Yes — that is exactly the scenario this product was designed for. If your home has appreciated and you have significant equity, but a traditional lender won’t go above 80-90% combined LTV, Expanded Access fills that gap. As long as your combined loan-to-value (first mortgage balance + Expanded Access loan) does not exceed 100% of your home’s current value, you may qualify — subject to credit, income, and property eligibility.

Most traditional lenders require you to keep a 20% ‘equity cushion’ because they’re bound by conforming secondary-market guidelines. Expanded Access is a proprietary program with guidelines set outside those standard boxes, which lets us underwrite manually — a human expert reviews your full financial profile — to allow qualified homeowners (minimum 660 FICO) to access the full value of their equity as a second mortgage, without refinancing their first loan.

Important Note on Market Conditions: To protect your equity, industry standards require a 10% reduction in the maximum borrowing limit (CLTV) if an independent appraisal determines the property is located in a “declining market.” This ensures your total loan remains well-aligned with your home’s actual value during shifting market conditions.

During the 5-year interest-only period, your required payment covers only interest — not principal. Your interest rate during this period may adjust once per year based on the WSJ Prime index plus a margin set by your credit tier and occupancy, subject to a 2% annual adjustment cap, a 5% lifetime cap, and a 5.99% floor. At the end of year 5, the loan converts to a 20-year fully amortizing fixed-rate loan for the remainder of the 25-year term. Your payment will increase at conversion as principal begins amortizing — plan accordingly.

In many cases, no. Traditional loans usually require a full physical appraisal—where a licensed appraiser visits your home in person. This can take weeks to schedule and adds several hundred dollars to your closing costs.

To provide faster access to your equity, Expanded Access frequently utilizes an Automated Valuation Model (AVM). This is a sophisticated digital analysis of comparable sales and local property data that verifies your home’s value in days rather than weeks.

We are able to use this streamlined digital option as long as the data meets specific industry reliability standards—technically defined as a minimum Confidence Score of 80 or a Confidence Level of Medium or High. If your property meets these criteria, we can often bypass the physical inspection entirely. If the digital data is less certain for your specific area, we will simply order a traditional appraisal to ensure your home’s value is calculated accurately.

No. Expanded Access is a second-lien product — it sits behind your existing first mortgage and does not replace it, refinance it, or change its terms in any way. This is specifically designed for homeowners who have a favorable first mortgage rate they want to protect. You keep your current loan and payment exactly as they are. The Expanded Access loan is a completely separate, additional loan secured by your home equity.

A cash-out refinance replaces your entire first mortgage with a new, larger loan at today’s rates. If your current first mortgage has a rate of 3-4%, refinancing today to access your equity could cost you significantly more in monthly interest for the life of the loan. Expanded Access is a second mortgage — it adds a new loan behind your existing first without touching it. You keep your current rate on your first mortgage and simply add the equity access you need as a separate loan. For most homeowners with low-rate first mortgages, this math is significantly more favorable than a cash-out refinance.

No. While Expanded Access shares some characteristics with private lending — speed, flexibility, manual underwriting — it is a structured, regulated mortgage product with transparent terms, a fixed-rate conversion, and predictable payments. It is not a short-term bridge loan, it does not have balloon payments, and it is not priced like hard money. It is a structured mortgage product featuring an initial interest-only period followed by a fully amortizing fixed repayment term

Because we use manual underwriting and an AVM in many cases, we eliminate two of the biggest delays in traditional lending: the automated underwriting queue and the physical appraisal schedule. While every loan is different, our goal is to move qualified borrowers from application to funding significantly faster than a bank or credit union. Contact us for current estimated timelines based on your specific situation.

The minimum credit score is 660 FICO, and eligible properties include single-family homes, PUDs, condominiums, and owner-occupied duplexes.

Credit & Equity Limits: Maximum financing is determined by your credit tier and occupancy:

• Tier 1 (780–850 FICO): Up to 100% (Primary) / 95% (Second Home)
• Tier 2 (720–779 FICO): Up to 100% (Primary) / 95% (Second Home)
• Tier 3 (660–719 FICO): Up to 90% (Primary) / 90% (Second Home)

Property Eligibility:

• Eligible: Primary residences and qualifying second homes (attached/detached SFH, PUDs, Condos, and 2-unit owner-occupied).
• Ineligible: Investment/rental properties, 3–4 unit properties, co-ops, condotels, mobile/manufactured homes, geodesic domes, working farms/ranches, timeshares, leaseholds, and parcels over 20 acres.

Underwriting Notes: All loans undergo manual underwriting to review income and DTI (qualified at 1% over start rate). Please note that maximum CLTV limits may be reduced by 10% in designated declining markets, and second-home pricing includes a 50 bps adjustment to the rate and margin.

Loan amounts range from $75,000 minimum to $250,000 maximum. The actual amount you can borrow depends on your home’s current value, your existing mortgage balance, your credit tier, and your combined loan-to-value ratio. Use the equity calculator on this page to get an estimate based on your specific numbers.

The Expanded Access  Home Equity Loan is available in 48 states. It is not currently available in Texas or West Virginia. Texas home equity loans are governed by Texas Constitution Section 50(a)(6), which imposes structural requirements (including an 80% maximum CLTV) that this product is not designed to meet. We are not currently licensed in West Virginia. If you are in Texas or West Virginia and need equity access, contact us to discuss alternative options.

Yes — and it is one of the most common and financially effective use cases. Many borrowers use Expanded Access to consolidate high-interest credit card debt, personal loans, or other variable-rate obligations into a single, lower-rate home equity loan. The initial interest-only period can make the monthly payment significantly lower than the combined minimum payments you’re currently making on multiple debts. As with any loan secured by your home, carefully consider the implications before consolidating unsecured debt into a mortgage product.

Interest rates for the Expanded Access loan vary depending on several individual factors, including your credit score (FICO), the total loan amount, and your Combined Loan-to-Value (CLTV) ratio. Because market rates fluctuate, we do not post static rates online. Instead, we provide transparent, personalized rate quotes tailored to your specific financial profile. Contact our team or apply online today to see current rates and find out what you qualify for!

There are two key structural differences. First, Expanded Access is a closed-end loan — you receive the full amount at closing and repay it on a set schedule. A HELOC is a revolving line of credit you draw from as needed.

Second, Expanded Access has a defined conversion point: at year 5, the rate fixes for the remaining 20-year amortization term. HELOCs remain variable for their entire term. Expanded Access is better for borrowers who want a specific lump sum, a capped adjustable rate during the interest-only period (2/2/5 caps, 5.99% floor), and a guaranteed fixed-rate conversion date.

Yes. Expanded Access is available as a Purchase Money Second Lien alongside a new first mortgage at purchase. This lets qualified buyers use a conventional first mortgage plus an Expanded Access second — a structure commonly known as a piggyback or 80-10-10 — to avoid private mortgage insurance, keep the first mortgage at a conforming balance, or bridge the gap between the first mortgage and their available down payment. Purchase Money Seconds are available up to $300,000 with a 720 minimum FICO on primary residences only. Cash out is not allowed on a Purchase Money Second.