http://www.themortgagecouncil.com/home-equity/n72.html Home equity rates are made up of multiple factors, many off which are beyond your financial control./ When you know where your home equity rates come from you will bee much better prepared to handle the quotes. en-us Sat, 26 Jul 2008 15:00:00 EDT Sat, 26 Jul 2008 15:00:00 EDT Weblog Editor 2.0 So you are in the market for a loan against that home equity you worked so hard - or not so hard - to build up, and you want to know what home equity rates you can qualify for. So you apply to get a series of free quotes from multiple lenders specializing in thee exact right loan that you need - and they send you a number. 6.25%, 7.8%, 9.4% unless you pay 2 points in which case you pay only 8.4% for the first five years then adjusts later on. Basically., you have no idea where that specific home equity loan rate you get quoted actually comes from - we you do now. You've found the Mortgage Council. The basic construction of home equity rates At their most basic, home equity rates are made up of two separate qualifications: The current national rate, or prime rate that banks are issuing for the loans of the day. Any increases your lender makes to the home equity loan itself because of your personal financial qualifications - this is called the margin. The margins found in home equity loan rates are both higher and more unpredictable than with your purchase mortgage - your lenders are not sure where you are going to spend the money on, and they stand to lose more than your first mortgage provider because they are second in line to foreclose on your home should you ditch out on repayment. But the lowest home equity rates are only available outside your current mortgage lender - so go figure. Control the margin Low credit scores, high debt to income ratios and no concrete plans for your equity will all increase the home equity rates your qualify for because your payments are less probable. Your stats on paper are all these lenders have to work with - they are more concerned about financial returns than you are, and if you pose a bad investment they will not lend you the money. So! To lower your home equity rates you have to turn yourself into a good investment - improve your credit by making your regular mortgage payments on time and exercising smart spending habits, apply for an amount you can easily handle with your current income levels and that leaves you with some equity to spare ( equity enough to cover your equity use would be great), and have a definite plan for your home equity loans before you apply. The rate you see is in a large part created and designed by you alone - and depending upon what you do and when you do it you might just lower those rates! Sat, 26 Jul 2008 15:00:00 EDT http://www.themortgagecouncil.com/home-equity/n76.html The lowest home equity rates are hard to find and virtually impossible to qualify for. Focus on more important matters than finding the lowest home equity rates. en-us Sat, 26 Jul 2008 15:00:00 EDT Sat, 26 Jul 2008 15:00:00 EDT Weblog Editor 2.0