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		Provider	Loan Amount	Rate	Term (Months)	Rating
0	0		Up to $50,000	Prime – 46.96%	3 - 120	Up to $50,000
9	1718582400		$100 to $1500	24%	Next payday	$100 to $1500
100	1709683200		up to $1,250	12%-32%	90 - 150 days	up to $1,250
23	1700524800		$5,000 - $25,000	24.99% - 29.99%	30 or 60	$5,000 - $25,000
21	1700524800		$1,000 - $5,000	46%	9-24	$1,000 - $5,000
15	1695254400		$1250	16.06% (nominal) - 31.99% (effective)	3 - 5	$1250
3	1692748800		Up to $350	0%	Up to 65 days	Up to $350
8	1688083200		$150 - $1,600	10 - 35%	3 - 6	$150 - $1,600
100	1686182400		$300 - $3,000	18% + fees	6	$300 - $3,000
100	1686182400		$300 - $3,000	18% + fees	6	$300 - $3,000
100	1686182400		$300 - $3,000	18% + fees	6	$300 - $3,000
6	1683676800		$15,000	6.7%	Up to 60 months	$15,000
1	1670889600		$1,000 - $15,000	19.9% - 34.9%	-	$1,000 - $15,000
7	1666051200		$250	0%	-	$250
100	1643932800		$500 - $15,000	+18.9% APR	6 - 60	$500 - $15,000
100	1642723200		up to $1,500	-	-	up to $1,500
13	1639094400		$1,000 - $15,000	29.9% - 46.9% APR	12 - 60	$1,000 - $15,000
30	1637280000		$5,000 - $50,000	5.75% - 22.99%	Up to 84	$5,000 - $50,000
100	1623369600		Varies	0%	6 or 8 weeks	Varies
2	1620777600		Up to $35,000	9.99% - 46.96%	9 - 78	Up to $35,000
17	1607558400		$500 - $50,000	6.99% - 46.99%	12 - 36	$500 - $50,000
100	1600646400		$1,000-$7,500	12.99% - 29.99%	24 - 60	$1,000-$7,500
100	1598918400		$1,000 - $15,000	-	-	$1,000 - $15,000
100	1598832000		$500 – $15,000	+ 25.99%	9 - 60	$500 – $15,000
100	1595980800		$200 - $1,200	25% - 32%	-	$200 - $1,200
100	1551830400		Up to $500,000	5.75% – 9.9%	negotiable	Up to $500,000
100	1594684800		$100 - $2,000	0%	-	$100 - $2,000
100	1593561600		-	0+	2 - 60	-
100	1589155200		$2,500	15.65% AIR	13 - 26	$2,500
100	1582243200		-	-	Up to 60	-
100	1581033600		$5,000+	-	Up to 60	$5,000+
100	1580947200		-	-	-	-
100	1580860800		$500 - $5,000	-	12 - 24	$500 - $5,000
100	1580860800		$350 - $1,000	-	2 - 12 weeks	$350 - $1,000
16	1580774400		$1,000 - $25,000	7.5% - 31.5% APR	36 - 60	$1,000 - $25,000
100	1579478400		$100 - $1,500	-	-	$100 - $1,500
100	1579478400		Up to $5,000	29.78% - 44.8%	36 months	Up to $5,000
100	1579219200		$100 - $25,000	+4.9%	-	$100 - $25,000
100	1579219200		-	15% - 19%	-	-
100	1576713600		-	Up to 35%	-	-
18	1576713600		$500 - $100,000	6.99% - 14.99%	12 - 240	$500 - $100,000
100	1575590400		1800- 2900	15.99%	23 - 36	1800- 2900
100	1562198400		$500 - $15,000	15.99 - 39.99%	6 - 60	$500 - $15,000
100	1560124800		Up to $15,000	29.99% - 46.96%	9 - 60	Up to $15,000
19	1552262400		$1,000 - $15,000	29.9% or 46.90%	6 - 60	$1,000 - $15,000
100	1551830400		$100 - $1,000	546% APR	14 days	$100 - $1,000
100	1569974400		$500 - $50,000	15 - 30%	-	$500 - $50,000
100	1551830400		$1,000 - $15,000	19% - 46.95%	6 - 60	$1,000 - $15,000
