Real Estate Investing

Real Estate Software: Commercial Real Estate Software/Residential Real Estate Investment Software Excel Templates - Excel Training - Excel Add-ins Real Estate Software For Free 24/7 Microsoft Office Support See: Our Free Excel Help & VBA Help Forum . See Also our: Free Excel Newsletter Real Estate Software Real Estate Software Home - Real Estate Software Invest - Real Estate Investment Software Real Estate Investment Software for Real Estate Investors and Home Buyers. For Real Estate Loans, Mortgages, Calculate Amortization & More! See: Property X - Property Investment Analysis Software AND Real Estate Investment Analysis Software Our Most Popular Real Estate Investment Software products Back to: Financial Calculators | Financial Software | Excel Templates | Excel Add-ins | Software Categories | Search All Software Real Estate Investment Software Index Free Choice of Complete Excel Training Course OR OzGrid Add-ins Collectio n on ALL purchases totaling over $70.00. ALL purchases totaling over $150.00 gets you BOTH! Purchases MUST be made via this site. Real Estate Investment Software Popular & VERY Well Priced Real Estate Software that is made specifically for USA real estate , but can be used in any English speaking country that uses dollars (any type of dollars). The real estate investment software suite includes 3 products for financially analyzing income property, and 2 products for all types of real estate, including amortization (loan) and appreciation software. It has investing, commercial real estate, real estate development, and residential (amortization & appreciation) applications.Real Estate Development Software Suit:Download Free Trial Version From Download 1 or Download 2 PropX: Real Estate Software Popular Australian Real Estate Software. PropertyX is a complete property investment analysis software that comes with more than 12 investment analysis calculators, up to 40+ year projections, and investment analysis reports with graphical illustrations. Super Amortization Loan Software The Super Amortization Loan Software is full featured loan software that works for fixed rate, variable rate (up to 3 adjustments), principle and interest payments, interest only payments, interest only payments later switching to principle and interest payments the month you specify, and it can accept up to 30 balloon payments. This software is ideal for anyone wanting full featured loan software for law practice, real estate, or other purposes. Download Shareware Version from Download 1 or Download 2 . Real Estate Calculator Suite Real Estate Calculator Suite includes a Date Calculator, a Fraction / Decimal interest rate conversion table, sample text for closing credit accounts, a Documentation List to help you gather your paperwork, a Home Inspection form to help you review potential homes, a Mover's To Do List, a Fraction/Decimal Conversion Chart and useful tips for home buyers and sellers PC Property Manager Real estate software-PC Property Manager is a rental property management software & Real Estate Investment Software system for residential rental property investors to manage their financial and other rental property transactions. It is more than an excellent book-keeping system. Amortization Calculations Mortgage and loan software includes the powerful Amortization Schedules Plus! feature that allows you to override, skip or add any number of payments. Includes 14 different Day Count Conventions including 30/360 and Actual/Actual, plus many different Payment Types including Normal, Continually Adjusting Payments, Fixed Principal plus Interest and Interest Only. Back To Real Estate Software. Top^ Property Management software Practical and easy-to-use DIY property management software to create tenant statements and reports, track payments and expenses for unlimited number of tenants, owners, loans and investments PLUS loan and investment tracker and simulator. Amortization Calculato r Amortization schedules and calculators to solve financial questions instantly Make better financial decisions and save time and money with the Ultimate Loan Calculator. Amortization Loan Software Calculate your payment and make a payment schedule. Can accept up to 30 balloon payments, if you have any. 