Economists are blaming overzealous lender for the US sub prime mortgage debacle. According to them, lenders compromised on prudently devised norms for lending, and in the process, loaned monies to people who would not under normal conditions qualify for any mortgage. While this is true to an extent, it is not the whole truth.

The problem actually started towards the end of 1990s, and the first few years of 2000s, when the banks and lenders found their coffers filled with cash. They had no takers for this money, which is the reason they brought down both lending rates as well as the norms for lending. This did not do augur well for long-term business, considering the cost of their capital.

Desperate to earn some monies, lenders innovated new financial products to capture more customers than their competitors. Home loans were considered the safest bet of them all. After all, if the borrower failed to pay, the lenders could always opt for foreclosure and get back their monies. Their assumption was not far fetched, because around that period, real estate values had climbed up a few notches. In what followed this surplus liquidity, many people with adverse credit, including some first time homebuyers came into these rapids. A frenzied borrowing trend led real estate to dizzying heights, but eventually, when the first set of these poor credit borrowers defaulted, the real estate bubble just burst, and lenders found they’d been lending more than the actual worth of the property. They also realized that their products had contributed to this frenzy, and those foreclosure clauses were not adequate protection for them.

Though financial analysts squarely blame the lenders for offering mortgage products to people with poor credit, the fact remains that surplus liquidity also played a role. Of course, the crisis surfaced because of the mortgage loans to people with poor credit. Today, 10 years after the actual foundation of the sub prime problem was laid, the same credit or liquidity conditions that existed in the US prior to the crisis, are now present in the sub Saharan African nations. Biggest banks here have too much cash on their hands. So is it going to result in mortgage boom in the region?

The difference with the African market is that the home loan market is not flooded. This is because a lot of African people don’t even use financial institutions. There are very few people who have the ability or the desire to become home owners.

Nevertheless, the possibility of the banks in Africa offering any mortgage products to people with poor credit is remote. The main reason for this is that most of Africans have no credit record. Because of this, it is difficult to judge them based on credit history. The criteria for home loans here are steady employment, and the amount of salary. In addition, in this part of the world, it is the employer who deducts the mortgage installments from salary and pays it to the lenders. Therefore, borrower does not have any way to default per se. Since this reduces the lender’s risks, borrower is compensated with lower rates of interest on mortgage.

This means the lenders in sub Saharan region would not be allowing a mortgage market to run away. Instead, they will be investing elsewhere and earning profits on their investment. Mortgage market in the west, particularly, the home loan segment will take several years to recoup. In the meanwhile, it will be African banks that may rule the roost.

Graham McKenzie is the content coordinator for a leading South African leading Homeloans and Bond Origination portal which provides access to Standard Bank Homeloans.

Most of the elderly people, or retired persons have been undergoing a severe financial strain due to lack of more avenues for a regular stream of income to live their life peacefully. The reality is that while their expenses are on the increase the incomes are on the other way. Even for people who have some knowledge of Reverse Mortgage are seeking the help of financial experts for proper guidance. This article provides you with details on Reverse Mortgage so that you can even help guiding those who are seeking a financial support.

A Reverse Mortgage is a special type of loan that gives a homeowner the ability to convert a portion of the equity in their home into cash. The funds aren’t taxable income, and they generally don’t affect the homeowner’s eligibility for Social Security or Medicare programs. An exception is the federal Supplemental Security Income program: beneficiaries must keep their liquid assets under a certain limit to remain eligible. A reverse mortgage customer retains the title to the home and keeps the right to any appreciation in home value when the loan is paid in full. The loan remains in force until the last titleholder leaves the home, sells the property, or passes away. The borrower can’t be compelled to sell or move by the lender. Unlike a traditional second mortgage or home equity loan, there are no required monthly payments. As a result, a reverse mortgage doesn’t put additional pressure on seniors’ already stretched budgets.

Title to the home and any appreciation in value remains the seniors property when the loan is paid off. The loan remains in affect until the last titleholder dies or permanently leaves or sells the home. The borrower can not be forced to move or sell the property. The loan can be paid off at any time. One of the benefits of a Reverse Mortgage over traditional loans is no monthly payment requirement. A Reverse Mortgage can free a senior of monthly mortgage payments and ease some of the money worries day to day living causes.The FHA insures and guarantees most Reverse Mortgages today so they are subject to FHA lending limits. Proprietary products have been developed to help homeowners in excess of these lending limits.