100	1551398400		Up to $1,500	15% - 19%	14 days	Up to $1,500
100	1551398400		$100 - $1,500	15% - 17%	14 -31 days	$100 - $1,500
100	1551398400		$500 - $1,000	28% - 32%	-	$500 - $1,000
100	1551398400		-	-	14 days	-
18	1546128000		Up to $5,000	19.9% - 45.9% APR	6 - 36	Up to $5,000
100	1551139200		$250 -$1,250	29%	3 - 6	$250 -$1,250
100	1551139200		$5,000 - $35,000	9.9%+	6 - 60	$5,000 - $35,000
15	1551139200		Up to $15,000	29.99% to 46.93% APR	Open-end	Up to $15,000
100	1550534400		$300 - $25,000	7.95%+	36 - 60	$300 - $25,000
100	1550534400		$100 - $1,500	-	14 days	$100 - $1,500
100	1569974400		Up to $1,500	15% - 17%	up to 62 days	Up to $1,500
100	1550534400		Up to $1,500	Up to 59% APR	14 days	Up to $1,500
19	1550534400		$2,500 +	-	-	$2,500 +
100	1550534400		$500 - $1,000	28% - 32%	3 -5	$500 - $1,000
100	1550534400		$300 - $1,000	38% APR	3 - 4	$300 - $1,000
100	1549411200		$100 - $1,000	546% APR	14 days	$100 - $1,000
100	1549411200		$1,000 -$15,000	46.93%	12 - 60	$1,000 -$15,000
100	1567555200		$300 - $3,000	18% + fees	6	$300 - $3,000
100	1549238400		$500 - $1,000	28% - 32%	4 - 5	$500 - $1,000
100	1549238400		$100 - $1,500	90% - 390% APR	14 days	$100 - $1,500
100	1549238400		$250 - $1,000	29% APR	3 - 4	$250 - $1,000
20	1548720000		$500 - $1,000,000	7.9%	12	$500 - $1,000,000
100	1548720000		$1,000 - $50,000	4.6% – 49.96%	3 - 60	$1,000 - $50,000
100	1548633600		$300 - $7,500	29.9% - 39.9%	6 - 60	$300 - $7,500
100	1548633600		$50 - $1,500	-	14 days	$50 - $1,500
100	1545955200		Up to $20,000	19% - 49%	36 - 48	Up to $20,000
16	1545264000		$2,000 - $10,000	18.9% - 54.9%	12 - 60	$2,000 - $10,000
5	1545264000		$500 - $10,000	12.99% – 39.99%	9 – 36	$500 - $10,000
100	1545264000		$500 – $10,000	Starting at 9.90%	12 - 36	$500 – $10,000
2	1543622400		Up to $60,000	19.99% - 39.99%	6 - 120	Up to $60,000
100	1545177600		$2,000 – $10,000	34.9% - 43%	12 - 60	$2,000 – $10,000
10	1545264000		$500 - $12,500	19.99%+	12 - 60	$500 - $12,500
100	1545350400		Up to $1000	30%	3 - 5	Up to $1000
100	1545350400		Up to $5,000	60%	6 - 60	Up to $5,000
100	1545350400		Up to $3,000	22% - 35%	3 - 4	Up to $3,000
100	1545350400		Up to $7,000	-	6 – 60	Up to $7,000
100	1545350400		$500 - $2,500	29% - 46.95%	6 - 36	$500 - $2,500
5	1545350400		$500 - $1000+	28%-32%	3	$500 - $1000+
100	1545350400		$500 – $750	28% – 34.4%	3	$500 – $750
100	1545350400		$500 – $750	23% - 34.4%	3 – 12	$500 – $750
100	1545350400		$300 - $1500	27% - 35%	3 - 4	$300 - $1500
4	1545264000		$500 - $100,000	Starting at 29.99%	9 - 84	$500 - $100,000
3	1545264000		Up to $5,000	47.72%	-	Up to $5,000
4	1568937600		$1,500 – $10,000	Varies by province	Varies	$1,500 – $10,000
10	1545177600		$1,000 - $35,000	5.99% - 29.19%	36 - 60	$1,000 - $35,000
18	1545177600		$100 - $20,000	Up to 46.8%	Up to 60	$100 - $20,000

