apartments 9-13: 2 or 3 story bldng, 7 or more units, sngle devel., 1 or more contig. parcels, in common ownership 9-14: 2 or 3 story non-freprf crt and corridor apts or california type apts, no corridors, ex. entrance 9-15: 2 or 3 story non-frprf corridor apts, or california type apts, interior entrance 9-18: 2 or 3 story frame stores, with apts above (must be split coded with another class) 9-19: 2 or 3 story old style store, with apts above (must be split coded with another class) 9-20: 2 or 3 story modern inside store with apts above (must be split coded with another class) 9-21: Corner store, office with apartments above (must be split coded with another class) 9-59: Rental condo unts in a sing. dvlp. of 1 or more contiprcls w/ 7 or more rent units, commn ownrshp 9-90: Other minor improvements 9-91: Apartment buildings over three stories 9-96: Rental mdrn row houses, 7 or more unts in a sing. dvlpment or 1 or more contig. prcls in comm. ownrshp 9-97: Special rental improvements If you wish to obtain information on a specific residential property but you do not know the PIN, simply enter the address in the "Search by Address" function. It should be noted that due to the transitory nature of addresses, our address file might contain errors or omissions. If you experience difficulties, please call the Cook County Assessors Office Taxpayer Information Department at 312-443-7550. When entering the street name of your desired property, to aid in your search, please do not enter the street suffix, such as St., Dr., Ave., etc. You will then need to enter the city name in the box on the third line of the section. Please note that you do not need to select a class to conduct a search.Once the required fields of information are entered, click once on the "Search by Address" button to submit your search. This will bring up a page with your desired PIN, corresponding address, city, neighborhood, class code, township, age, description of class code, assessed value, and a description of the propertys characteristics. To compare your propertys assessed value to other similar properties on your block or in your neighborhood, you may enter a range of addresses on the search page. For example, you may enter 400 500 N Main in Chicago. This may be useful if you are considering an appeal based on lack of uniformity. View Instructions Close Instructions Search by Neighborhood: Township: <SELECT> Barrington Berwyn Bloom Bremen Calumet Cicero Elk Grove Evanston Hanover Hyde Park Jefferson Lake Lake View Lemont Leyden Lyons Maine New Trier Niles North Chicago Northfield Norwood Park Oak Park Orland Palatine Palos Proviso Rich River Forest Riverside Rogers Park Schaumburg South Chicago Stickney Thornton West Chicago Wheeling Worth To search by neighborhood, simply use the drop-down box under the "Search by Neighborhood" section to select your township. If you do not know what township you are in, please check your "Notice of Proposed Assessed Valuation" or your tax bill. Once you have selected your township, click once on the "Search by Neighborhood" button. This will bring you to a page with a drop-down box with a list of neighborhood codes. If you do not know your neighborhood code, simply check your "Notice of Proposed Assessed Valuation" or click on the highlighted "Show Me Borders" for a listing of each neighborhood code and its street boundaries.Once you have selected your neighborhood code click once on the "Search by Neighborhood" button and you will see multiple pages of properties. If you wish to refine your search for similar properties click on the "Choose Class" drop-down box and select a specific class of property. This function is useful when comparing assessed value, although it is still important to look at each individual propertys characteristics. Properties in the same class with like characteristics are considered "comparables" and can be used in a residential appeal. View Instructions Close Instructions The most current assessment information will only be available for properties in triennial reassessment townships that have been mailed their "Notice of Proposed Assessed Valuation." For a listing of available townships and mailing dates click here. Please read the following instructions for information on how to best conduct an assessment search for non-residential property. Search Help : If you are having difficulty finding a property or wish to expand your search, try entering less information. For instance, in the "Search by Address" function leave the direction box blank, or only enter the first few letters of the street or city. In the "Search by PIN" function, if you enter only the first seven numbers of your PIN (i.eif your index number is 01-01-123-456-0000, and you only insert 01-01-123) this will expand your search to include all the properties that share those seven digits in ascending PIN order. This will widen the parameters for the database and improve the possibility that a record is found. Cook County Assessor's Office (Main) County Building, Third Floor 118 North Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60602 (312) 443-7550 2003- 2004 Cook County Assessors Office All rights reserved Disclaimer. Comments,Questions or Suggestions : Contact Us

Real Estate Broker

