A bank has given me an approval letter for a HELOC, and it's pressuring me to sign the documents quickly. The pressure has felt uncomfortable. I asked the loan officer for a delay to make sure I know what I'm getting myself into and he got pretty testy. Aggressive, actually. What he offered me was on the low side, but I have other sources of money that makes that less important. More importantly, I worry that if there are any issues during the course of the loan, communication with this officer could be difficult. He is aware that I intended to apply with another bank as well, so I assume his aggression is about making sure I sign with him, not the other bank.

I've met twice with a loan officer (VP) at another bank and have had much better relations with her. This bank has a slightly higher interest rate and fees, but if this is a short loan, like 6 months or less, perhaps that's less important? She readily agreed to postpone my application until I'm ready to proceed, no pressure at all.

These are both small(ish) local banks.

Q 1:Should I complete my application at the second bank and just not reply to the first one until I have an offer from the second, so I can compare the offers?

Q 2: How long does a HELOC offer normally remain open if the final documents aren't signed?