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

Investment Property

Find a Property Investment Properties edition Buy to let, property development and investment opportunities Find a Property - Home Property Search Estate Agents Property News Specialist Properties Browse All Areas Find your ideal house, flat or apartment for sale or rent Find a Property - Moving made easy Find a Property - Specialist Properties - Investment Properties Investment Properties Property Edition Buy to let, property development and investment opportunities The Buy to Let market, one of the great success stories of the last ten years, has produced a growing band of happy investors buoyed up by the delights of solid capital growth and respectable rental incomes. It is, however, a cyclical market and one as subject to the laws of supply and demand as any other sector of the economy. Experts will advise that prospective investors should take pains to carefully research the local market and view the business as a medium to long term project. Viewed in that light, it remains a very solid bet and will continue as a popular option for a diverse cross-section of the population. This edition includes dozens of properties which should appeal to those motivated by high rental returns as well as those whose primary concern is capital growth. It also includes details of experienced agents who have made this sector a speciality. So if you're new to the market and need a reliable expert to lead you through the maze, if you're a seasoned player and know exactly what your looking for, or if you live overseas and need a professional all-in-one 'hands off' management service to take care of your portfolio this is the place to begin your search. Property in the Investment Properties edition London (North of Thames) London (South of Thames) Surrey & Middlesex Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire & Essex Hampshire, Sussex & Kent Rest of UK Rest of Europe Rest of World Today's featured property for the Investment Properties edition... Blyth Road, London, E17, London E17 "Blyth Road, E17. A first floor end of terrace flat located on this quiet street off Lea Bridge Road. The property would benefit from some modernisation and comprises two large bedrooms, bathroom." On the market for £ 147,995 through ludlowthompson.com Rental Returns Overestimated 22 Nov 2005: Recent research from Landlord Mortgages accuses some lettings agents of exaggerating rental returns...... Landlords Remain Upbeat 26 Oct 2005: Landlords are in a bullish mood and plan to buy more properties in the months ahead, says a new survey...... How To Invest In Property 20 Oct 2005: How clued-up are you when it comes to spotting a good property investment? If you feel you could use a helping hand, Ludlow Thomson has some tips...... Learning To Invest 20 Jul 2005: Thinking about investing in property but new to the business? Investment guru Simon Shinerock explains why it can pay to learn from the experts...... Fantastic Investment Opportunity In South Africa 12 May 2005: How does the prospect of investing in a brand new development at the heart of Cape Town sound? Appealing? Read on for more details...... From Coronation Street To Canary Wharf 24 Mar 2005: From the terraced houses of Coronation Street to the high-rise apartment blocks of Canary Wharf: actress Annie Hulley has become a serious player in London's buy-to-let market...... PIFS Unlikely To Conflict With Buy-To-Let 03 Mar 2005: The introduction of property investment funds (PIFs) in the UK would add value to the property market but would be unlikely to have much effect on the buy-to-let sector, says a new report...... Investors Keep Faith With Property 09 Feb 2005: Despite the recent slowdown in the housing market, investors believe that property still provides the safest home for their hard-earned money...... Buy-To-Let Confidence High 07 Jan 2005: Despite negative comment from some quarters, landlords and mortgage intermediaries remain optimistic about the investment market...... Buy-To-Let Looking Good 06 Jan 2005: Strong tenant demand is pushing up rents and boosting landlords' yields, says a new report...... Landlords Hold The Line 14 Dec 2004: Despite falling house prices, most landlords are determined to hang onto their investment properties, says a new survey...... One-bed Flats Do Well 25 Nov 2004: Landlords take note: rents on one-bed flats are outpacing the rest of the market...... Buy-To-Let To Boom 08 Nov 2004: Despite talk of a market slowdown, the coming decade should see a huge increase in the number of buy-to-let investors, says a new report...... Rents On The Rise 20 Oct 2004: Rents are on the up in many parts of the country as landlords pay more for investment properties, says Paragon Mortgages...... What Tenants Want 29 Sep 2004: Power shower or roll-top bath? Garden or trendy kitchen with mod cons? Which features will have tenants fighting over your property?...... Investors Fly To Let 20 Aug 2004: As the housing market cools in Britain, investors are starting to pack their bags and look for bargains overseas...... Landlords Stand Firm 06 Jul 2004: Buy-to-let investors are showing few signs of stress and a mere 2.7 per cent say they'll sell up if house prices start to fall...... Women Bet On Buy-To-Let 23 Jun 2004: The property industry has long been a case of jobs for the boys, but that hasn't stopped a new generation of women investors from getting a foot on the development ladder...... A Leg Up From Your Landlord 22 Sep 2003: It might sound improbable, but a clever new scheme aims to help landlords make a healthy profit while giving tenants the chance to save a deposit for their first home...... Rent: The Furniture 03 Apr 2002: If you've ever been let down by a removals company, are about to relocate to the UK with your family, or are a serious buy to let landlord, rented furniture could be just the ticket....... Tenants From Hell 16 Nov 2001: They don't come trailing sulphurous smoke in their wake and 666 is not emblazoned on their foreheads. So a new service which promises to help identify the tenants from Hell should prove very popular with landlords and letting agents...... Well Hammered 15 Oct 2001: Buy at auction, the pundits all declare, if you want to pick up a bargain. Fine if you have the confidence and expertise to bid with the best. But where do you go if you don't? Meet the man with the answer...... Local Authority 08 Dec 2000: Ex-council properties may be viewed with suspicion in some quarters but in an inflated London market they're still within reach for hard-pressed first-time buyers and an excellent prospect for canny buy-to-let investors...... All Over The Shop 17 Nov 2000: Once upon a time, high streets across the land had a butcher, a baker, a candlestick maker and people who lived contentedly above the shops...... Investment Properties Property Edition Buy to let, property development and investment opportunities This edition only includes specially selected properties. To search every property in an area select your local edition Top Top Find a Property - Home Property Search Estate Agents Property News Specialist Properties Browse All Areas Find a Property 2004 Advertise (estate agents only) Contact us (estate agents only) Privacy Policy Terms & Conditions

