Home equity loans are relatively easy to get, even if you have bad credit. Because you are putting your home up as collateral, lenders tend to be more willing to give you money. From a lender’s point of view, it is a low risk situation. Chances are, if your home is on the line you will make repaying your loan a budget priority and if you default on the loan, they will get their money back in the form of your house. With all of the lenders out there wanting to give home equity loans you can afford to be picky and work to get the lowest rate on your home equity loan.

Shop around!

When you decide to take out a home equity loan, you don’t have to get if from the loan department of your bank. You actually stand a better chance of getting a lower interest rate at a bank that you don’t normally do business with. This bank will be looking to get you as a new customer and might be willing to beat your bank’s offer.

Manage Your Credit Score.

Banks don’t just look into your credit history, when deciding whether or not to give you a loan, they also look at your potential for debt. If you have 5 credit cards, each with a zero balance, but with a total credit limit of $100,000 a bank views that as a risk. You have the potential to go into a large amount of debt and that means that you might miss a payment to them. Weed down the amount of credit cards that you use and cancel the cards that you don’t use.
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The internet can be a valuable resource for researching the ins and outs of getting a home equity loan. It can also be a great place to find a reputable mortgage broker, as long as you are careful not to get caught in an online home equity loan scam.

Watch out for subprime lending.

Subprime lending is when a lender offers to give you a lone for an extremely high interest rate and tacks on excessive fees. Usually these loans are given to high risk individuals who are so desperate for a loan that they don’t take the time to shop around for a company that will work with them despite a bad credit rating.

Watch out for equity stripping.

Equity stripping is when a loan is based solely on the value of your home, and doesn’t take into consideration your ability to repay the loan. The usual result of these loans, is the borrower can’t repay it and the lender ends up acquiring the home and all the equity in it.
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Getting a 2nd mortgage loan or home equity loan after a bankruptcy is workable. However, loan applicants should be aware of certain disadvantages to bad credit loans. A bankruptcy is destructive to credit scores.

In reality, many financial experts discourage bankruptcies. Those who file Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 are subjected to higher finance rates on homes, cars, etc. Before applying for a 2nd mortgage, know what to expect and understand the basics of getting a reasonable rate.

Expect Higher Finance Fees or Interest Rates

After a bankruptcy, many people are hesitant to apply for credit. They expect higher rates, which will also increase monthly payments. However, obtaining new credit accounts is crucial to re-establishing and building credit history. On the other hand, getting a lender to approve a credit card application after a bankruptcy is challenging. For this matter, some people choose to get a 2nd mortgage loan.

Getting approved for a 2nd mortgage following a bankruptcy is easier because the loan is secured by your home or property. Thus, if you stop paying on the loan, the lender may claim your property and resell it to recoup their loss.

While these loans are great for improving credit, applicants should not expect the best rates. Traditionally, 2nd mortgage loans have higher rates than first mortgages. However, if you have a recent bankruptcy, anticipate above average rates. To avoid a huge monthly payment, borrow a small amount of money.
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The Bankruptcy Abuse and Consumer Protection Act was passed in early 2005 with the intention of reforming American bankruptcy law as we know it. The existing laws, according to Congress and the credit card companies, allowed too many debtors who might be capable of repaying at least some of their debts to have them wiped away by the courts. The new law was intended, rightly or wrongly, to eliminate the “bankruptcy of convenience” that allowed many consumers to run up huge debts without repaying them. Under the new law, filing is much more difficult, time consuming and expensive; so much so that it has discouraged many would-be filers from seeking debt relief through the courts.

Given that debt relief through the bankruptcy courts is now so much more difficult, it makes sense that consumers with mounting bills might want to seek alternatives. In order to do that, debtors need to find some other way to manage their increasing debt. Below are a few tips that might help consumers avoid filing for bankruptcy.

Negotiate with your creditors – It is generally a good idea to talk to your creditors as soon as you have a problem. If you are missing payments, call them and explain why. Creditors want to get paid, but they also understand that everyone has financial problems from time to time. They may be able to work out a repayment arrangement with you that you can afford. You will receive much more cooperation from your lenders if you are honest and explain your problem than to simply stop paying without explanation.

Seek credit counseling – Credit counseling sessions are mandatory for filing for bankruptcy, but many people with little or no formal financial training could benefit from meeting with a counselor and explaining their financial problems. The agency can offer help with money management and repayment plans. They may even be able to negotiate some better terms with your creditors if you haven’t already done so yourself. Many agencies are nonprofit, so you will generally find their services to be quite affordable.

Get a debt consolidation loan – A consolidation loan is one that combines several debts, often at high interest rates, into one loan at a lower rate. A home equity loan is ideal for this, and thanks to rising real estate prices, many people now have a reasonable amount of equity in their property. As a bonus, the interest on a home equity loan is tax deductible. Other credit cards with low-interest introductory rates are also good for consolidating debt.

Sell your house – If you do have a lot of equity in your property, it may become necessary to sell your house to pay your bills. This is a drastic step, as you will have to find another place to live, but if the alternative is losing your home to foreclosure, it may be the only sensible choice.

Bankruptcy shouldn’t be taken lightly. Having your debts removed by the courts will leave a mark on your credit report for up to ten years and will make it more difficult and expensive to borrow money or obtain credit in the future. Smart consumers know that avoiding bankruptcy, if at all possible, is a smart financial move.