If you need to borrow money, home equity lines may be one useful source
of credit. Initially at least, they may provide you with large amounts
of cash at relatively low interest rates and they may provide you with
certain tax advantages unavailable with other kinds of loans. (Check
with your tax advisor for details.)
At the same time, home equity lines of credit require you to use your
home as collateral for the loan. This may put your home at risk if you
are late or cannot make your monthly payments. Those loans with a large
final (balloon) payment may lead you to borrow more money to pay off
this debt, or they may put your home in jeopardy if you cannot qualify
for refinancing. If you sell your home, most plans require you to pay
off your credit line at that time. In addition, because home equity
loans give you relatively easy access to cash, you might find you borrow
money more freely.