Florida Real Estate Commission's

Online Florida Real Estate License Courses Login Online real estate courses at rock bottom prices...FREE SHIPPING all orders.** Online Florida Sales Associate Pre-License Course Take your 63-hour prelicensing course online. Fulfills the Florida Real Estate Commission's (FREC) education requirement for all persons wanting to become licensed sales associates (real estate agents) in Florida. Available online or on CD-ROM. Enroll now and get started in minutes! Special this week— $199. [ learn more ] Online Florida Sales Associate Post-License Course Take your 45-hour post-licensing course online. Fulfills the Florida Real Estate Commission's (FREC) education requirement for a sales associate's first renewal. Available online or on CD-ROM. Enroll now and get started in minutes! Tuition starts at just $175. [ learn more ] Online Florida Broker Pre-License Course Take your 72-hour pre-licensing course online. Fulfills the Florida Real Estate Commission's (FREC) education requirement for becoming a Florida Broker. Enroll now and get started in minutes! Tuition starts at just $349. [ learn more ] Online Florida Broker Post-License Courses Take your 60-hour post-licensing requirement online.Our courses fulfill the Florida Real Estate Commission's (FREC) education requirementfor Florida Broker post-licensing education. Enroll now and get started in minutes! Tuitionstarts at just $165 per course. [ learn more ] Did you find it cheaper somewhere else? Request a price match. real estate news Special Holiday Hours: Friday, Dec. 23 - closed @ noon. Mon. Dec. 26, closed Fri. Dec. 30th closed at noon Mon. Jan. 2nd closed Governor Bush, in response to the damage of Hurricane Wilma, has changed the expiration date for real estate applications. [learn more] Testimonials - Don't take our word for it, see what our students have to say about the quality and service you can expect in all of our real estate courses and exam prep products. [learn more] Florida Real Estate Exam Prep For Spanish Speakers - The new Spanish-English version of our exam prep program will help you review for your real estate exam in Spanish! Toggle between Spanish and English real estate questions at any time. [learn more] exam prep superstore We've got all the exam prep software , books , audio cds , cd-roms and textbooks you need to pass your real estate exams the first time. Florida Broker Exam Prep CD-ROM. Florida Sales Associate Exam Prep CD-ROM. Florida Mutual Recognition Exam Prep CD-ROM . Florida Real Estate Exam Review Manual . Florida Real Estate Exam Prep Audio CDs and Books . Exam Prep for nearly every state . resources Can't find a Florida Real Estate Commission form or need to know the location of your nearest testing center? Florida Real Estate Commission Forms . Florida Testing Locations . Exam Candidate Handbook . Florida Real Estate Commission Statutes and Rules . Apply online to take or retake your Florida Real Estate Licensing Exam. Take the free 100-question practice exam. help Thinking of getting into the Real Estate business, but don't know where to start? Here's a guide to the steps you should take. Qualifications and requirements for obtaining a Florida real estate license and becoming a realtor. Watch a Video describing the requirements for Sales Associates , Brokers and Mutual Recognition licenses. Step By Step - how to get your Florida real estate license. Real Estate Career Information and Statistics . Log in to your online course. Facts About The Real Estate School, Inc. A career in real estate starts with The Real Estate School. We offer real estate pre-license , post-license and continuing education courses in the classroom and also provide online courses for real estate professionals. Please take a few minutes to explore our site. You will find information on our school, our course offerings and our instructors, as well as important resources for real estate professionals such as links to real estate license law , the Florida Real Estate Commission (FREC) and other industry-related sites. Conveniently located in Tallahassee, at 2100 Centerville Road, we have been training real estate professionals in North Florida for more than 20 years. We have helped more students obtain real estate licenses than any other school in the area. You'll love the wall-to-wall windows with tree-top views. Our instructors are personable and knowledgeable, with years of experience in the fields of real estate sales, brokerage and appraisal. Our online real estate courses are second to none. We offer online sales associate pre-licensing and online post-licensing courses , with a wide variety of supplemental material to help students pass the Florida real estate exam . We realize that choosing the best real estate school can be a tough decision. We encourage you to see what our students have to say about us . If you're in the Tallahasse region and considering taking one of our classroom courses, feel free to call a few local brokers and ask them which real estate school they would recommend. We're confident they will send you to us. If you have any questions that have not been answered by your visit to our site, please contact us and let us know. ** Free UPS Ground shipping on all orders is available in the continental US only. Free shipping not applicable to Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico or the US Virgin Islands. home | courses | exam prep | books | laws | forum | articles | support | contact | links forum -- online store | store search | view cart | checkout | terms & conditions | testimonials | site map All content 2002-2005, The Real Estate School, Inc. 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Property Search

