Land Loan Rates – How To Get The Best Deal
Land loan rates in general are coming down. The number of purchasers is dwindling along with consumer confidence. So lenders need to compete for your custom in order to stay in business. Even so, land loan rates still vary a lot. Buying land is a huge purchase and even a fraction of a percentage point can make a massive difference to your repayment amounts
It’s amazing how little information there is out there about land loan rates. Here are some suggestions as to how you can make sure of getting the best deal.
Go for the lowest long-term fixed rate. The fact that lenders are competing for your business means that you no longer have to settle for whatever your local bank chooses to offer you. It also means you don’t have to accept a variable or short-term rate. Choose a lender who can offer you a low long-term fixed rate in order to provide you with stability in your payments. If you can use existing equity on another property to avoid making a down payment, you can get away with a low LTV (loan-to-value) ratio which will keep your payments down. For instance, if you can find sufficient equity to cross-collateralize your loan to the tune of 40 or even 50 percent, you could keep your loan down to 50 or 60 percent of the purchase price. Land loan rates depend to some extent on the type of land loan you are looking for. For instance a raw land loan is generally tied to the value of the property rather than to the borrower’s personal credit. Consequently raw land loans can be more difficult to obtain. One suggestion for getting better rates is to approach the seller before approaching financial institutions. It is not unusual for a seller to accept 10 percent down and the rest to be paid over a specified period of time, often at a percentage point or two below market rates. If you plan to build on your land, you can often get better rates by having a development plan, with an already-appraised set of blueprints for the project.
Although there is a downturn in the housing market, there will always be competition for the best land, especially land in platted subdivisions. So land prices will increase in the long term. Land loan rates will always be highly competitive and there is no reason for you to settle for less than the best.
Bad Credit Loans: Should You Choose a Home Loan or a Personal Loan?
When you are in the market for a loan, but have bad credit, there is a lot of information to sift through in order to find the right package to fit your needs. In general though there are two major types of loans that borrowers with bad credit should consider: bad credit home loans and bad credit personal loans. Each is slightly different in its qualifications and ultimate terms. Which loan you ultimately take will therefore depend on a number of different circumstances.
Home Loans with Bad Credit
A home loan can take many shapes. You can acquire a home loan for the purchase of a new property. You can also take an additional home loan out on your existing home. These are more commonly referred to as home equity loans and there are several issues you will need to consider before deciding to take one.
First, home equity loans generally require you to have paid off at least 25% of your original mortgage. That is, you need to have a minimum of 25% equity from which to draw money. You then will take a home equity loan out using that equity as collateral. The less money you have to repay on your existing mortgage, the more money you will be able to take out in a home equity loan.
These loans are far easier to acquire if you have poor credit, because the value of your home will give the lender a sense of security. If for some reason you are unable to repay the value of your home equity loan, the lender can repossess your home as a guarantee against the money you owe him. This is why home equity loans are called secured loans.
Personal Loans with Bad Credit
Personal loans operate a bit differently than home equity loans. Those people with poor credit who do not own a home or land to put up as collateral will need to choose a personal loan, which is also called an unsecured loan. This type of loan only asks for your signature as a guarantee of repayment. Therefore, they are a much bigger risk for lenders and harder to get than home equity loans.
Some people do not have a home. If this is the case then you will need to look for an unsecured personal loan of this sort. However, your credit will be a much bigger issue in your acquisition of a personal loan, since it will cause the lender to raise interest rates due to the amount of risk you present. It is also likely that the lender will only offer you a small sum of money to start. Though personal loans can be given up to $50K, most lenders will only offer you up to $5K to start if you have bad credit.
Obviously, the better your credit, the more likely you are to find a personal loan at a reasonable rate. Borrowers with bad credit can still get these loans, however, from private lenders.
Choosing the Right Path
Trying to decide on the right bad credit loan is tough. There are certainly a number of issues that you need to consider. How bad is your credit? Do you own a home? How much equity do you have in that home? What are you willing to risk? How much can you afford to pay each month?
Before you go shopping for any bad credit loan, take some time to answer those questions honestly. Also, consider the differences that I outline above. There are ways to get a loan if you have bad credit.
Bank Debt Consolidation Loans
Bank debt consolidation loans allow you to consolidate all your debts into a single bank loan debt. These loans are useful ways to reorganize and then get rid of debts because they have comparatively less interest rate than most debts. Consolidating various debts to a bank loan will result in low monthly payments and an extended period for payoff of the debt. These bank loans often do not have any late fees. These are the reasons that make bank debt consolidation loans quite popular nowadays.
Most of the bank debt consolidation loans are secured loans, therefore you need collaterals. The type of collateral and its value are determined by banks. Common collaterals include home, vehicle, real estate properties, insurance policies and other benefits. Many banks offer debt consolidation loans on the basis of the customer?s savings account. Most of these loans are provided to persons with average or above average credit rating. But in a few unique circumstances, banks provide loans to even poor credit persons and persons lacking established credit.
Bank debt consolidation loans cover almost all unsecured debts such as credit card debt, past medical debt, service charges, personal loans, store bills, gas bill, departmental store debts and certain installment loans. There may be different types of bank debt consolation loans to fulfill different needs. The interest rates for these loans vary considerably, depending on the credit rating of the debtor. The better the credit rating of a debtor is, the lower the interest rate of the loan. Usually the rates fall in the range of 10% to 13%. The loan amount ranges from $2,000 to $100,000.
Applying for bank debt consolidation loans is easy. A debtor can apply online using his secure loan application, or approach directly through customer service representatives. Most banks need a cosigner, a qualified person who guarantees payments. In order to qualify for most bank debt consolidation loans, you have to close your credit cards and other related debt accounts. Before applying for a loan, it is wiser to look at as many plans as possible and select one with low interest.
Taking a bank debt consolidation loan may actually improve your credit rating as the creditors realize that you are making a good effort to repay the debt. However, it is to be kept in mind that these loans never eliminate debt, only reduce it. A debtor will still have to make his monthly payments regularly.