Does HELOC have anything to do with helicopters? No, but you could feel like you are flying high. It means Home Equity Line of Credit. It is a loan like a loan for a mortgage. There is a difference in that the mortgage is one amount and this credit is an amount that has been established for you to draw from.
Your loan is based on prime plus. This can have some very interesting enticements. The mortgage rate would be much higher so if you were to borrow on this credit to pay off the first mortgage, then the amount of interest you would pay is dramatically reduced, saving you money.
That may not be the case. If you cannot pay it in a rather short period of time the cost will be more than if it had been left as a mortgage. The rate is what may make this loan more expensive because prime can have periods when it is extremely volatile and over time you could be paying more interest.
Ask important questions when investigating this choice. The main worry is the interest rate. The variable prime can be a daily ride. When looking into this loan you find you are not given the rate you will be charged. It is important to ask. This may turn out to be a very expensive type of loan.
The borrower wants you to draw as much as possible so that they reap the interest from your credit. There may be a minimum so this also should be a question for the borrower to ask. You certainly do not want to pay interest on an amount you do not need.
There are fees as in any other loan but there are some unique fees that you must be sure to factor in. An annual fee is usually charged. Often the lending institution will waive this your first year. When you cancel you will have to pay a cancellation fee, which may be waived depending on the amount of time the account stayed open. Before making this decision be sure you ask certain questions. Are they offering you an special rate for an introductory period of time, what is the margin, what is the minimum amount they expect you to draw, what is the average balance, are there upfront lender and third party fees, is there an annual or cancellation fee?
You have decided that this may be the right one for you then do not forget that your property is the equity. With the instability of our economy you may find that the funds you believed were available are no longer there because the value of your property has gone down. Your property is at risk because this is a secured loan.
Looking for good Home Equity Line of Credit, then visit banks in Canada.