Property for Sale - Flats & Houses for sale - Property Search - Fish4 cars homes lettings jobs About fish4 | Contact us | FAQ's Search Buying Selling Mortgages Utilities Surveys Insurance Removals Estate agent directory New homes Overseas homes Find an estate agent Use our directory to find agents in your area. Location Agent’s Name Save adverts, set up email alerts... SIGN IN | Register myfish4 Homes for sale - search We have 295,639 homes for sale Location* eg Leeds or RG1 Minimum price £ £10,000 £20,000 £25,000 £30,000 £35,000 £40,000 £45,000 £50,000 £60,000 £70,000 £80,000 £90,000 £100,000 £110,000 £120,000 £130,000 £140,000 £150,000 £160,000 £170,000 £180,000 £190,000 £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 £550,000 £600,000 £650,000 £700,000 £800,000 £900,000 £1,000,000 £1,500,000 £2,000,000 £3,000,000 Maximum price £ £20,000 £25,000 £30,000 £35,000 £40,000 £45,000 £50,000 £60,000 £70,000 £80,000 £90,000 £100,000 £110,000 £120,000 £130,000 £140,000 £150,000 £160,000 £170,000 £180,000 £190,000 £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 £550,000 £600,000 £650,000 £700,000 £800,000 £900,000 £1,000,000 £1,500,000 £2,000,000 £3,000,000 Minimum bedrooms No preference Studio At least One At least Two At least Three At least Four At least Five Property type No preference House - Detached House - Semi-detached Flat/Apartment House - Other Bungalow Other Advanced search This weeks deals New homes Search exclusively for brand new property developments across the UK Home insurance Search great value insurance and learn about protecting your home. Surveys and solicitors Learn everything you need to know about surveys, auctions, convenancing and your property rights Find a mortgage Search every mortgage available in the UK via our mortgage guide Overseas Homes Use fish4's comprehensive search facility to find your dream home Discounts with British Gas Up to 190 of discounts could be yours, just switch through British Gas online ©2005 fish4 trading ltd. All rights reserved. | User terms | Privacy policy UI build: $Revision: 1.2 $, $Name: $ Code build: fish4_1_40_b02 Page:/homes Business:/vertical/homes/simplesearch.jsp Template:/containers/homes_home.jsp Render time: 24ms (0ms Action,24ms JSP, 0ms system)

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