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Financial Advisor for Borrowing, business profitability, discounted cash flows, financial planning, investing, bonds, cost of capital, options, valuation and more! Home Buyers Calculation Suite Real Estate Calculator Suite is an integrated collection of real estate calculators for Windows that gives you the ability to play with the numbers. Back To Real Estate Software. Top^ Home, Car, Loan, Mortgage .... Calculator Software that offers financial management software solutions for mortgage calculation, loan calculators, and real estate calculators. Financial planning and investment calculators are the Software's expertise. Loan Advisor for Excel Loan Advisor for Excel is a special loan toolbox derived from Financial Advisor for Excel with many loan calculators for users who need a tool to establish and compare different loan options. This powerful set of calculators will help you in many loan calculations and determine the better loan for you. QuikCalc Mortgage & Loan Manager Lite Down Payment Amount, Gross Debt Service Ratio, House Price from Payment Amount, Interest, Amount, Maximum Loan, Maximum Payment, Mortgage Payment, Principal Amount, Rent Payments Total, Time to Pay Off Accelerated Loan, Total Debt Service Ratio, Total Debt Service Ratio Maximum Amount, Total Interest Paid, Total Paid for Home. QuikCalc Mortgage & Loan Manager Personal Mortgage and loan software includes the powerful Amortization Schedules Plus! feature that allows you to override, skip or add any number of payments. The Loan Management feature allows you to track actual loan terms and varying interest rates, as well as your actual payments made and projected payments QuikCalc Amortization Mortgage and loan Real Estate Investment Software includes easy to use amortization tables and schedules that allow any interest rate, payment and compounding frequency, including accelerated payments. Includes many reports including annual summaries. See before and after comparisons of your changes. Data file backup and integrated field level popup calculator also included. Back To Real Estate Software. Top^ Main Software Categories Search All add-ins and Software Excel Add-ins || Excel Training || Excel Templates || Employee Scheduling Software || Excel, Word, Access Password Recovery || Corrupt Excel, Word, Access File Recovery || Financial Software || Financial Calculators || Conversion Software || Construction & Estimating Software || Real Estate Investment Software || Time & Project Management Software || Database Software || Neural Network Software || Trading Software || Charting Software || Windows & Internet Software || Barcodes , Fonts, ActiveX, Labels and DLL's

Home For Sale

Seattle Washington Real Estate / homes for sale / mortgage / refinance / home equity ® , requesting a mortgage, apartment locating services and moving resources." Real Estate .com - Seattle real estate listings, new homes for sale, find a REALTOR ® or request a mortgage, refinance or home equity loan. Find a REALTOR ® in Seattle and Receive a Gift Card Worth Up To $1,000 or more. OR Find a Builder in Seattle with iNest and Get 1% Cash Back! You may also want to: Use Our FREE Personal Home Buying Guide Get Pre-Qualified through LendingTree Get Your Credit Report Search Homes in Seattle You may also want to: Find out what the house in Seattle isworth, it's FREE. Get a Mortgage through LendingTree Related articles: Negotiating Strategies Understanding Contractsand Contingencies Find a Home Inspector in Seattle Find a Mover in Seattle Related article: Understand a Home Appraisal FREE Utilities Setup in Seattle Receive Competitive Quotes for Homeowners' Insurance in Seattle Type: Homes, The Real Estate Book Additional Home Listings New Construction Homes Foreclosure Homes State or Province: Please Choose Alberta, AB Alaska, AK Alabama, AL Arkansas, AR Arizona, AZ British Columbia, BC California, CA Colorado, CO Connecticut, CT District of Columbia, DC Delaware, DE Florida, FL Georgia, GA Hawaii, HI Iowa, IA Idaho, ID Illinois, IL Indiana, IN Kansas, KS Kentucky, KY Louisiana, LA Massachusetts, MA Manitoba, MB Maryland, MD Maine, ME Michigan, MI Minnesota, MN Missouri, MO Mississippi, MS Montana, MT New Brunswick, NB North Carolina, NC North Dakota, ND Nebraska, NE New Hampshire, NH New Jersey, NJ New Mexico, NM Nova Scotia, NS Nevada, NV New York, NY Ohio, OH Oklahoma, OK Ontario, ON Oregon, OR Pennsylvania, PA Rhode Island, RI South Carolina, SC South Dakota, SD Tennessee, TN Texas, TX Utah, UT Virginia, VA Vermont, VT Washington, WA Wisconsin, WI West Virginia, WV Wyoming, WY City: Select a State or Zip: Price Range: Any $50,000 $75,000 $100,000 $125,000 $150,000 $175,000 $200,000 $225,000 $250,000 $275,000 $300,000 $325,000 $350,000 $375,000 $400,000 $425,000 $450,000 $475,000 $500,000 $525,000 $550,000 $575,000 $600,000 $625,000 $650,000 $675,000 $700,000 $725,000 $750,000 $775,000 $800,000 $825,000 $850,000 $875,000 $900,000 $925,000 $950,000 $975,000 $1,000,000 $5,000,000 $10,000,000 to Any $50,000 $75,000 $100,000 $125,000 $150,000 $175,000 $200,000 $225,000 $250,000 $275,000 $300,000 $325,000 $350,000 $375,000 $400,000 $425,000 $450,000 $475,000 $500,000 $525,000 $550,000 $575,000 $600,000 $625,000 $650,000 $675,000 $700,000 $725,000 $750,000 $775,000 $800,000 $825,000 $850,000 $875,000 $900,000 $925,000 $950,000 $975,000 $1,000,000 $5,000,000 $10,000,000 Bedrooms: Any 1+ 2+ 3+ 4+ 5+ Baths: Any 1+ 2+ 3+ 4+ 5+ Please note: Not all real estate professionals participate in the "Find a REALTOR ® " program, which you must use in order to receive The Home Depot ® incentive. Lenders use qualifying ratios to determine how much of a mortgage you can reasonably afford. Read More Loan Amount: Term in Months: Interest Rate: Monthly Payment: How much will your gift card be if you use a REALTOR ® on the Network? How much can you borrow? What will adjustable rate payments be? Which is better: 15 or 30 year term? Find a REALTOR ® in Seattle and Receive a Gift Card Worth Up To $1,000 or more. You may also want to: Use Our FREE Personal Home Selling Guide Find a Home Inspector in Seattle Featured articles by Realty Times ® : 20 Ways REALTORS ® Successfully Market Homes Let the Seller Beware? Tips for Home Sellers Find out what the house in Seattle isworth, it's FREE. Related article: Why Should You Use A Seller's Agent in Seattle? Negotiating Strategies Understanding Contractsand Contingencies Find a Mover in Seattle Related article: Understand a Home Appraisal FREE Utilities Setup in Seattle Buying a Home | Selling a Home | Homes for Sale | Credit Report & Score | House Prices at Domania New Home Construction | Find a Mover | Find a REALTOR ® | Home Financing | Real Estate Learning Center Customer Service | Publications | For the Media | News Releases | Join Our Real Estate Network | Post Home Listings Privacy | Security | Terms of Use | Jobs | Disclosures and Licenses | Sitemap | Loans | Commercial Real Estate Houses for Sale in: Atlanta | Austin | Boston | Charlotte | Chicago | Dallas | Denver | Houston | Las Vegas | Los Angeles Miami | Minneapolis | New York | Philadelphia | Phoenix | San Antonio | San Diego | San Francisco | Seattle Washington, DC | Real Estate in More Cities LendingTree technology and processes are patented under US Patent Nos. 6,385,594 and 6,611,816. © 1998 - Real Estate.com, a service of LendingTree, LLC. All Rights Reserved.This site is directed at, and made available to, persons in the continental U.S., Alaska and Hawaii only. Conversion to LendingTree, LLC We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the Nation. We encourage and support an affirmative advertising and marketing program in which there are no barriers to obtaining housing because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin. REALTOR ® -- A registered collective membership mark that identifies a real estate professional who is a member of the National Association of REALTORS ® and subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics. Not all of the real estate professionals participating in the "Agent's Competing" program are REALTORS ® , which are members of the National Association of REALTORS ® . The Home Depot ® is not affiliated with LendingTree, LLC. The Home Depot ® is a registered trademark of Homer TLC, Inc. 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Land for sale in

Land for Sale - Plots for Sale - Land for Sale UK from PropertySpy Home Land for Sale Land Portfolio Investing in Land TV Adverts Land News About Us Contact Us Land for sale in Saunderton I would like to view details of land for sale in UK TITLE Mr Mrs Ms Miss Dr FIRST NAME SURNAME EMAIL MOBILE HOUSE NO POSTCODE NOTES Are you interested in: Land investment or: Self-build The information is solely for the use of PropertySpy and will not be passed on to any third party. To browse our plots of Land for sale UK, please give your details. We will immediately e-mail you the particulars. If you would rather speak directly to one of our Team please telephone: 0845 1 244 277 Local call rates apply The PropertySpy Plc Group specialises in Land for sale in England. The Group is run by an experienced property team. PropertySpy listens carefully to customer needs and searches England for Land for sale of all types. These Plots of Land are then offered to you. Saunderton NEW! Our site is a few minutes walk from Saunderton Station offering a regular peak time service to London Marylebone and Birmingham Snow Hill. Lacey Green NEW! Lacey Green has largely become a residential village, from which most working members of the population commute to other destinations. We have a wide variety of land to choose from, with over 30 sites in 14 counties . Our sites are in prime locations, next to existing development with good rail and road links, and close to local amenities. For online particulars of the freehold land for sale in our portfolio, please register using the form on the right and we will immediately email you details. Alternatively, if you are looking for a plot for sale in a particular area, then call our Land sales team on 0845 1 244 277. It is widely reported that the price of freehold