Qualifications for a Reverse Mortgage are simple. All titleholders must be 62 or older and have equity built up in the home. There are no income or credit qualifications. The following qualifications can actually be paid for by the Reverse Mortgage proceeds. Existing mortgages or liens have to be paid off, and the homeowner must remain current on insurance and property taxes.

A reverse mortgage borrower has no restrictions on how the monies can be used. Here are common uses for these funds:

- Paying off debts, often credit cards and mortgages.

- Remodeling and home repairs

- General living expenses

- Vacations

- Health care

- Assisting children with financial obligations

- Education

- To fund hobbies

- To defray the rising cost of property taxes

The proceeds available from a Reverse Mortgage vary depending on FHA lending limit’s and other factors like borrower’s age, value of the home, and interest rates. Typically the older the borrow, the higher proceeds available. Proceeds from the loan can be paid in a lump sum, in monthly payments, or extended as a line of credit available when needed.

However the borrower has to meet certain expenses to get this reverse mortgage money such as origination fee, closing costs, insurance in case of HECM etc. Before obtaining a reverse mortgage the borrower need to sit with a Reverse Mortgage counselor to submit details of his financial situation and get a training to understand the Reverse Mortgage transactions.

Graham McKenzie is the content coordinator for a leading South African leading Homeloans and Bond Origination portal which provides access to ABSA Homeloans.

categories: Homeloans,Bonds,Mortgages,Loans,Property,Finance,Personal Finance,Money,Banking

When people weigh their options in borrowing money, home equity loans may come out ahead of credit cards with high interest rates. To calculate the maximum value of a home equity loan, take the current value of the house and subtract the amount of money that you currently owe on it. If you have many high-interest loans, such as credit cards, a home equity loan can help to save money. But Is It Affordable – Although home equity loans are not for everyone, they do have some major advantages over other loans. To make the decision for yourself, first find out how much equity you have in your home and what interest rate you can receive.

Another Mortgage ? Can You Afford That? Home equity loans are also known as second mortgages, & can provide you with lots of benefits that don’t exist with other types of loans. The interest rates can be much lower than credit cards. It is not uncommon to see equity loans which have interest rates which are at least 60% lower than credit cards. They are also tax deductible for up to $100,000. This makes them the obvious choice for those who have equity in their homes. Equity loans are flexible, & homeowners can also use a revolving line of credit to borrow funds.

Security and capital necessary Unlike many other loans and credit cards, loans, Home Equity is ensured. This means that the house used as collateral. For example, if the value of your home, if you paid $ 300,000 and $ 50,000, still needs $ 250,000. However, if the home value increased by $ 300,000 to $ 350,000 and have $ 100,000 equity. You can borrow money for a $ 100,000 mortgage. At the same time, it is important to remember that if you do not meet their payments, the home could be taken as a guarantee to cover damage to the bank or mortgage company.

Who can borrow? Most banks and mortgage companies giving loans for residential customers. The house tends to be the biggest investment, and many banks realize that some people are in danger of losing its default of payment. For this reason, Home Equity Loans are considered a safe investment. Many people who have houses generally have more established credit history, that those who do not.

Another common use for home equity loans is higher education. As the cost of education continues to rise, it will become harder for lots of families to send their babies to school. Lots of parents pick to use a home equity loan to invest in the education of their babies. Despite this, lots of federal student loans have low interest rates as well, & parents will need to weigh all their options carefully before making a decision. Home equity loans which are used for education have lots of tax benefits.

Home equity loans can also be used to pay for a college education, either for yourself or for your children. Although rising costs are making it more difficult to attend college, a good education will lead to higher pay down the road. A home equity loan is one option for parents to pay for the education of their children, but there are also other low interest rate education loans available. Comparing all the options on an individual basis will tell you if a home equity loan is right for you. Keep in mind that home equity loans are tax deductible.

My mother said: “Prevention is better than cure” Since many Americans have no health insurance, accident or disease for the use of capital loan is a great way to avoid debt. He became much more difficult for people to file for bankruptcy, so it is not easy to escape from a situation where you have a sudden illness. Profit-sharing can be protected from situations where you have high medical bills without insurance. As health care costs continue to rise, equity loan or line of credit will help you a lot.