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Can I Get a Home Improvement Loan With a Mortgage?

can you get a home improvement loan with a mortgage

To make any significant or minor renovations in your home, you need a substantial amount of money.

It’s only natural that you would seek out potential sources of cash flow; there are specific types of loan programs known as home improvement loans, and what they are created for is to fund homeowners looking to change some parts of their house.

Home improvement loans can be offered in multiple forms, such as personal loans or mortgages.

However, most of these improvement loans are created to fund applicants with good credit or valued homes.

Go through the article to gain more information about how improvement loans work, how to get one with a mortgage, and other information you can make use of.

You should be able to make the best loan decision that suits your requirements after applying the knowledge.

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Requirements of a Home Improvement Loan Using Mortgage

For better access to this kind of loan, the borrower needs to have a few things in place for improved chances of attaining one.

This particular kind of loan is known as home equity loans; there are three types, namely Home Equity Loan (HEL), Home Equity Line of Credit, and Mortgage Refinance.

Whichever option you choose, you still need to have enough equity in your house as well as fulfill other loan requirements to qualify for the loan. 

Lenders make use of a Combined Loan-To-Value (CLTV) ratio; they calculate this number by adding both your first mortgage and the requested second mortgage.

This value is then divided by the appraised value of your house to determine the appropriate equity loan value.

You should make sure your CTLV doesn’t exceed 85% because the lenders won’t feel comfortable handing out loans at such terms.

If you have a high CTLV, the other thing that can help you out is if you have a strong credit score.

You should check your credit score first to get a view of your financial position.

Your score should be a value ranging from 300 to 850. Scores below 579 are regarded as poor; anything above 680 shows signs of financial stability, and the lenders will be more inclined to give you the loan.

Also, try to evaluate your Debt-To-Income (DTI) ratio; you can get this by dividing your monthly debt payments with your monthly income.

Even though equity loans are based on credit and the total equity of the borrower, there is a general rule that stipulates that the borrower’s DTI mustn’t surpass 41 percent.

You are sure to have access to better equity loans if you have a lower DTI.

Can I Get a Home Improvement Loan with Mortgage?

can you add renovation costs to mortgage home improvement

As previously mentioned, there are three types of home improvement loans that can be secured using a mortgage.

You can weigh the benefits and demerits of each one against another to pick the best loan that works with your finances.

Listed below are the types and the technicalities involved in getting one.

Home Equity Loan (HEL)

This loan gives you the full amount of the loan once at a fixed interest rate it’s like a second mortgage.

The amount is calculated based on the appraisal of your home and existing mortgage plus any existing debts.

If used for home improvement, then you can make tax deductions.

This kind of loan comes with lesser interest than that of personal loans and credit cards because you are backed by collateral, your house.

As long as you have enough equity and sufficient income to cover the payments, you can request for up to 80% of your available equity.

This type of loan can be repaid between 5 to 30 years based on how much flexibility the lender is willing to offer.

A drawback of HEL is that you have to pay closing costs on the loan since the loan is considered as a second mortgage.

Also, you are putting your house at risk of foreclosure should you fail to make your monthly payments or default on the loan.

Home Equity Line Of Credit (HELOC)

This, on the other hand, provides you with a line of credit based on a total amount calculated from your home equity. You are allowed to borrow up to 80% of your equity since it’s a home equity loan.

Instead of being handed a lump sum of money once, you are allowed to borrow money in varying amounts according to how much you need at a time.

HELOC loans can be withdrawn over 10 years, and you can repay the loan over 20 years, after which the loan must be fully paid, and you won’t be able to borrow from it.

HELOC loans come with low-interest rates, also because your home is being used as collateral.

With this loan, you can repay amounts in monthly payments and only according to how much you withdraw.

Be sure to review the terms and conditions of the loan properly, some lenders add inactivity fees to their loans when you don’t make use of them.

HELOC comes with annual fees, which can grow over time if you don’t factor it into your monthly payments.

Mortgage Refinance

This kind of loan is also called a cash-out refinance loan; this loan is given out as a way to pay your existing mortgage and borrow from the amount left after subtracting it from the appraised value of your house.

You can borrow up to 80% of the remaining amount of money; this way, you can opt-out of an inconvenient mortgage plan with unfavorable interest rates and still have money left to handle your home renovations.

The interest rate of the new mortgage is fixed and often lower than that of the current mortgage, allowing you to have more budget-friendly monthly payments.

You have to pay for closing costs for mortgage refinancing; this can incur extra costs between %2 to 5 % of the loan amount.

Conclusion

Renovating a home can be quite stressful and cash-intensive, but with the right financial plan, you can get the right loan solution to build your dream house.

You can hire a professional to help guide you through the entire process.