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Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin

(108,192 posts)
Sun Dec 29, 2019, 01:29 AM Dec 2019

Americans Are Taking Cash Out of Their Homes---And It Is Costing Them

Many Americans who need cash are taking it out of their homes. The trade-off: higher interest rates.

Over the past two years, a big chunk of homeowners took on higher interest rates when they refinanced to tap their home equity. These cash-out refinancings, as they are known, free up money homeowners can use to pay down credit-card debt, renovate or invest in a new property.

Nearly 60% of cash-out refinancings in 2018 came with higher interest rates, the biggest share since before the financial crisis, according to Black Knight Inc., a mortgage-data and technology firm. This year, that number fell to around 44% of cash-out deals, but it remains at more than three times its average between 2009 and 2017.

This corner of the mortgage market illuminates the crosscurrents in the U.S. economy: After roughly a decade of rising home prices, homeowners are flush with record amounts of home equity they can tap. But many Americans remain short on cash and are increasingly relying on debt to fund their lives.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/americans-are-taking-cash-out-of-their-homes-and-it-is-costing-them/ar-BBYpCxu?li=BBnb7Kz

Shit like this went on under Bush II. Here we go again.

21 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Americans Are Taking Cash Out of Their Homes---And It Is Costing Them (Original Post) Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin Dec 2019 OP
if their only asset is their house and they want to improve the asset or just maintain it Demonaut Dec 2019 #1
See the 2008 financial crisis. Yavin4 Dec 2019 #2
but the fixed rates are low right now, sensible choice Demonaut Dec 2019 #4
Nope. Yavin4 Dec 2019 #6
if you can avoid it but can everyone? Demonaut Dec 2019 #7
I can see taking out debt for a home or a medical emergency, but that's about it. Yavin4 Dec 2019 #9
can't argue there Demonaut Dec 2019 #10
Amen! True Blue American Dec 2019 #13
true but that's only on adjustible Demonaut Dec 2019 #8
At a higher rate? Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin Dec 2019 #3
they didn't list rates, the average credit card is 19.21 percent and you can't deduct it Demonaut Dec 2019 #5
why do you assume it's higher? Demonaut Dec 2019 #16
You've been a member since 2003 so you should know what this is about. hedda_foil Dec 2019 #11
right, your point? Demonaut Dec 2019 #14
Huh? Interest rates are lower than ever. PoindexterOglethorpe Dec 2019 #12
So yours is a refi not a second mortgage? Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin Dec 2019 #15
Yes, a straight forward refinance. PoindexterOglethorpe Dec 2019 #19
Always money in the banana stand! Initech Dec 2019 #17
Here we go again. elleng Dec 2019 #18
I know a guy who lost his home because he refinanced meow2u3 Dec 2019 #20
Americans aren't known for learning from the past. llmart Dec 2019 #21

Yavin4

(35,445 posts)
2. See the 2008 financial crisis.
Sun Dec 29, 2019, 01:42 AM
Dec 2019

Interest rates are still at historic low levels, but they won't be for much longer. The Fed has to raise interest rates within a year or so, and all this debt that folks are taking out will have even higher rates of interests which will trigger defaults.

Yavin4

(35,445 posts)
9. I can see taking out debt for a home or a medical emergency, but that's about it.
Sun Dec 29, 2019, 01:56 AM
Dec 2019

The key to financial security is avoiding debt at all costs.

True Blue American

(17,988 posts)
13. Amen!
Sun Dec 29, 2019, 02:09 AM
Dec 2019

So many are falling for the reverse mortgage bit, too. I despise Tom Sellick when I see him doing that sincere bit. There is no way he needs that money and suckering Seniors is the lowest.

Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin

(108,192 posts)
3. At a higher rate?
Sun Dec 29, 2019, 01:43 AM
Dec 2019

Not a very sound policy really. This is why a lot of mortgages ended up under water around 2008.

Demonaut

(8,926 posts)
5. they didn't list rates, the average credit card is 19.21 percent and you can't deduct it
Sun Dec 29, 2019, 01:48 AM
Dec 2019

most helocs are less than 6.5% and it's deductible and most have no prepayment penalty now, they didn't in 2008.

PoindexterOglethorpe

(25,895 posts)
12. Huh? Interest rates are lower than ever.
Sun Dec 29, 2019, 02:08 AM
Dec 2019

When I purchased my current home in 2010 I got a 30 year mortgage at 4.75%. About a year ago I re-financed to include the cost of solar panels, and got a 20 year mortgage (meaning the pay-off date is the same as before) at 3.75%. Lucky me, I currently have a slightly greater income than before, and I'm currently paying an extra $300/month on my mortgage, which means, if I can continue those extra payments, I'll pay off the loan about 8 years early. Hooray for me!

I want to add, because this is really important, that when I bought this place, as much as I'd like to have taken out a 15 year loan, there was simply no way I could afford those higher payments. And the mortgage company was happy to lend me the money for 30 years. I am grateful that I am now in a position to pay off early, but if I weren't I'd still be content because I have a payment I can afford in a home I really love.

Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin

(108,192 posts)
15. So yours is a refi not a second mortgage?
Sun Dec 29, 2019, 02:16 AM
Dec 2019

Good for you if that's the case.

Unless it's an emergency or a consolidation of debt 2nd mortgages are not a good idea.

meow2u3

(24,772 posts)
20. I know a guy who lost his home because he refinanced
Tue Dec 31, 2019, 05:15 PM
Dec 2019

with a home equity loan. He went bankrupt and had to move in with his son in another state.

llmart

(15,552 posts)
21. Americans aren't known for learning from the past.
Tue Dec 31, 2019, 06:30 PM
Dec 2019

So many of them buy too much house in the "good times" and then think the good times will continue forever. If you live long enough, you'll see the pattern of how the boom times always go bust.

Whatever happened to living within or below your means?

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