		Provider	Loan Amount	Rate	Term (Months)	Rating
0	0		Up to $50,000	Prime – 46.96%	3 - 120	Up to $50,000
3	1725321600		up to $40,000	-	-	up to $40,000
8	1714089600		$10,000 +	4%-45%	90 days+	$10,000 +
7	1714089600		$10,000 to $2,000,000	10%+	Up to 36	$10,000 to $2,000,000
3	1697414400		Up to $800,000	9% - 49.99%	3, 6, 9, or 12	Up to $800,000
2	1669852800		$5,000 - $300,000	-	3 - 24 months	$5,000 - $300,000
100	1648512000		$10,000 - $250,000	Varies	6-12	$10,000 - $250,000
100	1620345600		-	-	12 - 60	-
100	1611878400		$5,000 - $30,000,000	-	Up to 18	$5,000 - $30,000,000
17	1607558400		$500 - $50,000	6.99% - 46.99%	6 - 36	$500 - $50,000
100	1603756800		-	-	-	-
100	1598918400		-	-	-	-
100	1592438400		-	-	-	-
100	1585612800		-	0.9% - 12%	6 months - 5 years	-
100	1581984000		$10,000 - $10,000,000	6% - 12.5%	-	$10,000 - $10,000,000
100	1581292800		-	-	-	-
100	1581033600		-	-	-	-
100	1581033600		-	-	-	-
100	1581033600		-	-	-	-
100	1580947200		-	-	-	-
100	1580947200		$10,000 - $1,000,000	-	-	$10,000 - $1,000,000
100	1580860800		-	-	-	-
100	1580860800		-	-	-	-
100	1580860800		-	-	-	-
100	1580860800		-	-	-	-
100	1580860800		-	-	-	-
100	1580860800		$5,000 - $1,000,000	-	-	$5,000 - $1,000,000
100	1580860800		-	-	-	-
100	1580860800		-	-	-	-
100	1580860800		up to $250,000	-	-	up to $250,000
100	1580860800		-	-	-	-
100	1580688000		Up to $10,000	-	-	Up to $10,000
100	1580256000		$5,000 - $500,000	-	6 - 18 months	$5,000 - $500,000
100	1579478400		-	-	-	-
100	1579478400		$10,000- $30,000,000	Min 4.95%	-	$10,000- $30,000,000
100	1579478400		-	-	12 - 120	-
100	1579478400		-	-	24 to 60	-
100	1579478400		-	-	-	-
100	1579478400		-	-	-	-
100	1579046400		-	-	-	-
100	1578873600		-	-	-	-
100	1577059200		-	-	-	-
100	1577059200		-	-	-	-
100	1577059200		-	-	-	-
100	1575849600		$5,000 - $150,000	15% +	6 - 24	$5,000 - $150,000
100	1575849600		Up to $250,000	-	-	Up to $250,000
100	1575590400		-	-	-	-
100	1575590400		-	-	-	-
1	1545955200		$5,000 - $150,000	Fee-Based: Starting at 9%	12 - 60	$5,000 - $150,000
100	1552262400		$500,000 - $10,000,000	-	-	$500,000 - $10,000,000
100	1552262400		-	Competitive	-	-
100	1552262400		-	-	-	-
100	1552262400		Up to $250,000	-	Up to 10 years	Up to $250,000
100	1552262400		-	-	-	-
100	1552262400		Up to $1,000,000	-	-	Up to $1,000,000
100	1551830400		Up to $100,000	-	-	Up to $100,000
100	1551830400		$10,000+	-	Up to 15 years	$10,000+
100	1551830400		Up to $1,000,000	-	Up to 15 years	Up to $1,000,000
100	1551830400		Up to $500,000	-	Up to 10 years	Up to $500,000
100	1551830400		$5,000 - $10,000	-	Up to 7 years	$5,000 - $10,000
100	1551398400		$3,500+	-	-	$3,500+
100	1551398400		$5,000+	4.9% - 24.99%	18 - 48	$5,000+
100	1551398400		$10,000 - $1,000,000	4% - 14%	12 - 84	$10,000 - $1,000,000
100	1551139200		Up to $75,000	-	Up to 18	Up to $75,000
100	1550534400		$500-$50,000	0.5% weekly	12 week cycles	$500-$50,000
100	1550534400		$1,000 - $1,000,000	6% - 20%	-	$1,000 - $1,000,000
100	1550534400		Up to $5,000,000	4.5%	24 - 72	Up to $5,000,000
100	1550534400		$5,000 - $200,000	-	-	$5,000 - $200,000
100	1549411200		$50,000 - $12,000,000	-	24 - 96	$50,000 - $12,000,000
100	1549411200		$5,000 - $1,000,000+	-	1 - 60	$5,000 - $1,000,000+
100	1549238400		$5,000 - $1,000,000	-	3 - 24	$5,000 - $1,000,000
100	1548720000		$5,000 - $5,000,000	-	4 - 18	$5,000 - $5,000,000
100	1548720000		Up to $100,000	6.05% +	60	Up to $100,000
100	1548720000		$10,000+	18% - 22%	-	$10,000+
100	1548720000		$10,000 - $300,000	4.70% - 5.45%	-	$10,000 - $300,000
100	1548633600		Up to $5,000,000	5% - 10%	12 - 60	Up to $5,000,000
10	1545177600		$1,000 - $35,000	5.6% – 25.5%	36 – 60	$1,000 - $35,000
100	1545264000		$5,000 - $250,000	-	3-18	$5,000 - $250,000
100	1545264000		$5,000 - $150,000	-	3 - 24	$5,000 - $150,000
6	1545350400		$5,000 – $100,000	15% +	12 – 18	$5,000 – $100,000
100	1545264000		$5,000 – $100,000	Starting at 6.87%	3 – 18	$5,000 – $100,000
5	1545177600		$5,000-$300,000	15% - 25%	4 - 24	$5,000-$300,000
4	1545177600		$5,000 – $500,000	Starting at 5.9%	3 – 60	$5,000 – $500,000
5	1545264000		$500 - $10,000	12.99% – 39.99%	9 – 36	$500 - $10,000
100	1561507200		Up to $300,000	-	-	Up to $300,000