land for sale in the UK has increased significantly in recent years. Rural land prices rose by 30% in 2004 (RICS) and residential land prices have increased a staggering 8-fold over the past 20 years (Halifax). With these statistics it is hardly surprising plots for sale of greenbelt land are seen as a viable alternative to more traditional investments. Investors are snapping up land for sale that is available. A report from the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors recently concluded, "More and more people are being turned on by land as an investment vehicle. These are not just downshifting city slickers but also those looking for a viable investment alternative to bricks and mortar or the stock market." Investing in PropertySpy Land has the advantage that there is currently neither VAT nor Stamp Duty to pay on your investment. In addition there are no rates to pay whilst the land remains undeveloped. There are solid benefits to buying land for sale. Land is a tangible asset - it's real and its supply is limited. The demand for land for sale, particularly in the Southeast, is soaring because of the chronic housing shortage. Large profits can be made from buying greenfield land, which then obtains planning permission. Planning permission, however, cannot be guaranteed on land. But such are the gains from buying this type of land for sale that the Government commissioned Barker Report concluded, "landowners and developers typically make windfall gains as a result of residential planning permission being granted, especially where this is on greenfield sites. These windfall or development gains result from the increase in land values, as land for housing is worth up to 300 times more than agricultural land." Prices of our plots for sale start at just £10,000. Plot sizes vary from an eighth to a quarter of an acre, which is sufficient to build a detached 3 or 4 bedroom family sized home subject to planning permission. So if you are looking for an investment, why not consider buying land for sale? You can contact PropertySpy direct on 0845 1 244 277 to discuss your interest in land. Please note that planning permission cannot be guaranteed. Top of Page - Print this Page - Contact Us - Home © PropertySpy Plc 2000 - 2005 Chaucer House, 4-6 Upper Marlborough Road, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL1 3UR Telephone: 0845 1 244 277 Free DVD Offer NEW! Land Under £10,000 Flexi Plot Implementing Planning LandSpy Newsletter Value Plus Service Development Gains Land Purchasing Why use a Solicitor Land Buying Department Marking Your Plot Financial Advice Tax Information Land FAQ The greatest pressure on land is in the South East, the very region where help with affordability is most needed and where the average single plot costs 123,000... Evening Standard, 09/12/2005 Planners will be forced to allow the building of a third more new homes every year, with the building taking place in the parts of the country where house prices are the highest, the Government said yesterday... Daily Telegraph, 06/12/2005 The boss of Britain's biggest housebuilder wants 'scruffy' parts of the Green Belt torn up for housebuilding... Evening Standard, 29/11/2005

Texas Land

Bush and the Texas Land Grab Bush and the Texas Land Grab July 16, 2002 By Nicholas D. Kristof Editorial Op-Ed To submit a Letter to the Editor: letters@nytimes.com Democrats and media hounds are baying under the wrong tree. The point in President Bush's business career where he took outrageous shortcuts was not at Harken Energy, but rather when he was grabbing land for a new baseball stadium in Arlington for his Texas Rangers baseball team. Mr. Bush broke no laws. Neither do the overwhelming majority of corporate executives. The cloud over the business world comes not so much from lawbreaking as from avaricious bruising of the public interest. The challenge is not catching criminals but injecting public scrutiny into a culture of cronyism in which executives, accountants, regulators and "independent" board members all ooze empathy for each other. When Asia had its economic crisis in 1997-98, Americans properly trashed its "crony capitalism." But we suffer from the same affliction ourselves, and President Bush will not address the issue seriously because cronyism has been his way of life -- the Bushes call it loyalty. I have a stack of court documents from Arlington that portray the "sordid and shocking tale" of the Rangers stadium, as one lawsuit puts it. Essentially, Mr. Bush and the owners' group he led bullied and misled the city into raising taxes to build a $200 million stadium that in effect would be handed over to the Rangers. As part of the deal, the city would even confiscate land from private owners so that the Rangers owners could engage in real estate speculation. "It