Atlanta Real Estate: Metro Brokers/GMAC Atlanta real estate, Georgia, brokers, agent, buckhead, atlanta mortgage, cobb, midtown, homes for sale -- Atlanta Real Estate & Atlanta Homes for Sale Metro Brokers/GMAC Real Estate Community Search Builders/Developers New Home Services for Agents Order relocation kit Who's who in relocation GM Family First Quote Form Claims Dictionary FAQ's Privacy notice Services offered Businesses for sale Commercial division info Property search Agent roster Who wants to be a millionaire? Comprehensive sales training Broker support Coaching Agent Testimonials Contact us A little history Marketing Communications Technology Office locations/directions Market share comps Company News Premier Service Have a question? Ask your online guide. E-mail Metro Mike. Learn how to schedule appointments online to see properties. Order our FREE 250+ page home guide with thousands of area homes for sale. Click here to learn how to get a Georgia real estate license for free! Click here to view your shopping cart or create a new account. Metro Brokers Financial offers competitive rates on a variety of mortgage products. Click here to prequalify! Search the largest database of Atlanta homes for sale 72,310 HOMES more than any other website! Database last updated Dec 29 2005 6:58AM Market Share Comps Metro Brokers/GMAC Real Estate grew its Atlanta real estate market share by one percent in 2004, while every other local residential realty company with at least 2,000 closings lost market share – one company by 15 percent. Over the last four years, Metro Brokers has increased its metro area market share by 3.4 percent – far better than any other local company. In fact, Atlanta’s other top 10 residential real estate companies experienced market share declines over that same period by an average of 23.5 percent. Metro Brokers did even better in specific real estate submarkets of Atlanta. The company saw double-digit market share gains in Butts, Cherokee, Coweta, Dawson, Douglas, East Cobb, Forsyth, Gilmer, Gwinnett, Henry, Intown Atlanta, Newton, North Fulton, Paulding, Rockdale, Walton and West Cobb. The company remains the Atlanta market share leader south of I-20, with nearly 1 out of every 4 homebuyers represented by a Metro Brokers sales associate. According to Metro Brokers President and CEO Kevin Levent, the primary reason for the company's market-leading growth is the increased productivity of its sales associates. "Our associates sold more homes in Atlanta than any other year in the history of our company," Levent said. "Our training programs are invigorating experienced real estate sales associates and helping new real estate licensees hit the ground running." Metro Brokers is also the largest license holder in the state of Georgia. The market share study was completed by Smart Numbers, an independent, Atlanta-based company that provides residential real estate information. Smart Numbers used closing data from MLS and FMLS to compile its report. Company News ATLANTA - Once again, the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association (HBA) has selected metrobrokers.com Best Realtor Website in the Atlanta area for the fourth consecutive year. MetroBrokers.com was chosen by HBA’s judges for its functionality, ease-of-use and overall design. The only organization recognizing Atlanta companies for excellence in website design, the HBA has been promoting, protecting and preserving homeownership in the greater area since its inception in 1945. HBA is an affiliate of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), headquartered in Washington, D.C. During the last year, Metro Brokers became the first local company to successfully launch an appointment setting tool that allows homebuyers to schedule a showing while viewing a listing online. As a result, Metro Brokers has generated more than 2,000 real estate showing requests – a figure that’s 30 percent higher than the national average of other metro realty companies. REALTORS RESPOND TO METRO BROKERS’ NEW BILLBOARDS Joyce Hay of the Gwinnett office: “Awesome! Awesome! Awesome! I love the billboards. My clients think the boards are cool, too. They say it’s better than any other billboard they’ve ever seen and that Metro Brokers is far and above any other company.” Salim Lokhandwalla of the Tucker office: “It’s very eye-catching. The locations are excellent especially the one on I-85 south. If my 11 year old daughter notices it, I’m sure others will too.“ Jamie Hook of the East Cobb office: “It’s really impressive, especially when you have clients in the car and drive by it.” Radley Reiff of the Buckhead office: “I love it. I think it’s great for brand recognition…A perfect ‘10’.” Serrie Fields of the Stone Mountain office: “The billboard can’t be beat. It’s bold, easy to read in traffic and very visible. It makes our name well known in the community and reinforces our large market presence. I envision the billboards helping me on listing presentations when I mention them to customers.” Bo Krejci of the North Fulton office: “I think the billboard is great. It really pops out at you when you drive down GA-400. I can only imagine the impact on morning commuters as the traffic crawls by the billboard.” Real Estate Atlanta, Georgia

Rental Property (Including Rental

