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With credit card interest rates rising right through the roof, some homeowners may be wondering whether a home equity loan or line of credit ( HELOC ) is the way to get their debts under control. The answer is a definite maybe. While it's much harder to tap your home equity than it was in the past, it's not impossible. Yes, credit is much tighter in general these days, the decline in home values in recent years means that many homeowners no longer have any home equity to draw upon and banks are concerned about possible further declines in home values. But many homeowners still retain considerable equity in their homes, particularly those who don't live in states like Florida, Arizona, Nevada and California, which have borne the brunt of the housing market decline. Such homeowners continue to be attractive clients for lenders. And many homeowners retain untapped credit in their HELOC, which is still available for them to draw upon. Lower interest rates on a home equity lo...

This article will give you a perspective through the eyes of a bank or financial institution so that you can know what they are looking for when it comes to deciding whether or not somebody is considered a trustworthy borrower, and what goes into the mortgage preapproval process. The Difference Between Prequalified and Preapproved While people will sometimes use the words prequalification and preapproval interchangeably, these two words do not mean the same thing and it is important to understand the difference. Prequalification means that you have met with someone at a financial institution and discussed the particular issues of your personal finances such as your income, assets, commissions, and debts, and from that discussion the lender has offered an educated opinion as to how much money you are qualified to borrow. Preapproval is a much more in-depth evaluation where the financial advisor will actually go over your paperwork such as past paychecks and pay stubs, tax forms such as ...

The impact of falling home prices on home equity values has been well documented; but now, other areas are being affected, as well.In the board game Mouse Trap, a crank-operated device sets off a series of events that ends with one player getting stuck in the trap. Today's real estate industry seems to have its own game of Mouse Trap going on, as falling home prices create unexpected consequences that can catch homeowners, local governments, renters, and property investors off guard. Incredible shrinking home equity Through the end of September 2008, the Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller home-price index had fallen more than 23 percent since its highpoint in 2006. That equals an average decline of $23,000 for every $100,000 of original home value. The impact on household home equity has been striking; existing home equity credit lines have been cut or canceled, and thousands of homeowners have fallen underwater on their first mortgages. Existing homeowners and new homebuy...

Did you know that if you're applying for a new job or are being considered for promotion, your employer (current or prospective) can ask to see a copy of your credit report? Here's a list of entities that are allowed to request for your report and what they use it for: Current and prospective employers. Many employers are now requesting for copies of their employees' credit report to conduct background checks, and when considering an employee for promotion or reassignment especially for key or sensitive positions. Before they can get a copy of your credit information, however, employers must get your written authorization and provide certain disclosures. Government agencies. If you have applied for public funding assistance, government agencies may request to see your credit report to check if you are eligible for funding. Their purpose is to see if you have other sources of income or have any assets they're not currently aware of. If you have kids and are in the midst ...