Final words of wisdom Make your mortgage payments a priority. Lenders who let you borrow more than your house is worth may not be doing you a favor. If you like plastic too much, forgo using a credit card to access a line of credit and get checks instead.
Paper is a little harder to let go of.
Don't tempt yourself by carrying your home equity credit card or checks with you all the time. Keep some equity freed up for emergencies. Maintain good credit. Banks monitor your payment habits and if they see a change for the worse, they could reduce or freeze your credit. Read the fine print in your loan agreement.