A home equity loan (HEL) is very similar to a regular residential mortgage except that it typically has a shorter term and is in a second (or junior) position behind the first mortgage on the property – if there is a first mortgage. With a HEL, you receive a lump sum of money at closing and agree to repay it according to a fixed amortization schedule (usually 5, 10 or 15 years). Much like a regular mortgage, the typical HEL has a fixed interest rate that is set at closing for the life of the loan.
In contrast, a home equity line of credit (HELOC) in many ways is similar to a credit card. At closing you are assigned a specified credit limit that you can borrow up to – not a check. HELOC funds are borrowed “on demand” and you pay back only what you use plus interest. Depending on how much you use the HELOC, you will have a minimum monthly payment requirement (often “interest only”); beyond the minimum, it is up to you how much to pay and when to pay. One more important difference: the interest rate on a HELOC is adjustable meaning that it can – and almost certainly will – change over time.
So, once you’ve decided that tapping your home’s equity is a smart move, how do you decide which route to go? If you take time to honestly assess your situation using the following three criteria, you will be able to make a sound and reasoned decision.
From the borrower’s perspective, “certainty” is the main virtue of a fixed-rate home equity loan. You borrow a specific amount of money for a specific period of time at a specific rate of interest. You repay the loan in precise monthly installments for a precise number of months. For many, knowing exactly what their future obligations will be is the only way they can borrow against the equity in their home and still sleep at night.
A home equity line of credit, in contrast, is short on certainty but long on the virtue of flexibility. With a HELOC you borrow funds on an irregular schedule that meets your needs at adjustable interest rates that can change quickly. Loan repayment is also flexible: you typically are required to make only relatively small “interest-only” monthly payments on a HELOC. However, you have flexibility to make any size payment above the interest-only minimum or payoff the loan at your will.