HELOC
Your rate is too good to lose. Your equity isjust sitting there.
A HELOC puts that equity to work without touching your first mortgage. We’re the folks who figure out if it’s the right move, then shop lenders to make it happen.
Sound familiar?
High-interest cards, strong home equity, and nothing moving the balance.
See how she got +$1,500/mo →Big equity, a project stuck on paper, and financing you don’t want to blow up.
See the +$4,000/mo ADU →Tired kitchen, kid off to college, Mom needs help. And a rate too good to kill.
What people use it for →Write-offs are great at tax time and rough in underwriting. We can qualify you on bank statements instead, so the lender sees how you actually earn.
See how it works →She had bills on bills.
About $60,000 in credit card debt. Minimums ate the grocery budget and barely touched the principal. The equity was there. The cash flow was not.
Started with the math, not a product. Then structured a HELOC to wipe the cards and stop feeding the banks 20%+ interest.
Over $1,500 a month back. Same house. Different monthly life.
Mo’ money, mo’ ADU.
Roughly $1 million of equity in an investment duplex. None of it working. The ADU he wanted was stuck on paper.
Walked HELOC vs cash-out vs doing nothing. A HELOC let him draw for permits and construction as invoices hit, and keep the financing he liked.
About $4,000 more a month, lined up. Equity became lumber, a kitchen, and rent.
Self-employed or investing? We can qualify HELOCs on bank statements or rental income (DSCR), not just tax returns.
A $1M line on a paid-off $4M second home.
A business owner who wants cash ready when opportunities show up, without selling the house (he never visits) or begging a retail bank. BofA tell this guy to kick rocks. We do it all day long.
He isn’t borrowing to fix a problem. He’s borrowing so he never has to scramble when a deal lands. The house sits there, paid off, and now it works for him. If the line never gets used, it costs him nothing. If a deal shows up on a Tuesday, the money’s already there.
I called 20+ lenders and still could not find one.
Back in 2022, I wanted lines of credit on our multi-family investments. Not to pay off debt. To be ready. Multi-family was a brick wall, and finding loans is my job. Now I keep a $500k line on my primary and on investment properties. When deals show up, I’m ready. We sell what we use.
PS: Once you pass 10 financed properties, Fannie and Freddie stop lending on rentals. That’s when I lean on DSCR loans to keep buying.
Sitting on a 2.75% rate? We’re not touching it.
You’re never moving with that rate. Fine. We agree. We don’t refinance a rate like that just to unlock cash. The equity line sits behind it. Same rate you brag about. New options on top.
What people actually use it for
Life kept moving after you locked that rate. Here’s what we see every week.
HELOC, home equity loan, or cash-out refi?
Pick the one that matches how you will spend the money.
Revolving draws, usually variable. Best for ADUs, remodels, tuition, ongoing access. First mortgage stays.
One lump sum, often fixed. Best when you know the exact number. First mortgage stays.
Lump sum that replaces your first mortgage at a new rate. Best when the first loan should change too.
Self-employed or investing? Bank-statement, Non-QM, or DSCR may beat a textbook HELOC. We will not force a HELOC into a file that needs something else.
The bank said no. That might just be the wrong bank.
Bank HELOCs are built for W2s and tidy tax returns. A lot of our clients are not. These are not your mama’s equity lines.
Three steps. A human the whole way.
When a HELOC isn’t the move
Sometimes the answer isn’t a HELOC, and I’ll tell you.
That’s the whole point of working with a broker. There is no one size fits all.
Straight answers
Still wondering? Read our 200+ reviews on Yelp, then book the call.
I have a rate in the 2s or 3s. Do I have to refinance to use my equity?
No. That’s the whole point. We leave the first mortgage alone and structure an equity line behind it. Your sub-3% stays.
Should I get a HELOC or a cash-out refinance?
HELOC keeps your first mortgage and gives you a line. Cash-out replaces the first loan and cuts a check. If you love your rate and need staged money, HELOC often wins. We run both.
Can I use a HELOC to build an ADU in Los Angeles?
Yes. For cash flow, or for Mom in the backyard. Draws follow the project. Details depend on appraisal, title, and guidelines. That is the goals call.
I’m self-employed and tax returns look soft, but my deposits are strong. Can I still qualify?
Yes, you need a bank-statement loan. Your deposits can tell the income story when the return doesn’t.
I’m an investor. Can I qualify on the property’s cash flow?
Often yes. DSCR-style qualification looks at the asset’s income, not only your personal DTI.
Do you only work in Los Angeles?
We are LA-based but licensed in CA, CO, WA, TX, and FL, and we do equity lines on properties in those states.
Can I get a HELOC if I’m self-employed or my income is hard to document?
Often yes. Depending on the lender, we can look at bank statements or rental income instead of tax returns, which is Non-QM territory.
What if a HELOC is not the right tool?
We say so. Then we look at Non-QM, bank-statement, DSCR, reverse, or leave it alone. Sometimes the right move is no new loan.