		Provider	Loan Amount	Rate	Term (Months)	Rating
0	0		Up to $50,000	Prime – 46.96%	3 - 120	Up to $50,000
2	1679529600		Varies	8.49% +	24 - 96 months	Varies
100	1643846400		up to $10,000	19.99%	12 - 36	up to $10,000
3	1632960000		Up to $50,000	15.99% +	12 -72	Up to $50,000
8	1624233600		Up to $50,000	29.99% – 46.96%	12 - 96	Up to $50,000
100	1610409600		-	-	-	-
17	1607558400		$500 - $50,000	-	24 - 60	$500 - $50,000
7	1606435200		$500 - $10,000	starting at 0%	3 - 48	$500 - $10,000
100	1600646400		$1,000-$7,500	12.99% - 29.99%	12 - 84	$1,000-$7,500
100	1594339200		-	-	-	-
100	1582761600		-	-	12 - 96	-
6	1582761600		-	11.9% - 22.9%	Up to 84	-
100	1582761600		-	0% - 29.5%	-	-
100	1581033600		-	+ 4.9%	-	-
100	1581033600		-	-	-	-
100	1580688000		-	-	-	-
100	1579478400		-	-	-	-
100	1579478400		-	-	-	-
100	1579478400		-	-	-	-
100	1579219200		-	-	-	-
100	1578873600		-	+8.99%	-	-
100	1578873600		-	-	-	-
100	1551830400		$5,000 - $10,000	-	up to 84	$5,000 - $10,000
100	1552262400		Up to $250,000	-	12 - 60	Up to $250,000
100	1552262400		Up to $1,000,000	-	up to 96	Up to $1,000,000
100	1551830400		Up to $100,000	-	6 - 96	Up to $100,000
100	1551830400		$10,000+	-	12 - 96	$10,000+
100	1551830400		Up to $1,000,000	-	up to 96	Up to $1,000,000
100	1577059200		-	-	up to 72	-
100	1577059200		-	-	-	-
100	1575849600		-	Starting at 4%	Up to 84	-
100	1575849600		$5000 - $45,000	4.90 % - 29.95% APR	36 - 72	$5000 - $45,000
100	1575849600		-	-	-	-
100	1575590400		-	-	-	-
100	1575504000		-	-	-	-
6	1569974400		$7500 - $59,995	3.95% +	12 - 96	$7500 - $59,995
100	1562112000		-	Up to 49.9%	-	-
100	1561507200		-	-	-	-
100	1561507200		-	-	Up to 84	-
1	1560124800		Up to $100,000	3.99% - 19.9%	24 -96	Up to $100,000
100	1551830400		Up to $30,000	-	-	Up to $30,000
100	1551830400		Up to $500,000	5.75% – 9.9%	negotiable	Up to $500,000
100	1550534400		-	-	-	-
100	1548720000		-	-	-	-
100	1548633600		-	4.2%+	-	-
100	1545955200		Up to $20,000	19% - 49%	36 - 48	Up to $20,000
5	1545264000		$500 - $10,000	12.99% – 39.99%	9 – 36	$500 - $10,000
100	1545177600		Up to $50,000	-	-	Up to $50,000
100	1545177600		$5,000 – $40,000	-	12 – 72	$5,000 – $40,000
100	1545177600		-	-	Maximum 84	-

