A home equity loan otherwise known as a second mortgage, is a type of loan in which the borrower receives a large sum of money by obtaining equity from their property. The loan amount is determined by the value of your property, which is then dependent on the appraised value of your home and the current balance on your mortgage. Since the loan is secured by your home, you’ll likely pay less interest than you would on a personal loan. In this article, we will review the 3 most beneficial ways to use your home equity loan including adding value to your home, investing in your dream, and preparing for emergencies. 

 

Add Value To Your Home

Many of us take great pride in our homes and enjoy experimenting with them when we have time. One of the many ways we see consumers use their home equity loans is for home improvements, additions and upgrades. Utilizing your loan in this way could end up helping you pay it off in the end – any upgrades you’re doing have a very good chance of boosting the value of your house, which means if you decide to sell it the home could be worth a greater amount of money. Alternatively, if you love your home but need more space, you could add a family room, a bathroom, or an extra bedroom. You could even knock down a few walls to make the floor plan feel more open. A home equity loan will be able to help fund these projects without you having to dig into your savings and deplete from other important accounts.

 

Invest In Your Dream Of Opening A Business

Being your own boss is a dream of many, and while the idea sounds tempting: it can also be quite expensive. To invest in your dream costs money and unfortunately, not everyone has the funds to start their own business or open a franchise. In general, most small businesses need a cash infusion to get to the next level and cash flow management can make or break an enterprise. There may be times when you need a larger sum of money to take advantage of revenue generating opportunities, cover short-term expenses or support your business through seasonal fluctuations. Thankfully, home equity loans are perfect for this scenario. You’re able to access a large amount of money at once without touching your personal savings or potentially have to take out a pricey small business loan. An equity loan can be used to fill in the time period while you’re waiting for your accounts receivable to roll in.

 

Prepare For Personal and Family Emergencies

It’s extremely common for life to surprise us, and not always in the best way! When thinking of an unpredicted personal or family emergency, many examples could come to mind. Events such as job loss, unexpected medical expenses or car repairs may unfortunately occur more than once in your lifetime. Many Canadians have made it a priority to repeatedly add money in their emergency fund every month or have a “monthly savings goal” based on their income – especially since 2020 and the pandemic. If you haven’t had the chance to start saving in an emergency account, a home equity loan can be a great option. You can get a great first sum of money to add in your savings, and can continue to build it from there. 

 

In closing, we hope that this article was able to help you get an understanding of what a home equity loan is, as well as the most beneficial ways to invest or use it! If you’re looking for a trustworthy company to discuss more information with, Leap Financial approves loans up to $2,500,000 and has an easy, reliable, and stress-free repayment process. Start your zero-obligation application on our website today and see the type of rates you can get approved for!