Publication 527 (2005), Residential Rental Property Home | Contact IRS | About IRS | Site Map | Español | Help Advanced Search Search Tips IRS Resources Compliance & Enforcement Contact My Local Office e-file Forms and Publications Frequently Asked Questions News Taxpayer Advocacy Where To File Publication 527 (2005), Residential Rental Property (Including Rental of Vacation Homes) For use in preparing 2005 Returns Table of Contents Publication 527 - Introductory Material Reminder Introduction Sale of main home used as rental property. Tax questions. Ordering forms and publications. Useful Items - You may want to see: Publication 527 - Main Contents Rental Income Rental Expenses Repairs and Improvements Other Expenses Condominiums and Cooperatives Not Rented for Profit Property Changed to Rental Use Renting Part of Property Personal Use of Dwelling Unit (Including Vacation Home) Dwelling Unit Used as Home Figuring Days of Personal Use How To Divide Expenses How To Figure Rental Income and Deductions Depreciation Filing an amended return. Changing your accounting method. MACRS MACRS Depreciation Under GDS Optional Tables MACRS Depreciation Under ADS Casualties and Thefts Limits on Rental Losses At-Risk Rules Passive Activity Limits How To Report Rental Income and Expenses Schedule E (Form 1040) Publication 527 - Additional Material How To Get Tax Help Index Next More Online Publications Accessibility | FirstGov.gov | Freedom of Information Act | Important Links | IRS Privacy Policy | U.S. Treasury

home equity lines of

Home Equity Lending Gaps in Texas The Texas Economy March 2003 "Texans need and deserve the right to take out home equity lines of credit.This simple change will pump $741 million back to Texas homeowners." -- Carole Keeton Strayhorn, Texas Comptroller Home Equity Lending Gaps in Texas The number of Texans with home equity loans has more than doubled since 1997 when changes in the Texas constitution made it easier for Texans to borrow against the equity they have in their homes. [1] Yet, Texans are still not taking as many home equity loans as residents in other states. In the traditional home equity lending market—the segment that involves a lump-sum payout of equity to be repaid over a set term—Texans seem to have caught up with the rest of the nation. Indeed, the estimated 6.4 percent of Texas home-owners with traditional home equity loans in 2001 is not only up considerably from 2.5 in 1997 but may well be higher than the average for the other 49 states of 5.7 percent (Figure 1). [2] This most likely reflects the fact that one portion of the home equity loan market—the home equity line of credit market—remains unavailable to Texans. An estimated $12.7 billion in higher-cost, non-tax-deductible loans that currently exist could be supplanted if home equity lines of credit were available and Texans used these financial options at the same rate as other consumers in the country. By taking advantage of a substantially untapped resource, Texas consumers could save $741 million annually using home equity lines of credit instead of other loans. These savings could be pumped into the Texas economy through lower interest rates and additional federal income tax deductions. The gains would be realized in the Texas economy if existing loans were merely paid off by homeowners through home equity lines of credit. This need not expand homeowners’ overall debt burden. Home Equity Lending in Texas For more than 160 years, access to the home equity that owners had built up in their residences was largely untapped. As a direct result of the Panic of 1837, Texas prohibited the forced sale of homesteads for all but a very limited number of reasons. When Texas became a state, these protections became part of the state constitution and effectively barred foreclosing on a person’s residence for reasons other than non-payment of taxes, the original mortgage or a home improvement loan. These same provisions also effectively barred tapping into home equity for purposes other than home improvement. But on November 4, 1997, Texas voters approved a constitutional amendment allowing more leeway in home equity lending and for reverse mortgages. [3] These loans became available to Texans in 1998, but some technical issues limited the availability of home equity loans for homesteads larger than one acre and from reverse mortgages. Subsequent amendments addressed these legal concerns. [4] Changes in the Texas Constitution expanded the conditions under which homeowners could obtain a traditional home equity loan. These closed-end loans extend for a specified length of time and generally require repayment of interest and principal in equal monthly installments. Interest rates on these loans are ordinarily fixed for the life of the loan. Growth in Home Equity Lending in Texas Since changing the Texas constitution to allow wider use of home equity loans, Texans have steadily increased their reliance on these loans. According to American Housing Survey (AHS) data on nine Texas metropolitan areas that cover 68 percent of Texas’ owner-occupied homes, only 2.5 percent of Texas homeowners had any form of home equity loan in 1997, substantially less than the 14.5 percent for all U.S. homeowners outside of Texas that same year. By 1999, the proportion of Texas homeowners with a home equity loan had risen to 4.5 percent. While this represents nearly a doubling of home equity loan usage in just two years, this was still slightly less than the estimated 5 percent rate for home equity loan usage in the nation and substantially less than the 12.9 percent estimated by the AHS that year for both home equity loans and lines of credit. By 2001, the proportion of Texas households with home equity loans had reached 6.4 percent. At this