was a $200 million transfer to Bush and Rangers owners," complains Jim Runzheimer, an anti-tax campaigner in Arlington. William Eastland, a leading Republican in Arlington, is also outraged, and puts it this way: "You're using public money for a private purpose." Mr. Eastland was a Bush delegate to the Republican National Convention in 2000 but still believes that the Bush group behaved shadily and against the public interest. Local voters overwhelmingly approved the deal, so maybe we shouldn't get so exercised by star-struck local officials giving $200 million to rich baseball owners. But the most unseemly part of the deal was that Mr. Bush and the Rangers' owners conspired with city officials to seize private property that would be handed over to the Bush group. "A group of wealthy and influential people threatened and traded their way into an unprecedented takeover of government power and private property in an awesome display of greed and avarice," charges a lawsuit by the landowners, in what strikes me as a fair recitation of events. Another suit charges that the deal "can only be described as astounding, unprecedented and blatantly illegal." A copy of the secret agreement among Mr. Bush and the other Rangers owners shows that they intended to make money not just by running a baseball club but also by land speculation. For example, one owner found a nice chunk of land and sent a memo suggesting that it "sounds like another condemnation candidate if you want to work the site into your master plan," according to the court documents. Another of the owners' internal memos casts a proprietary gaze on a property and declares: "We plan to condemn this land." For a group of financiers to go around town admiring properties and deciding which to seize through the government power of condemnation so that they can acquire free land and speculate on it is appalling. Even Kazakhstan would blush at such practices. Horace Kelton, for example, owned land that the Rangers wanted. The owners got Arlington to seize it, with the city paying less than $1.50 per square foot even though it had previously paid $10 a square foot for other land nearby. "It was an extremely low price, and that's why we had a court case that lasted seven years," Mr. Kelton recalled. Eventually, his family got $11 a square foot. In fairness, Mr. Bush was simply being a hard-nosed businessman. He did a great job leading the owners' group, and it's hard to take seriously the caricature of him as unintelligent when he led the Rangers so lucratively. Indeed, his $14 million profit on the Rangers financed his entry into politics. But it's also a sordid tale of cronyism, of misuse of power, of cozy backroom money-grubbing -- a more pressing threat to American business than outright criminality. LINK to source

home equity lines of

What You Should Know About Home Equity Lines of Credit ESPAÑOL More and more lenders are offering home equity lines of credit. By using the equity in your home, you may qualify for a sizable amount of credit, available for use when and how you please, at an interest rate that is relatively low. Furthermore, under the tax lawdepending on your specific situationyou may be allowed to deduct the interest because the debt is secured by your home. If you are in the market for credit, a home equity plan may be right for you. Or perhaps another form of credit would be better. Before making a decision, you should weigh carefully the costs of a home equity line against the benefits. Shop for the credit terms that best meet your borrowing needs without posing undue financial risk. And remember, failure to repay the amounts youve borrowed, plus interest, could mean the loss of your home. What is a home equity line of credit? What should you look for when shopping for a plan? Costs of establishing and maintaining a home equity line How will you repay your home equity plan? Lines of credit vs. traditional second morgage loans What is a home equity line of credit? A home equity line of credit is a form of revolving credit in which your home serves as collateral. Because the home is likely to be a consumers largest asset, many homeowners use their credit lines only for major items such as education, home improvements, or medical bills and not for day-to-day expenses. With a home equity line, you will be approved for a specific amount of credityour credit limit , the maximum amount you may borrow at any one time under the plan. Many lenders set the credit limit on a home equity line by taking a percentage (say, 75 percent) of the homes appraised value and subtracting from that the balance owed on the existing mortgage. For example: Appraised value of home $100,000 Percentage x 75% Percentage of appraised value = $ 75,000 Less balance owed on mortgage - $ 40,000 Potential credit $ 35,000 