Build a House for My Kids Since They Can't Afford One?

A caller wants to build a $40,000–$50,000 apartment on their property for their daughter and son-in-law, who work in low-paying ministry jobs and need affordable housing. They have cash but prefer borrowing via HELOC (using home equity) or a bank auto loan (using a paid-off car as collateral) to preserve liquidity, seeing the apartment as a future asset.

Debt Options Carry High Risks

Hosts reject both loans outright, calling them "all cons." A title-style auto loan has high interest (25–300%), short terms (often 30 days), and risks repossession. A HELOC endangers the caller's home, their only remaining debt alongside a mortgage. Even preferring to "lose a car than a house," hosts stress no asset is worth risking, especially since the caller can't truly afford it without collateralizing essentials.

Undermines Family Independence

Building the apartment subsidizes the couple's lifestyle without addressing their low ministry income. Hosts note ministry often requires bivocational work—another job to cover bills—rather than reliance on family. Debt-funded help creates codependency; if it fails, the caller faces loss, straining relationships.