Once approved for a home equity line of credit, you will not receive it in the form of a lump sum. Instead you will receive it in the form of a check book giving you easy access to draw upon it in the amount you would like at your convenience. Once you do draw upon it, you will have to begin paying it back on a monthly basis. Normally in the form of interest only for the first ten years.
Suppose you were to receive a home equity line of credit in the amount of $25,000.00. If you only wanted to borrow $6000.00, than all you would have to do is write out one of the check’s the lender sent you and deposit it into your checking account. Your payment would than be based on the $6000.00 you borrowed from your line.
Keep in mind, home equity credit lines do come with a rate that is variable, and that rate is based on prime. So, if the prime rate goes up, the rate on your home equity credit line will go up as well.
On the other hand, if the prime rate goes down, than the rate on your home equity credit line will go down.
Mortgage companies are very competitive, so whichever home equity loan you decide to go with, it would be in your best interest to shop around so that you may compare rates.
After allowing for a few loan officers to assess your situation and offer you a rate and product, base your decision on the rate and product that best fits your needs and budget.
Jennifer Hershey has more than twenty years of experience in the Mortgage Industry as a loan officer. She is the owner of http://www.explainingmortgages.com/, a mortgage resource site devoted to making mortgage terms and products easy to understand.