Is Home Equity Good or Bad Debt?

Robert Kiyosaki's Rich Dad, Poor Dad series of"bad debt" in two ways. The most obvious way,
real estate investing books focuses on gettingof course, is to increase the amount paid on the
people to consider whether they aught to beprincipal annually, or even monthly, by making
spending money on a specific investmentmore payments. It's wise to research ahead of
property or not. A good deal, according to Mr.time, however, that your mortgage does not
Kiyosaki, is one that will provide the investor withstipulate forfeiture for paying early. It's even
a return on the investment relatively quickly. Asmarter for the individual who is thinking about
strong investment is one in which there is not agetting a loan, to make sure that it does not have
ton of money up front, like as repairs, to cut intoa stipulation like this prior to signing it in the first
the income from the rent.place.
A lot of people believe that their house is anAnother way to reduce bad debt and increase
asset, but it isn't. Because there is little or no cashequity is by turning a 30-year loan into a 15-year
to be earned from most dwellings, mostloan by refinancing it. This means that the
residences are liabilities. For that reason, thehomeowner is paying less interest over time, but
mortgage one gets to buy a house is consideredforking out extra per month. If she can afford to
what Robert Kiyosaki calls "bad debt". There is nodo that, it is a great way to increase your equity.
cash flow. There is only expense.Making extra payments will take only 1/2 as much
"Bad debt" (and liability) is considered undesirabletime off the total time to pay the mortgage as
to investors, especially since the ownership of arefinancing will.
house is a misconception. The home ownerReading the Rich Dad, Poor Dad book series
assumes that she owns a house, just becauseexplains to the reader that it is a good idea to
she is paying for the right to live in it. On thestudy as much as possible about the transaction
other hand, if he were to stop paying for thatof purchasing and paying for investment property,
privilege, the bank would foreclose and he wouldbecause those who stand to benefit from the
be kicked out into the street.buyer's ignorance will typically not volunteer
What she owns in reality is equity, and homeinformation. There are ways around spending your
equity is just a bunch of numbers. However,entire existence paying for a single piece of real
acquire enough equity and it will become a deedestate. Considering at the process of purchasing a
of ownership. Better yet, it will make the "badhome, not as a resident, but as a real estate
debt" go bye-bye.investor, will make it obvious that most people
When one increases equity, he decreasesspend far more cash than they have to, just
undesirable debt. "Bad debt" costs you money.because they don't know any better. Knowledge
Decreasing bad debt is good.is the home owner's greatest asset.
As a homeowner, we can decrease this type of