Remortgage – What Is It And Why You Should Do It
Remortgage can be defined in two different ways. The first is when a homeowner takes out a loan, using their property or the equity in their property as collateral, when they already have a loan on the property. The second definition is when a homeowner changes their current loan to a new lender.
Remortgaging by taking a loan out on existing property is usually referred to as a home equity loan. Since the homeowner really does not own their home, since they are still paying to the bank, they can not actually use the home as collateral.
However, homes and property go up in value over time, so the home is building equity. Equity is when the home and property is worth more than the amount of the original loan. For example, a person buys a home for $100,000 but it appraises at 150,000. This person would then have $50,000 in home equity or money that belongs to them which they do not owe the bank. They can then remortgage and get a loan for the amount of their equity.
Changing lenders is actually common. It may seem like a strange tactic, but it is very beneficial. Some people start out with a loan...