		Provider	Loan Amount	Rate	Term (Months)	Rating
0	0		Up to $50,000	Prime – 46.96%	3 - 120	Up to $50,000
100	1578873600		$1,000 - $35,000	-	24 - 60	$1,000 - $35,000
100	1545955200		Up to $20,000	19% - 49%	36 - 48	Up to $20,000
100	1545264000		Up to $25,000	-	12 - 60	Up to $25,000

		Provider	Loan Amount	Rate	Term (Months)	Rating
0	0		N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
3	1726531200		$15,000 +	6% - 16%	12 - 60	$15,000 +
7	1708473600		Varies	Varies	1 - 10 years	Varies
5	1700524800		-	-	-	-
6	1696377600		-	5.69% +	-	-
100	1695945600		-	-	-	-
100	1695772800		-	-	-	-
4	1690934400		Varies	5.54%+	Varies	Varies
2	1688601600		Min $100,000	5.34%+	2 - 10 years	Min $100,000
3	1679616000		$100,000 - $2 million	Fixed, variable, or adjustable rates	1 - 5 years	$100,000 - $2 million
4	1541030400		-	Varies	6 months - 5 years	-
100	1627344000		-	1.94% - 2.45%	12 - 60	-
2	1620777600		Up to $35,000	-	-	Up to $35,000
100	1551830400		Up to $500,000	5.75% – 9.9%	negotiable	Up to $500,000
100	1581033600		-	2.74% - 6.30%	12 - 120	-
100	1580947200		-	-	-	-
100	1580860800		-	-	-	-
100	1580860800		-	2.64% - 4.45%	12 - 120	-
100	1580860800		$50,000+	2.74% - 3.49%	12- 120	$50,000+
100	1580860800		-	-	36 - 60	-
100	1580860800		-	-	-	-
100	1580860800		-	-	-	-
100	1580688000		-	2.79% - 6.00%	6 - 60	-
100	1580688000		-	2.74% - 4.45%	12 - 120	-
100	1580688000		-	-	-	-
100	1579478400		-	2.74% - 3.70%	6 - 120	-
100	1579132800		-	2.79% - 4.45%	-	-
100	1578873600		-	-	-	-
100	1578873600		-	2.69% - 3.95%	6 - 120	-
100	1578268800		up to 4,000,000	3.49% - 5.49%	12 - 300	up to 4,000,000
100	1577059200		$25,000 - $800,000	4.59% - 5.64%	6 - 60	$25,000 - $800,000
100	1577059200		-	-	-	-
100	1577059200		-	--	-	-
100	1577059200		-	2.84% - 7.30%	-	-
100	1574985600		$100,000 - $750,000	-	12 - 120	$100,000 - $750,000
100	1574899200		min 25,000	3.89.% - 4.84%	12 - 60	min 25,000
100	1574899200		-	2.23% - 4.45%	-	-
100	1560124800		-	2.89% - 3.79%	-	-
100	1548806400		$10,000 - $1,500,000	Varies	12 - 24	$10,000 - $1,500,000
100	1548720000		-	2.41% - 3.84%	-	-
100	1548720000		-	-	-	-
1	1517097600		$10,000+	Based on equity	-	$10,000+

