How do you release some of the capital tied up in your home?
Although there are some unsolved problems in the real estate market right now with resale prices falling, let’s focus on the general principles making the mortgage market work. The word you need is “equity”. This is the difference between what you owe on the home loan or other debts secured on the property, and the resale price. Some people think of positive equity as a windfall gain or additional capital. Locked up in the bricks, it’s of little use, but there are two different kinds of mortgage to release some of this value. At present, you’re likely to have negative housing equity where you owe more than the property is worth. This is like a revolving credit account at the bank except that it’s secured on your home for a fixed term of years (usually not more than ten years). The lender assesses the resale value of your home and sets a limit - usually 75% or 80% of that value. The amount of the existing mortgage is subtracted and you can borrow the remaining amount up to the limit. It’s better to use the credit for big ticket items rather than for day-to-day expenses, but there are no limits on how you spend the money. The second option is a home equity loan or refinancing mortgage that pays off the existing mortgage and creates a replacement including a cash-out lump sum. Thus, you can either use the equity as collateral on loans for, say, the college tuition fees for your children, or you can produce a significant cash out sum with which you buy an annuity to produce income during your retirement.