Finding a Home Improvement Loan

Q: I'm looking for a fixed rate 10-15 year home improvement loan of $45,000. My credit score is 730. What rates are out there?

A: Not all mortgage lenders still write true "home improvement" loans, where money for repairs and upgrades is provided based upon the value of the home after the work is completed. More likely, and if you have equity, you'll be steered toward a Home Equity Loan, or a Home Equity Line of credit which allows you to "break off" portions into fixed-rate, fixed-term chunks. For traditional fixed-rate Home Equity Loans, average interest rates are running just above 7% at the moment.