level, the usage in Texas actually exceeded the usage rate of fixed-term closed-end loans in the U.S., indicating that Texans may have reached the saturation point with traditional home equity loans. These loans typically are written for a set amount to be repaid in equal installments over a specified time, just like a traditional mortgage. Based on a survey conducted for the Comptroller of Public Accounts of home equity lenders in Texas, from 1998 to 2000, the amount of the average home equity loan was about $36,750. In 2001 and 2002, the average home equity loan jumped to more than $47,000. [5] Closing the Gap Although Texans’ reliance on home equity loans has grown substantially since the passage of the constitutional amendment, further gains may be unlikely. Other states’ average usage of 14 percent in 2001 included both traditional home equity loans and home equity lines of credit, financial instruments not now available to Texas homeowners. The possibility that the usage rate of traditional home equity loans in Texas exceeded the usage rate of similar loans in the nation probably indicates that without the home equity line of credit option, more homeowners are opting for the fixed term loans—their only other choice. During much of the 1990s, about 8 percent of U.S. homeowners had a home equity line of credit whereas about 5 percent of homeowners had a traditional loan. [6] In 2001, AHS data indicated an estimated 8.4 percent of homeowners had a home equity line of credit (HELOC) and 5.7 percent had traditional home equity loans. This newer form of home equity lending has become the preferred choice by homeowners in other states. A HELOC is a revolving account that permits borrowing from time to time, at the account holder’s discretion, up to a set credit limit. HELOCs also typically have more flexible repayment schedules than traditional home equity loans and have a variable interest rate. Most consumers think home equity lines of credit are more convenient than traditional home equity loans. While about 40 percent of consumers cited the tax advantages of both types of home equity credit as an important consideration, 43 percent of HELOC users cited convenience of use as an advantage, compared with only 1 percent of those using the traditional home equity loans. [7] Many of the major lenders in Texas make HELOC loans to homeowners in other states. Their experiences underscore how attractive this option is to consumers. Figure 2 presents the percentage of the amount of home equity loans and lines of credit written in Georgia, Florida and California by three major Texas lenders. [8] About 88 percent of the consumers in these states choose HELOCs compared with about 12 percent choosing traditional home equity loans. Potential Economic Impact of HELOCs in Texas One approach to examining what expanded home equity lending might mean in Texas is to estimate what consumers would save if they had access to HELOCs. Three issues are crucial when estimating this impact: what savings could be expected from lower interest costs; how much would HELOCs lower federal income tax bills; and how large total borrowing might become. Underlying this assessment is the assumption that if Texans had access to HELOCs the total home equity usage in Texas would approach the U.S. average. This implies that consumer use of both home equity lines of credit and traditional loans would reach about 14 percent, 7.6 percentage points up from the 2001 level, which was 6.4 and consisted of only traditional home equity loans. The true economic value of HELOCs to consumers lies in low interest rates and as a deduction from federal income taxes. For example, recent data from February 2003 show that the average interest rate on credit card debt is 13.8 percent, the rate for new auto loans is 5.8 percent and on home equity lines of credit, 4.4 percent. [9] This implies that on a $1,000 loan, annual credit card interest charges would be $138 whereas these charges would amount to only $44 for the home equity line of credit. On $1,000 in outstanding credit card debt, conversion of this debt to a HELOC would save $94 in interest payments annually. But even this neglects the fact that HELOC interest costs are deductible from federal income taxes, whereas credit card interest charges are not deductible. Although each individual’s exact marginal tax rate paid depends on adjusted gross income, the National Bureau of Economic Research estimates that, on average, in 1999 interest deductions reduced income taxes 24.5 cents per dollar of interest paid. [10] This implies that, on average, the $44 in HELOC interest payments would generate an estimated $10.78 in federal income tax savings so that the total consumer savings per $1,000 in credit card debt replaced by HELOC would be $104.78 annually. Savings from other loans would be less dramatic. Based on current rates, car loans would cost $58 in interest charges per $1,000 borrowed, or only $14 more than HELOC. But tacking on the deductibility of HELOC raises this savings to $24.78 annually per $1,000 borrowed. The loans likely to be displaced by HELOC would be a mixture of credit card loans and other consumer loans such as car loans. According to Federal Reserve loan data, consumer debt nationwide at the end of 2002 was divided into $738.9 billion in revolving loans, of which credit card debt is a large part, and $1,017.9 billion in non-revolving loans. [11] Assuming Texas