In determining your actual credit limit, the lender will also consider your ability to repay, by looking at your income, debts, and other financial obligations as well as your credit history. Many home equity plans set a fixed period during which you can borrow money, such as 10 years. At the end of this draw period, you may be allowed to renew the credit line. If your plan does not allow renewals, you will not be able to borrow additional money once the period has ended. Some plans may call for payment in full of any outstanding balance at the end of the period. Others may allow repayment over a fixed period (the repayment period), for example, 10 years. Once approved for a home equity line of credit, you will most likely be able to borrow up to your credit limit whenever you want. Typically, you will use special checks to draw on your line. Under some plans, borrowers can use a credit card or other means to draw on the line. There may be limitations on how you use the line. Some plans may require you to borrow a minimum amount each time you draw on the line (for example, $300) and to keep a minimum amount outstanding. Some plans may also require that you take an initial advance when the line is set up. What should you look for when shopping for a plan? If you decide to apply for a home equity line of credit, look for the plan that best meets your particular needs. Read the credit agreement carefully, and examine the terms and conditions of various plans, including the annual percentage rate (APR) and the costs of establishing the plan. The APR for a home equity line is based on the interest rate alone and will not reflect the closing costs and other fees and charges, so youll need to compare these costs, as well as the APRs, among lenders. Interest rate charges and related plan features Home equity lines of credit typically involve variable rather than fixed interest rates. The variable rate must be based on a publicly available index (such as the prime rate published in some major daily newspapers or a U.S. Treasury bill rate); the interest rate for borrowing under the home equity line changes, mirroring fluctuations in the value of the index. Most lenders cite the interest rate you will pay as the value of the index at a particular time plus a margin, such as 2 percentage points. Because the cost of borrowing is tied directly to the value of the index, it is important to find out which index is used, how often the value of the index changes, and how high it has risen in the past as well as the amount of the margin. Lenders sometimes offer a temporarily discounted interest rate for home equity linesa rate that is unusually low and may last for only an introductory period, such as 6 months. Variable-rate plans secured by a dwelling must, by law, have a ceiling (or cap ) on how much your interest rate may increase over the life of the plan. Some variable-rate plans limit how much your payment may increase and how low your interest rate may fall if interest rates drop. Some lenders allow you to convert from a variable interest rate to a fixed rate during the life of the plan, or to convert all or a portion of your line to a fixed-term installment loan. Plans generally permit the lender to freeze or reduce your credit line under certain circumstances. For example, some variable-rate plans may not allow you to draw additional funds during a period in which the interest rate reaches the cap. Costs of establishing and maintaining a home equity line Many of the costs of setting up a home equity line of credit are similar to those you paywhen you buy a home. For example: A fee for a property appraisal to estimate the value of your home An application fee , which may not be refunded if you are turned down for credit Up-front charges, such as one or more points (one point equals 1 percent of the credit limit) Closing costs, including fees for attorneys, title search, and mortgage preparation and filing; property and title insurance; and taxes. In addition, you may be subject to certain fees during the plan period, such as annual membership or maintenance fees and a transaction fee every time you draw on the credit line. You could find yourself paying hundreds of dollars to establish the plan. If you were to draw only a small amount against your credit line, those initial charges would substantially increase the cost of the funds borrowed. On the other hand, because the lenders risk is lower than for other forms of credit, as your home serves as collateral, annual percentage rates for home equity lines are generally lower than rates for other types of credit. The interest you save could offset the costs of establishing and maintaining the line. Moreover, some lenders waive some or all of the closing costs. How will you repay your home equity plan? Before entering