Deciding between a home equity loan and a second mortgage should not be that difficult a decision. These are two very different things that each have their own benefits.
A second mortgage is the option of choice for those who are facing an emergency situation that needs to be dealt with now. If something has cropped up that requires a large amount of money at one time then this is the perfect solution.
When you are approved for a second mortgage you will receive one lump sum that you can use for anything that you want. You can use it to fix the car, repair the roof, buy a boat or just go on a fabulous vacation.
Once the money you get from the second mortgage is gone, it is spent and no matter how you make your payments, no more money will become available to you, not even if you pay it back more quickly.
A home equity line of credit loan on the other hand is often revolving. This actually makes it quite similar to a credit card. These loans can be used for anything just as the second mortgage can, but anything you pay back above the interest owed will go back into the account and you can use it again when needed.
Home equity lines of credit loans and both of them have terms of up to 15 years. If you sell your home before you have paid the line of credit back in full, you will then have to do so upon completion of the sale. This should not be a deciding factor between a second mortgage or a loan because this applies to both.
The home equity loan option is good for people who like to have that cushion available to them to use on a regular basis.
Of course to get approved for a home equity loan or a second mortgage you will have to have a home that has some value. If you already owe a large amount of money on your home then you will not be able to get approved.
The most common place for one to get another mortgage or a line of credit is the bank. You can make an appointment with your bank as soon as possible and start filling out the necessary forms in order to see if you quality for this type of financing.
If you decide to use the money you get from either of the above options to improve your home you will find that you are actually adding value to it. When it comes time to sell your house and property you could actually successfully ask more for it. In this way you could make money off of choosing a second mortgage or a home equity line of credit.
