home equity
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You may not be so happy when the 10th birthday is approaching for your home equity line of credit, or HELOC. If you still owe money on it, you might soon see a spike in your minimum monthly payments. But you can delay the payment increase by refinancing the loan.
A home equity line of credit, or HELOC, has 2 stages. First is the draw period, which usually lasts 10 years but can be as long as 20 years. Monthly payments are applied only to the interest during the draw period.
After the draw period ends, the second stage begins: The HELOC goes into the amortization period, when you have to pay principal as well as interest. Monthly payments go up. If you still owe a lot, the payments rise abruptly. That’s why some homeowners look for ways to refinance their HELOCs.
HELOC payments can really jump
“Many people were unaware of how drastically their payment is going to go up,” says Peter Grabel, managing director with Luxury Mortgage in Stamford, Connecticut. “They’ve been making a nice, low payment of interest only, for 10 years at a very low rate.”
| Amount owed | Interest only during draw period | Interest plus principal during amortization period |
|---|---|---|
| $10,000 | $25 | $55 |
| $30,000 | $75 | $166 |
| $100,000 | $250 | $555 |
The monthly payments rise sharply when the amortization period begins on a home equity line of credit. These payment amounts assume a 3% interest rate and a 20-year repayment period. Payments would be greater with a higher interest rate or a shorter repayment period.
Source: Bankrate.com
Grabel notes that the above scenarios don’t take into account the possibility of higher interest rates in coming years.
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Lenders remind borrowers
Banks encourage customers to deal proactively with the risk of a surging HELOC payment. According to Cynthia Balser, senior vice president and group manager of consumer credit products at KeyBank, “Somewhere between 6 to 12 months before the end of the draw period, banks are beginning to reach out, reminding clients that a decision they made 10 or 15 years ago is about to come due and asking the client to reach out if they have any concerns or questions.”
3 ways to refinance a HELOC
If you want to cushion the amortization period of a HELOC, there are 3 options:
Refinance the HELOC. When you refinance a home equity line of credit, you start over with a new HELOC, with its own interest-only draw period.
With this approach, you still have access to a credit line to deal with future needs. You will still have to pay off the balance someday. Rick Huard, senior vice president of consumer lending product management at TD Bank, notes: “99% of HELOCs are variable rate and nobody knows what rates will do a year from now.”
- Pay off the HELOC with a home equity loan. A home equity loan is for a fixed amount with a fixed rate. The payments remain the same through the life of the loan.
Refinance the HELOC and the first mortgage into a new primary mortgage. By refinancing the HELOC into a new primary mortgage, you could take advantage of a fixed interest rate that’s still low by historical standards. Consider refinancing into a 15- or 20-year mortgage to reduce total interest payments.
While interest rates on primary mortgages are favorable, you have to take into account closing costs when you take this approach. It’s best if you keep the house long enough for the cumulative monthly savings to outweigh the costs of refinancing.
Weigh all the costs
Home equity loans have much lower closing costs than primary mortgages. The disadvantage is that interest rates on equity loans are typically higher than on primary mortgages.
If you refinance into another HELOC, be aware of heightened underwriting standards. A decade ago, you could qualify on the basis of the interest-only payments. Today, you have to prove that you can afford the fully amortizing payments.
And if this is your first mortgage application since 2008, you might be surprised by how much documentation you now have to provide.
Underwater homes are an exception
Even though home values have been recovering, what if you still owe more than your home is worth?
“If the value is not there now, it’s going to be difficult to qualify for a new loan,” Huard says. “That’s one of the situations where you definitely need to contact your bank, talk to your loan officer and see what options you have available. They can take a look at your financial picture and be able to work things out with you.”
For instance, the bank could come out with a plan that would help you repay the loan by extending the term of the loan.
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3 ways (and 1 reason) to refinance a HELOC
Transcript
When you tap into your home equity via a home equity line of credit, you can be jolted by a 10-year surprise. But refinancing the loan can allow you to delay that sting.
I’m Doug Whiteman with your Bankrate.com Personal Finance Minute.
HELOCs usually allow you to make interest-only payments for the first 10 years, during what is called the “draw” period. But then you have to start paying principal, too, and your monthly payment amount can rise abruptly and substantially. Banks try to alert borrowers when the draw period is winding down, so the higher bill doesn’t come as a shock. You have options to cushion the blow, including: refinancing to a new HELOC, which would restart the draw-period clock; paying off the HELOC with a fixed-payment home equity loan; or refinancing the HELOC and your main mortgage into a new primary mortgage. Be warned that these remedies may not be available if you owe more than your home is worth, but your lender could offer to extend the term of your loan to help make the payments more affordable.
For more on refinancing a HELOC, visit Bankrate.com. I’m Doug Whiteman.
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