into a plan, consider how you will pay back the money you borrow. Some plans set minimum payments that cover a portion of the principal (the amount you borrow) plus accrued interest. But (unlike with the typical installment loan) the portion that goes toward principal may not be enough to repay the principal by the end of the term. Other plans may allow payment of interest alone during the life of the plan, which means that you pay nothing toward the principal. If you borrow $10,000, you will owe that amount when the plan ends. Regardless of the minimum required payment, you may choose to pay more, and many lenders offer a choice of payment options. Many consumers choose to pay down the principal regularly as they do with other loans. For example, if you use your line to buy a boat, you may want to pay it off as you would a typical boat loan. Whatever your payment arrangements during the life of the planwhether you pay some, a little, or none of the principal amount of the loanwhen the plan ends you may have to pay the entire balance owed, all at once. You must be prepared to make this balloon payment by refinancing it with the lender, by obtaining a loan from another lender, or by some other means. If you are unable to make the balloon payment, you could lose your home. If your plan has a variable interest rate, your monthly payments may change. Assume, for example, that you borrow $10,000 under a plan that calls for interest-only payments. At a 10 percent interest rate, your monthly payments would be $83. If the rate rises over time to 15 percent, your monthly payments will increase to $125. Similarly, if you are making payments that cover interest plus some portion of the principal, your monthly payments may increase, unless your agreement calls for keeping payments the same throughout the plan period. If you sell your home, you will probably be required to pay off your home equity line in full immediately. If you are likely to sell your home in the near future, consider whether it makes sense to pay the up-front costs of setting up a line of credit. Also keep in mind that renting your home may be prohibited under the terms of your agreement. Lines of credit vs. traditional second morgage loans If you are thinking about a home equity line of credit, you might also want to consider a traditional second mortgage loan. A second mortgage provides you with a fixed amount of money repayable over a fixed period. In most cases the payment schedule calls for equal payments that will pay off the entire loan within the loan period. You might consider a second mortgage instead of a home equity line if, for example, you need a set amount for a specific purpose, such as an addition to your home. In deciding which type of loan best suits your needs, consider the costs under the two alternatives. Look at both the APR and other charges. Do not, however, simply compare the APRs, because the APRs on the two types of loans are figured differently: The APR for a traditional second mortgage loan takes into account the interest rate charged plus points and other finance charges. The APR for a home equity line of credit is based on the periodic interest rate alone. It does not include points or other charges. Disclosures from lenders The federal Truth in Lending Act requires lenders to disclose the important terms and costs of their home equity plans, including the APR, miscellaneous charges, the payment terms, and information about any variable-rate feature. And in general, neither the lender nor anyone else may charge a fee until after you have received this information. You usually get these disclosures when you receive an application form, and you will get additional disclosures before the plan is opened. If any term (other than a variable-rate feature) changes before the plan is opened, the lender must return all fees if you decide not to enter into the plan because of the change. When you open a home equity line, the transaction puts your home at risk. If the home involved is your principal dwelling, the Truth in Lending Act gives you 3 days from the day the account was opened to cancel the credit line. This right allows you to change your mind for any reason. You simply inform the lender in writing within the 3-day period. The lender must then cancel its security interest in your home and return all feesincluding any application and appraisal feespaid to open the account. The information on this site is adapted from the brochure "What You Should Know about Home Equity Lines of Credit." Single or multiple copies of the brochure are available without charge. Order the brochure by telephone, mail, or fax . Order online . Glossary | Where to go for help | Checklist Home | Consumer information | Publications | Brochures Accessibility | Contact us Last update: March 1, 2004