Which situation is yours?

Using the equity in a home you already own

1. 01Keep your mortgage, get cashCan I get cash out of my home without refinancing?
2. 02Consolidate debtShould I use home equity to pay off credit cards?
3. 03Fund a projectShould I use a HELOC for a remodel?
4. 04Cash before your saleCan I buy my next home before I sell this one?

Other situations

1. 01A HELOC payment that is changingMy HELOC payment is changing. What are my options?
2. 02Divorce home buyoutHow can I buy out my spouse and resolve the mortgage?
3. 03Keep this home, buy the nextCan I buy my next home and keep this one as a rental?
4. 04Cash offer, no sale firstHow do I buy a house before selling mine with a cash offer?
5. 05Self-employed, returns look lowCan I refinance or buy if my tax returns do not show what my business earns now?
6. 06Investment property: qualifies on the property’s rental incomeCan I buy a rental where the rent qualifies instead of my tax returns?
7. 07Write-offs shrank my incomeMy write-offs made my income look too small. Can I still get approved?
8. 08Just went self-employedI just went self-employed. How long before I can buy a home?
9. 09Commission, bonus, or overtimeMy pay is commission, bonus, or overtime. What counts toward a mortgage?
10. 10Job change or a gapI changed jobs or had a gap. Does that stop me from getting a mortgage?

Straight answers to specific questions

Shorter pages that answer one question each and point to the full situation page.

• Can I get a HELOC if my house is for sale?
• Third lien HELOC California: can I get one if I already have a second mortgage?
• How do I pay an HOA special assessment I can’t afford?
• Can I get a bridge loan to buy a house before I sell mine?
• Can I get a loan to buy land or build a house?
• Can my parent get a reverse mortgage, and is it the right move?
• Can I get a HELOC if my only income is Social Security?
• Can I get a HELOC on a rental property?
• Can I refinance or use a HELOC to buy out my spouse’s share of the house?
• My insurance company says I need a new roof. How do I pay for it?
• My parent had a reverse mortgage and passed away. Can I keep the house?
• Can I get a HELOC or refinance if there is an IRS tax lien on my house?
• Can I buy out my siblings on a house we inherited?
• Can I get cash from my home equity with no monthly payment?
• My offer keeps losing because it’s contingent. What can I do?
• Contingent offer or cash offer: what is the difference for a buyer who has to sell?
• Bridge loan or cash-offer program: which one fits when I buy before I sell?
• Can I get a HELOC on a second home?
• Can I use a HELOC on my house to buy a second home?
• Can I get a loan to buy a vacation rental or second home in Palm Springs?
• Do I need a signed lease before the rent on my current house counts?
• Can I use a HELOC for a down payment?
• HELOC for self-employed in California: qualifying with bank statements
• Can I get a HELOC on a house held in a living trust or an LLC?
• What happens to my HELOC when I sell my house?
• How soon after buying a home can I get a HELOC?
• Can I get a HELOC on a paid-off house?
• Can I buy a fixer-upper and pay for the renovation with one loan?
• What happens to a HELOC when the owner dies?
• Can a HELOC use an automated valuation instead of an in-person appraisal?
• My bank said no to a HELOC. What can I do next?
• The bank declined my HELOC because my home is listed for sale. What now?
• Can I use the equity in my listed home for the down payment on my next house?
• Can you have two HELOCs on one property?
• Can I get a HELOC if my house is on the California FAIR Plan?
• My condo won't qualify. Can I still buy it?
• My condo won't qualify for a refinance. What can I do?
• Can I remove my ex from the mortgage without refinancing?
• Can my parents help me with the down payment?
• Can Utah's first-time buyer program help me buy a new home?
• Can I get a hard money loan in Utah?
• Should I take the builder buydown or ask for a price cut?
• Can Portland's down payment assistance loan help me buy a home?
• I got a California Dream For All voucher. What do I do next?
• Can I get a HELOC if I have a VA partial claim?
• I had a late mortgage payment. Can I still refinance or get a HELOC?
• Does my RSU income count for a mortgage?
• Can I get a mortgage with no job but substantial savings?
• Can I refinance if my income includes RSUs and bonuses?
• Can I get a jumbo mortgage without selling all my investments?
• Can I buy or refinance after bankruptcy, foreclosure or a short sale?
• My bank denied my mortgage. What can I do now?
• Can I get a mortgage with a profit and loss statement instead of tax returns?
• How soon can I refinance out of a hard money loan?
• My student loan payment is zero. Why is the lender counting a payment?
• I became a partner at work. Do I need two years of K-1s before I can buy?
• Can I get a DSCR loan for a short-term rental that has no rental history yet?
• I bought a house with cash. Can I get a mortgage now?
• My parents want to sell me their house below market value. Can the equity count as my down payment?
• Can I buy a home for my parents without it counting as a rental?
• Can I use a DSCR loan for my 1031 exchange replacement property?
• The house I'm buying has financed solar panels. Can that stop my mortgage from closing?
• Can I count basement apartment rent when I buy a house in Utah?
• What is Utah's new FirstHome Conventional loan, and do I qualify?
• Can I refinance or get a HELOC to pay off an HOA lien?
• Can I get a HELOC or refinance to pay overdue property taxes?
• Can I get a HELOC on an owner-occupied condo?
• Can I get a HELOC if my taxes are on extension or not filed yet?
• Can I get a HELOC if my write-offs make my income look too low?
• Can I get a HELOC with 1099 or gig income?
• Can I get a HELOC if my business is less than two years old?
• Will a mortgage lender count my S-corp income or just my W-2 salary?
• Can I use a HELOC to pay off business loans and credit cards?
• Can a business loan my company pays be left out of my mortgage debts?
• Can I use money in my business account for a down payment?
• Can I get a HELOC if my business income dropped last year but is back up now?
• Can we combine my spouse's W-2 income with my bank statement income for a mortgage?
• Can I get a mortgage when I move my self-employed business to another state?
• Can only one of us be on the HELOC if we both own the home?
• How high can a HELOC go against my home's value?
• How high can a fixed-rate home equity loan go?
• Should I use a HELOC to consolidate debt?
• Can I pay off my credit cards with the equity in my home?
• I'm buying one cottage on its own lot in Oregon. Is that a regular mortgage or a condo loan?
• Who's the best mortgage lender for my situation?

Do not see yours?

Text or call Zach and describe it in a sentence. If it is a situation this site should answer, it will get its own page. If it is not a fit for anything he offers, he will say so and point you somewhere useful.