consumers have a similar debt profile, about 42 percent of Texas consumer debt would be in revolving credit and 58 percent in non-revolving. Based on these shares, the average consumer would save an estimated $58.38 in interest and tax payments per $1,000 owed by switching from other consumer credit sources to HELOC. [12] How much Texans could save depends on the volume of consumer loans displaced. Using 2001 commercial bank data to update national figures indicates that the traditional home equity loan market in the U.S. reached $352.7 billion, up from $267 billion in 1997. Considering Texas’ share of home equity loans and the average per loan value, Texans account for an estimated 8.4 percent of the U.S. market for traditional home equity loans. Based on this percentage and assuming that Texans would use both traditional and HELOC loans at the national rate, Texas consumers would exchange $12.7 billion in existing loans for HELOC. In doing so, Texas homeowners would save $741 million in interest charges and federal income taxes annually. This would be a modest level of savings. The Federal Reserve Board estimates that households spend about 8 percent of their disposable personal income servicing the debt on revolving loans. [13] The $741 million annual savings from increased use of HELOCs would be about 1.7 percent of the annual amount Texans spend on debt service for revolving loans. [14] Home Equity Delinquencies If Texas consumers relied more on home equity lines of credit and followed national trends, loan delinquencies would likely fall. Based on American Bankers Association data (Table 1), Texas averages fewer loan delinquencies for closed-end home equity loans than consumers at the national level. Loan delinquencies did rise in Texas from 1999 to 2001, but dropped off in 2002. Table 1: Texas Home Equity Delinquency Rates Compared to All Other States Home Equity Delinquency Rates and All States First Mortgage Delinquency Rates* Closed-End** Home Equity Loans(1) Home Equity Lines of Credit(1) All States - First Mortgages(2) Texas All States All States Conventional FHA VA 2002 0.99% 1.30% 0.59% 3.06% 11.55% 7.87% 2001 1.17 1.28 0.73 2.96 10.78 7.67 2000 0.88 1.20 0.75 2.50 9.10 6.80 1999 0.77 1.26 0.62 2.60 8.60 6.80 * Delinquency Rates are based on the number of Loans Past Due 30 Days or More as a Percentage of Loans Outstanding. ** "Closed End" includes home equity and second mortgages (but not home improvement). SOURCES (1)Home equity delinquency rates obtained from "Consumer Credit Delinquency Bulletin" published quarterly by American Bankers Association. (2)First mortgage delinquency rates obtained from "U.S. Census Bureau, Statistical Abstract of the United States, 2001" and Mortgage Bankers Association of America "Quarterly Delinquency Surveys." But nationwide, loan delinquencies for lines of credit are slightly more than half the rates seen for closed end home equity loans. Based on this pattern, a shift towards using home equity lines of credit from traditional home equity loans should lower overall home equity delinquency rates. Compared with first mortgages, the delinquency rates for both home equity loans and lines of credit are substantially lower. Summary The use of home equity loans in Texas has risen dramatically following constitutional changes in Texas in 1997. Use of closed-end traditional home equity loans in Texas exceeds nationwide use. The fact that home equity lines of credit are not available in Texas contributes to a higher reliance on traditional home equity loans. But the strong consumer preference expressed for HELOCs in other states and consumer preference for their ease of use may indicate that continued expansion of lower interest, tax deductible home equity financing by consumers in Texas may slow without access to these loans. If Texans were to use home equity financing only up to the national average through HELOCs, lower interest payments and lower federal taxes would save Texas consumers $741 million. Making HELOCs available to Texas consumers would require passing another constitutional amendment and legislation proposing such amendments will likely be introduced during the current legislative session. If the nature of consumer safeguards and other requirements on lending institutions in Texas making HELOC loans were significantly more restrictive than national practices, interest rates on these loans in Texas could be higher than national rates, and the economic impacts less. Data Collection While banking and finance are two of the most heavily regulated industries, this level of scrutiny does not always result in the availability of detailed information. Since 1987, banks and finance companies have reported home equity lines of credit under receivables on quarterly Call Reports and since 1991 have also separately reported their holdings of traditional closed-end home equity loans. Mutual savings banks also report these data on Federal Reserve Board Call Reports. Other segments of the financial industry report this information to varying degrees. Savings and loan associations and federal saving banks report credit line receivables on Call Reports, but they do not separate home equity loans from first mortgages. Since June 1996, finance companies have reported commercial and residential mortgages separately but do not distinguish between loans under lines of credit and traditional loans. Credit union data is available on both types