Built on 30 years of home equity experience. Approved in minutes.
Most applications get a same-day decision. Most loans fund within a week. No need to refinance your low first mortgage rate.
Takes about 60 seconds. See your options on the next screen.
No impact on your credit score to find out.
Lender Express Mortgage LLC · NMLS #1963444 · Equal Housing Opportunity
A line of credit secured by your home equity, without the traditional process.
A home equity line of credit, or HELOC, lets you borrow against the equity in your home. You only pay interest on the amount you owe. You can draw from it, pay it down, and draw again during the draw period.
A digital HELOC works the same way, but skips the slow parts. No in-person appraisal. No drawn-out paperwork. No phone tag with the underwriter. You apply online, get a real rate in minutes through a soft credit check, and most loans fund within a week.
Because it sits behind your first mortgage, your original rate stays in place. That matters if you locked in a low rate during 2020 to 2022 and don’t want to give it up to access cash.
From your goal to funded loan in four steps.
No appraisal in most cases. No piles of paperwork. A real loan officer is on every file from start to finish.
Check your offer
Tell us what you want to do with your equity. Answer a few questions about your property. Takes about 10 to 15 minutes.
Get approved
Soft credit check runs in the background. Most applicants get a real offer same day.
Accept your terms
Pick the line amount, draw period, and repayment term that fits your goals.
Get your funds
Sign online with a remote notary. Most loans fund within a week. Use the line however you need.
Fast does not mean unfamiliar.
Most digital HELOC platforms are run by software engineers who have never originated a home equity loan. The technology is good. The mortgage experience is not.
Lender Express is a mortgage broker. Between Steve Lines and Shane Hollenback, the owners bring more than 50 years of combined mortgage and home equity experience to every file. They have watched the home equity product evolve through every rate cycle, every regulatory change, and every shift in how borrowers actually use their equity.
The digital process is built on top of that experience, not in place of it. When you have a question, a real loan officer with decades of home equity origination experience is there. When your file needs a human eye, you get one.
That is the difference between a digital HELOC built by a fintech and a digital HELOC built by a mortgage broker.
Real homeowners. Real outcomes.
A line of credit secured by your home is a serious decision. We treat it that way. Here is what some of our borrowers have said about working with our team.
“Super impressed with how fast and easy the entire HELOC process was. Almost everything was digital, funding came quickly, and the fully amortizing payment structure made way more sense to us than another interest-only loan.”
“Working with them was refreshingly simple. Fast process, quick funding, and far less paperwork than traditional banks. A huge bonus was their flexibility with different property and occupancy types.”
“I expected a HELOC to be a headache, but this was incredibly smooth. Clear communication, fast turnaround, and I love that the loan actually pays down principal instead of staying interest-only forever.”
“As a self-employed borrower, I thought this would drag out for weeks. It didn’t. The digital process was straightforward, funding was fast, and the experience was far easier than any bank I’ve dealt with.”
“One of the easiest lending experiences we’ve had. The process was simple, fully online, and the funds came quickly. The fully amortizing structure gave us confidence we’re actually making progress on the balance.”
A line of credit fits real life better than a one-time loan.
Most homeowner expenses don’t happen on a single day. Projects stretch out. Tuition bills arrive in semesters. Repairs come up months apart. A HELOC is built to work the way your expenses actually show up.
Access to your equity, over time
A HELOC is a line of credit secured by your home. As you pay down the balance, that available credit is there for you to use again during the draw period. It functions as ongoing access to your equity, not a one-time event.
Pay interest on what you owe
A HELOC is a balance-based product. Your monthly payment is calculated on the outstanding balance, not on the original approved amount. If you pay your balance down, your payment recalculates against the lower balance the next cycle.
Built for ongoing or uncertain expenses
A HELOC fits situations where you don’t know the exact total cost yet. Home remodels, repairs, tuition, medical bills, debt payoff over time, emergency reserves, business expenses, or investment opportunities. A home equity loan is better when you know the exact amount upfront. A HELOC is better when the costs spread out or change.
Reusable during the draw period
As you repay your balance, the available credit is restored. That makes a HELOC useful as a financial tool you keep around, not a one-time loan you close and never see again. Pay down the balance, then use the line again later for a different expense.
Keep your low first mortgage rate. Access your equity anyway.
A cash-out refinance replaces your first mortgage with a new, larger loan, often at today’s higher rate. A HELOC sits on top of your first mortgage. Your original rate, term, and impound account stay intact.
Replaces your first mortgage
- You lose your existing mortgage rate
- Resets your loan back to a new 30-year term
- Triggers title fees, lender fees, and a new impound account
- Full underwriting and traditional closing
- Typically 30 days or more to close
Keeps your first mortgage in place
- Keep your existing mortgage rate and term
- Sits behind your first mortgage
- Soft credit check, no impact on score
- No title fees, most lender fees, or impound reset
- Most close within a week
The same line of credit. Many different goals.
A HELOC works for most homeowner goals that need real money. Here are the most common reasons our borrowers open one.
Home improvement
Remodel, addition, repair, or full renovation. Draw funds in stages as the project moves forward.
