It is a common belief that non-homeowner loans are the same thing as unsecured personal loans. This common belief is as common as it is untrue. There are secured non-homeowner loans and most importantly, a home can be used to secure a non-homeowner loan. Read on if you want to understand what non-homeowner loans really are.

Before explaining what non-homeowners loans are not and what types of non-homeowner loans are out there, lets begin by explaining the meaning of the expression non-homeowner. The concept implies that the main applicant does not possess any real estate which can be used as collateral for securing a loan. If you are clever enough you may have noticed that the main applicant is the one who is not a homeowner and that the asset has to be a real estate (house, apartment, etc.)

No, No And No

Are all non-homeowner loans unsecured? NO, there are car loans for non-homeowners which are secured with the car. You can also use a van, a yacht, stocks, and many other possessions as collateral thus obtaining a secured loan that is still a loan for non-homeowners. But wait, there is even more.

Are all non-homeowner loans secured by assets that are not real estate? NO, not only there are unsecured non-homeowner loans and secured non homeowner loans guaranteed with assets other than real estate, but as long as the applicant is not a homeowner, nothing prevents the co-signer from being a home-owner and even offering a house as collateral. The loan will still be a non-homeowner loan because the main debtor is a non-homeowner.

Then, What Is A Non-Homeowner Loan?

Let s narrow the concept a bit. First of all, we are talking about a personal loan. We will leave aside those loans used for purchasing real estate where the applicant is not yet a home-owner because even though it would be fair enough to talk about loans for non-homeowners, they have a more specific name: Loans for First-time home buyers.

Then, excluding loans for First-time home buyers, we are left only with personal loans. The uses of these loans are diverse though. There are car loans (and other vehicle-loans), student loans, cash advance loans and many more. Besides that specific uses a non-homeowner loan can be used for whatever personal purpose you can think of.

Nevertheless, it is true that non-homeowner loans are mainly (but not only) unsecured personal loans that provide finance to those who have no means of getting approved for other type of loans on better terms by providing collateral themselves. Nothing prevents a co-signer though, from guaranteeing the loan with a specific asset that can be an immovable property or not.

These loans have less credit requirements and though they come with higher interest rates, the difference is not that significant. And, since they are probably the only source of finance for many people, the interest rate is justified. It is always better to use these loans than to finance yourself with credit cards or payday loans.