A home equity line of credit is a cross between a personal line of credit and a second mortgage. Your home is collateral for the loan. You do not have to draw the money until you need it. You can draw all or part of it at any time, and pay some or all of it back as you wish. Think of it as low-cost revolving credit.
A home equity loan is similar to a conventional mortgage. Lenders set a limit on the loan amount, usually from two-thirds to three-quarters of your home’s value, minus whatever mortgage remains on your house. Say your home is worth $500,000 and you have $100,000 left on your mortgage. The difference between your mortgage and 80% of your home’s value ($400,000) is $300,000. You should be able to obtain a line of credit of $300,000, provided you meet the lender’s requirements.
The interest rate on a home equity line of credit usually floats at a fixed amount at or over the prime rate. A typical rate would be at prime plus half a percentage point. Lenders usually only collect interest only payments on secured lines of credit whereas mortgages are based on principal and interest payments. Remember too that lines of credit are demand loans, so your lender can demand repayment in full at any time, but likely won’t.
Fees for setting up a HELOC in Canada are about the same as for a mortgage loan. You will have to pay appraisal fees and legal fees, disbursements, and GST. Mortgage for Less can often scout out the lowest set up fee option or special promotions where the lender will absorb these costs.
A home equity line of credit can be a useful financial tool in many situations. For example:
A home equity line of credit can be an excellent financial resource, particularly if you set it up at the same time you are arranging your mortgage, which keeps administrative fees to a minimum.
Just because you can get a home equity line of credit doesn’t mean you should. If you have a hard time spending within your means and often carry a big balance on your credit cards, you might want to avoid further temptation. After all, there’s nothing to stop you from using your entire line of credit on new clothes and restaurant meals and after your spending spree is over, you have to pay back what you borrowed. You’ll basically have added several thousands of dollars to your mortgage, with little to show for it.
If you are a disciplined spender, though, a home equity line of credit can be an excellent financial resource. A specialist from Mortgage for Less can help you figure out whether a home equity loan is right for you.
Getting a Home Equity Line of Credit is one way to tap into your home's equity. Have you considered a Home Equity Take-Out? Rather than a line of credit you receive a chunk of your home equity at once.
Feel free to send us an email with any questions you may have about the required documents for a HELOC.
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We have a few excellent options to determine what you can afford to borrow. We offer an easy to use Mortgage Qualifier Calculator. Simply input the required information and let our calculator give you an idea of how much you can afford to borrow.
If you want to get the most accurate idea of how much you can afford to borrow, contact us or fill out our online mortgage assessment form.
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