		Provider	Services	Rating
0	0		Debt Consolidation Program, Debt Settlement Program, Consumer Proposal, Bankruptcy Consultation	N/A (Referrer)
100	1576540800		Credit Counselling, Bankruptcy, Consumer Proposal
100	1576540800		Bankruptcy, Consumer Proposal
100	1576540800		Credit Counselling, Debt Management Program
100	1576368000		Credit Counselling, Debt Management Program
100	1576454400		Debt Restructuring, After Care - Credit Rebuilding Program, Corporate Debt Restructuring

Being a Canadian home buyer comes with plenty of different benefits, especially if you live in a busy city like London. Though the cost of housing can be substantial across Ontario due to the province’s popularity, the more money you invest toward your mortgage, the more home equity you will build over time.

Once you have enough equity built up in your property, most lenders will allow you to take advantage of several credit products, one of them being the HELOC. For more information about how to gain access to a HELOC in London Ontario, keep reading.

What is Home Equity?

Let’s start with a basic explanation of home equity. As mentioned, home equity is a type of asset that you can build, typically by paying down your mortgage or adding value to your home through additions and/or renovations. Home equity can also accumulate by itself when the homes in your neighborhood are subject to a real estate boom.

For more information about building home equity, click here.

Essentially, your home equity relates to how valuable your property is estimated to be on the real estate market, minus the balance remaining on your primary mortgage (if any).

For instance, if your mortgage is $350,000 and you have a $250,000 balance remaining on your primary mortgage, you’ve now built $100,000 (just under 30%) in equity ($350,000 – $250,000 = $100,000).

However, when you decide to tap into your home equity, your property will first need to be appraised by an expert to get a more exact calculation, which is a standard part of the lending procedure. Once you’ve accumulated 20 – 25% equity, most lenders will permit you to apply for a number of credit products.

Interested in learning about what affects your credit score? Take a look at this.

How Does a HELOC Differ From a Home Equity Loan?

Although you can also choose to refinance your primary mortgage, many Canadian homebuyers will apply for either a ‘HELOC’ or a ‘home equity loan’ once their property has accumulated a sufficient amount of equity.

These two products are similar in certain respects but are quite different when it comes to their overall costs and repayment processes, so be sure to consider the descriptions below before you apply for either.

Apply For a HELOC in London

Short for ‘home equity line of credit’, this product can be found through select lenders in London and allows you to access 65% – 85% of your available equity. Similar to the way a personal line of credit or credit card functions, a HELOC is a revolving credit line of equal or lesser value to your home equity balance.

You can withdraw from this credit line whenever you need and repay your outstanding balances on a monthly basis, usually with the option to make minimum payments whenever you can’t afford full sums, which many home buyers prefer.

This option is also appealing because, like all revolving products, you would only have to pay a variable interest rate on any amounts that remain unpaid. This rate would fluctuate according to Canada’s prime rate, so it will occasionally be lower than that of the average home equity loan, potentially helping you save a bit of money over time.

So, if you only plan to use your HELOC in London as a rainy day fund, you won’t have to pay anything. While the terms and conditions of your credit line will also vary from lender to lender, some HELOCs can last 20 – 30 years.