of home equity debt from the Credit Union National Association. At the national level, some data track the degree to which consumers utilize the various home equity loan alternatives. Every two years the Federal Reserve Board surveys consumers’ use of credit. This data, while instructive on overall trends and the use of home equity loans and lines of credit, does not contain information about practices in particular states. Moreover, much of the state-specific data collected from financial institutions is available primarily for the location of the financial institution involved, and not where the loan was made. Where this data are available, coverage by type of financing (home equity loan versus line of credit) is limited. The Texas-specific data in this analysis is derived largely from two sources. First, the U.S. Bureau of the Census surveys about 60,000 Americans every two years about housing conditions. This survey includes questions about the usage of home equity loans, but only the most recent survey, from 2001, elicits responses on traditional home equity loans separately from home equity lines of credit. Because this survey is national, there is only partial coverage of Texas. Specifically, publicly available data from the survey identifies only responses coming from nine metropolitan areas in Texas. Although the sample does contain responses from non-metropolitan areas, these are not identified by state. The Census survey covers about 68.2 percent of the Texas population. The second source of data is internal surveys of lending activity conducted by lending institutions doing business in Texas. These institutions cover more than 10 percent of the Texas market for commercial financial institutions and financial companies. These data are used to identify the potential to expand home equity lending in Texas if lines of credit became available. Endnotes [1] In 1997 and before, availability of home equity loans in Texas was limited to home improvement loans, loans to pay outstanding taxes and loans allowing one spouse to “buy out” another in the case of divorce. Such loans were typically known as a second lien against the property. Homeowners could not secure a loan backed by the equity in their home and use the proceeds of the loan for purposes other than those specified in law. Outside of Texas, using home equity loan proceeds for whatever purpose and even the more flexible home equity line of credit (a revolving line of credit secured by home equity) have been widely available for years. [2] The tentative nature of this statement stems from what seems to be respondent confusion to the American Housing Survey (AHS). In the 2001 AHS, 14 Texas households identified themselves as having a home equity line of credit in 2001. Since these lines of credit currently cannot be offered in Texas, the most likely explanation for this is that these respondents misunderstood the “line of credit” option in the survey as describing the “draw down” feature of a home improvement loan during construction when, in fact, these instances were almost certainly traditional “closed end” loans. Placing these responses in that category indicates that 6.4 percent of the homeowners in the survey in Texas had a closed-end home equity loan as compared to only 5.7 percent in states outside of Texas. [3] House Joint Resolution 31 (HJR 31) passed by the 1997 Legislature that, upon passage, became effective January 1, 1998. [4] On November 2, 1999, Texas voters approved constitutional amendments proposed by the 1999 Legislature to address these problems, Senate Joint Resolutions 12 and 22 (SJR 12 and 22). [5] Data submitted by lenders in early 2003. For number and amount of loans in Texas, the survey included five large Texas lenders. [6] Glenn B. Canner, Thomas A. Durkin and Charles A. Luckett, “Recent Developments in Home Equity Lending,” Federal Reserve Bulletin, April 1998, p. 243. [7] Canner, Durkin and Luckett, pp. 241- 251. [8] From data submitted by lenders. Together these three lenders serve more than 10 percent of the commercial banking market in Texas. [9] These rates and those of HELOCs are from http://www.bankrate.com/ on February 18, 2003. The credit card rate is for a standard card (not gold or platinum) at a fixed annual rate. The auto loan figure refers to a 48-month loan for a new car. The HELOC rate is for a $10,000 or minimum amount. [10] http://www.nber.org/~taxsim/mrates/mrates2.html , February 20, 2003. [11] Federal Reserve Board Statistical Release, G.19, Consumer Credit, February 7, 2003. http://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/g19/current/ . [12] This is a fairly conservative assessment on two points. First it assumes that consumers would replace current borrowing in proportion to the amount borrowed of each type without consideration of the interest rates charged for each type of borrowing. A more rational approach would be to replace all of the most costly borrowing first. Secondly, new car financing rates are among the lowest cost loans available and this probably underestimates the interest costs of non-revolving loans. [13] http://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/housedebt/default.htm , February 19,2003. [14] Disposable personal income in Texas is estimated to be $535.2 billion in 2001. Carole Keeton Strayhorn Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts Window on State Government Contact Us Privacy and Security Policy