HH, these "journalists" are idiots.
I worked in the mortgage sector for 11 years. A typical HELOC has a 10 year life span. When that 10 years is over, the note is due in full. You don't start to pay principal, you pay all the principal...like as in right now.
It's not just BMO Harris, it's any lender. There are exceptions, but for the most part it's a 10 year line of credit. So now, you are paying on 2 loans and here comes the "due in full" letter. Can't pay, no worries if you have 20% equity in your home they will open an new line for you and pay off the old one. No equity? Well, first they will stop taking your payments and then a few months later the foreclosure process will start. I don't think I ever met a borrower in that situation that knew how that worked.