Generally, a HELOC in London Ontario is a better option when dealing with lengthy expenses that require financing over time, as well as unexpected events, such as:

• Long home improvements (renovations, additions, etc.)
• Lease or purchase of a new vehicle
• Reduction of work hours/income or unemployment
• Consolidation of high-interest debt
• You or a family member’s education
• Recurring bills (utilities, internet, taxes, etc.)

Applying For a Home Equity Loan in London

More commonly known as a “second” mortgage, a home equity loan is closer to a personal loan than it is to a credit card and allows you to access up to 80% of your available equity. This means that, soon after you’ve been approved, your equity lender would send you a lump sum of money via direct deposit to your bank account.

You would then repay that sum over a number of years through divided installments with interest. Although many home buyers prefer to make equally sized payments at the same time every month (other frequencies are available), some lenders will permit larger or more frequent payments without charge, so your debt ends earlier.

Rather than a revolving credit line, the loan sum will be liquid cash that you can withdraw physically or use up with your debit card. Most lenders will offer you a fixed interest rate, which may be higher than some variable rates but won’t fluctuate during your loan term and will, therefore, be easier to factor into your home budget.

Once again, every lender has a different way of doing business. That said, some home equity loans can also last up to 30 years in Canada. Perhaps the biggest difference between the two products is that your regularly occurring home equity loan payments will be mandatory, while you can choose whether or not to use a HELOC.

All this makes the home equity loan a better choice when you have large but preferably singular expenses and situations to cover, such as:

• Home maintenance (repairs, decoration, etc.)
• Purchase of a less-expensive recreational vehicle (ATV, boat, etc.)
• Temporary loss of employment due to medical issues
• Big purchases (furniture, appliances, etc.)
• Vacations and unexpected travel
• Floods, fires, and other home emergencies

Struggling to deal with high levels of debt? Check out this infographic to learn how to tackle your debt.

When is a Second Mortgage the Right Choice?

As mentioned, a home equity loan is often called a second mortgage. This is due to its resemblance to the traditional mortgaging process. However, a HELOC can also technically qualify as a second mortgage when it comes to the products that are listed on your credit report.

Like with any credit product, lenders will send information about your mortgage payments to Canada’s main credit bureaus (Equifax and TransUnion). Your report will then retain said information over the course of the mortgage (and for several years following).

Secondary Mortgage Position

So, if you’re approved for a HELOC or home equity loan while your primary mortgage is still in effect, said product will be placed in secondary mortgage position. Typically, this will lead to a higher interest rate for that product, because the lender is taking more risk by approving a home buyer that already has one mortgage on their property. That rate would only go down once you’ve fully paid off your primary mortgage and your home equity product is moved into first position.

With second mortgage products, you’ll also have the option of applying with either your original lender or another source if you’re searching for better terms and conditions. Watch out, if you already hold a primary mortgage with one lender but apply for a HELOC or home equity loan with another, the rate you pay for that product is sure to be higher. This is because, if you default on your upcoming payments, the second lender would be last in line to receive compensation following any debt collection procedures.

Essentially, applying for a HELOC or home equity loan during your primary mortgage means that you’ll wind up with two sets of recurring payments to keep up with. The more financially qualified you are to handle both payments, the more favorable the results will be when you apply, meaning more credit, lower rates, and more adjustable payment plans.

Should you use your home equity to pay off credit card debt? Find out here.

To be safe, you should only apply for a second mortgage when:

• You want to increase your credit score through timely/full payments.
• You want to add value to your home through renovations, additions, etc.
• You’ve already checked your credit report for errors, fraud, or identity theft.
• You currently have decent credit, a low amount of outstanding debt, and a household income that can support all costs involved.

It’s probably a bad idea to apply for a second mortgage when:

• You plan to buy unnecessary items (gifts, subscriptions, clothes, etc.)
• You’re already having trouble affording your primary mortgage.
• You currently have bad credit, a large amount of outstanding debt, and/or a low household income.

Trying to Find a HELOC? Try Our Network!

Loans Canada can help match you with a third-party license mortgage professional in your area who can help you determine if a HELOC is the right choice for your needs.

Note: Loans Canada does not arrange, underwrite or broker mortgages. We are a simple referral service.