If you have a home equity line of credit (HELOC), repayment operates like a credit card — you draw from the line up to the line amount (just like the credit limit on your credit card). Typically, you’re only required to make interest payments during the draw period, which tends to be 10 to 15 years.

Repaying a Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC) requires payment to the lender, which typically includes both repayment of the loan principal plus monthly interest on the outstanding balance. Some HELOCs allow you to make interest-only payments for a defined period of time, after which a repayment period begins.

Like a home equity loan, a HELOC can be used for anything you want. However, it’s best-suited for long-term, ongoing expenses like home renovations, medical bills or even college tuition. A HELOC usually has a variable interest rate based on the fluctuations of an index, such as the prime rate.

Prepayment Penalties Very often, home equity loans include a prepayment penalty as part of the lending agreement. According to Bankrate, lenders expect borrowers to carry an outstanding loan balance for at least two or three years. The penalty is a fee the lender charges for early repayment.

A home equity loan term can range anywhere from 5-30 years. HELOCs generally allow up to 10 years to withdraw funds, and up to 20 years to repay. A cash-out refinance term can be up to 30 years.

It’s not a good idea to use a home equity line of credit (HELOC) to fund a vacation, buy a car, pay off credit card debt, pay for college, or invest in real estate. If you fail to make payments on a home equity line of credit (HELOC), you could lose your house to foreclosure.

While a HELOC can be a big help when you need to borrow money, it also puts your house at risk in the event you have difficulty paying back the loan. A HELOC can also affect your credit score—positively or negatively—depending on how you manage the account.

A HELOC is a home equity line of credit. Because it has a minimum monthly payment and a limit, a HELOC can directly affect your credit score since it looks like a credit card to credit agencies. It’s important to manage the amount of credit you have since a HELOC typically has a much larger balance than a credit card.

Interest on a HELOC or a home equity loan is deductible if you use the funds for renovations to your home—the phrase is “buy, build, or substantially improve.” To be deductible, the money must be spent on the property whose equity is the source of the loan.

Is an appraisal required with a HELOC? In general, a new appraisal will be required to qualify for a home equity line of credit. However the lender determines a current home value, it’s needed to calculate the amount of credit you’ll be eligible to borrow.

Qualifying for a HELOC To qualify for a HELOC, you need to have available equity in your home, meaning that the amount you owe on your home must be less than the value of your home. You can typically borrow up to 85% of the value of your home minus the amount you owe.

Most lenders will issue government-backed FHA loans and VA loans to borrowers with credit scores as low as 580. Some even start at 500-579 (though these lenders are harder to find). With a credit score above 600, your options open up even more. Low-rate conventional mortgages require only a 620 score to qualify.

Although the amount of equity you can take out of your home varies from lender to lender, most allow you to borrow 80 percent to 85 percent of your home’s appraised value.

Bear in mind that you typically must pay closing costs if you take out a home equity loan. Closing costs generally range from about 2 to 5 percent of the loan amount. The interest rate on the equity loan depends on your credit score.

A home equity loan might be a better option if you want to borrow a large portion of your home’s value, or if you can’t find a lower rate when refinancing. The monthly payments may be higher if you choose a shorter-term loan, but that also means you’ll pay less interest overall.

Unless you’re purchasing a home with an FHA, VA or USDA loan and building in certain fees, you can only choose to roll your closing costs into your principal with a refinance. Essentially, you would use your home equity to pay for the costs.