See how it works for home improvementDebt consolidation
Pay off high-interest credit cards and personal loans. Replace many payments with one.
See how it works for debt consolidationCollege and education
Fund tuition, room and board, or graduate school for your family. A flexible option alongside student loans.
See how it works for educationEmergency reserve
Open a HELOC and leave it unused as a safety net. Pay interest only on what you draw.
See how it works as a reserveMajor purchases
Medical expenses, large planned costs, family events. Use what you need, repay on your schedule.
See how it works for major purchasesBusiness and investment
Move on an investment property, fund a business need, or jump on an opportunity. Tap your equity instead of waiting on bank financing.
See how investors and entrepreneurs use itHow much could I borrow with a HELOC?
Adjust the two values to match your situation. The estimate uses an 85 percent combined loan-to-value, the current maximum for a primary residence.
Final approved amounts depend on credit, income, property type, and full underwriting. Investment properties qualify at a lower combined loan-to-value.
What homeowners ask before they apply.
If you have a question that is not here, find your rate to start the conversation. A real loan officer will follow up with you.
Will finding my rate affect my credit score?
No. The initial rate quote uses a soft credit check. Soft pulls do not affect your credit score. A hard credit check happens later in the process only if you choose to accept terms and move forward.
How fast can I actually get the money?
Most applicants get a same-day decision. Most funded loans close within a week of the application. Funding speed depends on how quickly the borrower returns required documents and schedules a closing time.
Do I have to refinance my first mortgage?
No. A HELOC sits in second position behind your first mortgage. Your first mortgage stays exactly as it is, including the rate you locked in.
What’s the difference between a HELOC and a home equity loan?
A home equity loan is a one-time lump sum at a fixed amount and a fixed payment. A HELOC is a line of credit you can draw from, pay down, and draw again during the draw period. A home equity loan is better when you know the exact amount you need upfront. A HELOC is better when your costs spread out or change over time.
How do HELOC payments work?
Your monthly payment is calculated on the outstanding balance, not on the original approved amount. If you pay your balance down, your payment recalculates against the lower balance the next cycle. During the draw period, payments are typically lower. When the repayment period begins, payments adjust to pay down both principal and interest on the schedule set in your terms.
What happens at the end of the draw period?
When the draw period ends, the HELOC enters the repayment period. You can no longer draw new funds from the line. Your monthly payment recalculates to pay off any remaining balance on the schedule set in your terms. The exact draw period and repayment period depend on the term you select at closing.
What can I use the funds for?
Most homeowner goals are allowed. Common uses include home improvement, debt consolidation, education, emergency reserves, medical expenses, and major purchases. Some uses may have lender restrictions. A loan officer can confirm.
Can I use a HELOC to pay off credit cards?
Yes. Many of our borrowers use a HELOC to pay off high-interest credit card debt. The HELOC interest rate is typically far lower than credit card rates, which can reduce the cost of carrying that debt. The HELOC also replaces multiple monthly card payments with a single payment.
Can I use a HELOC to buy another property?
Yes. A HELOC on your primary residence can be used to fund the purchase of an investment property, a second home, or any other real estate. The HELOC is secured by your primary residence, so the funds come from the equity in that home.
Can I get a HELOC on an investment property?
Yes. Investment properties qualify at a lower combined loan-to-value than primary residences. The maximum CLTV on an investment property is 70 percent, compared to 85 percent on a primary residence. Other qualification standards may also be higher. A loan officer can review your specific situation.
Can I get a HELOC on a second home or vacation home?
Yes. Second homes and vacation homes are eligible for a HELOC. Like investment properties, qualification standards may be different from a primary residence. A loan officer can confirm eligibility based on your property and financial profile.
Can I get a HELOC if I’m self-employed?
Yes. Self-employed borrowers can qualify. Income verification for self-employed borrowers is handled through linked bank accounts or by uploading tax documents and supporting paperwork. Qualification still requires meeting the program’s income standards, but the documentation path is built for self-employed earners, not just W-2 employees.
What types of properties qualify for a HELOC?
Eligible property types include single-family homes, condos, townhomes, planned unit developments, and 2-to-4 unit properties. Manufactured homes are not eligible. Both primary residences and investment properties can qualify, with different combined loan-to-value caps for each.
How much equity do I need?
The maximum combined loan-to-value is 85 percent for a primary residence and 70 percent for an investment property. That means if your home is worth $500,000 and you owe $200,000 on your first mortgage, you may have up to $225,000 in available equity to draw on a primary residence.
What credit score do I need?
The minimum FICO score is 620 for a primary residence. Investment properties currently require a higher score. A soft credit check tells us exactly where you stand without affecting your score.
What does it cost to open the line?
There is no annual fee and no prepayment penalty. A one-time draw fee applies at closing, which the borrower selects from a set of options. There may also be small government or recording fees depending on your state.
What if I do not qualify with your fastest program?
We are a mortgage broker. We shop multiple lenders on your behalf. If the digital program is not the right fit, your loan officer can recommend a traditional HELOC, a home equity loan, or another program that may work for your situation.
Find out what your rate looks like.
It takes a few minutes. No impact on your credit score to find out. A real loan officer with 30 years of home equity experience is on every file.