@Michelle SharkoAnswering questions in step by step fashion:- Is it a good thing to do or not is a personal finance decision and it depends on the person asking it, their risk tolerance which in part has to do with how this HELOC or line of credit works and how your personality fares relative to taking on new debt (a person more adverse to debt might have sufficient savings and temperament to pay down/back the debt versus a financially liberal person might get in over their skii's as).

It may be too liberal for some people (the board of supervisors is currently 2-2 party affiliation due to a democratic member stepping down and one of the leading contenders (mayor of Chula Vista) for replacement is a republican.  

This is better than not speaking with your aunt, letting the problem linger and likely worsen.From my experience, in New York, the ultimate decision will depend on many factors and Liberal judges (as told to me by others with way more experience in these matters) can rule in favor of someone with a sob story. i.e.

Yeah-yeah I get it, the wordy-words is "Pause", yeah I get it, and U.S. never was invading Iraq we were "Liberating Oil" right.....

They buy at deep discounts and have economies of Scale to be able to wait out the time when Homes Prices and Rent Prices must rise eventually.It's a lose-lose for Mom and Pop but a Win-Win for Big Money Landlords.It's the complete opposite of what the Liberal's intentions wanted and they will fall into self-delusion that it's a Conspiracy of the Rich.

@Priscilla Chin, while I know NYC has its issues, I am curious how many that talk about how terrible it is actually have direct experience to back that up.I will let @Jay Hinrichs break down his experiences with the dead, liberal, HCOL market rentals versus his OOS, LCOL, landlord friendly rentals.Admittedly, I am a big proponent of local investing.  

Its liberating to be free of w2's!

Breaking free from that mindset is liberating!

today, even as an ACLU card carrying, bed wetting liberal, that saddened and angered me last night.

Colorado is a very liberal State.