How much can you borrow against your home equity?
Equity sets the ceiling. Credit and income decide how close to it you get.
Reviewed October 2026 · Matt Casillas, NMLS #339780
Start with your home’s value and subtract every lien you’ll keep. On the line we place, your credit score affects how much you can borrow, and the highest amounts require a 760+ score. Your debt-to-income ratio also has to stay within 50%.
| What it is | How it limits your line | |
|---|---|---|
| Home value | An AVM, with a desktop appraisal normally used if one isn’t available. | Everything is measured against it. A low value reduces how much you can borrow. |
| Existing liens | Any mortgage and other liens, up to 2. A home owned free and clear has none, and the HELOC is in first position. | Every lien that stays on the property uses up equity. Eligible liens paid off at closing don’t. |
| Credit score | 640+ for most applications; 680+ for investment property. | Your credit score affects how much you can borrow. The highest amounts require 760+. |
| Debt-to-income | Monthly debts, up to 50% of gross income. | Often the real limit. Paying off eligible debts at closing or qualifying with assets may help. |
How much equity could a line reach?
Enter your home’s value and what you owe against it. The table shows the room left under four combined loan-to-value levels — the ceiling, before credit and income are considered. No rate, no payment.
| Combined loan-to-valueCLTV | Maximum total debt at this CLTVMax debt | Room for a new lineRoom |
|---|---|---|
| 70% CLTV | $840,000 | $290,000 |
| 80% CLTV | $960,000 | $410,000 |
| 85% CLTV | $1,020,000 | $470,000 |
| 90% CLTV | $1,080,000 | $530,000 |
How it is figured: home value × the CLTV level = the most that can be owed against the home in total; subtract the first mortgage and any other liens, and what is left is the room for a new line, up to the $750,000 maximum line. A 90% level on a $1,200,000 home allows $1,080,000 of total debt; with $550,000 already owed, $530,000 is left.
Headroom, not an approval. Lenders set different combined loan-to-value limits by credit score, occupancy and property type, and the line we place shows yours in your offer. Credit, income, property and title decide the actual amount. Example figures shown until you enter your own.
How the amount is set
Your home’s value is the starting point. Every lien you keep uses up part of that value, and combined loan-to-value, meaning every loan secured by the property divided by its value, caps the total. Within that, your credit score and debt-to-income ratio decide how much you’re offered. The exact figure isn’t known until you apply, and your offer shows what’s available.
For scale: the median home equity line opened in Orange County in 2024 was $185,000 against a home valued at $1,275,000 — a second lien of about 15% of value, well inside any combined loan-to-value limit, which is why debt-to-income rather than equity is usually the real constraint here (Orange County home equity data).
The range is $25,000 to $750,000, and the maximum depends on value, lien position, credit and verified income. Lines above $400,000 require a full appraisal, a home you live in, a 760+ credit score, and no more than one existing lien; 2–4 unit properties and homes listed for sale don’t reach that tier.
Why you might be offered less than you expect
- Debt-to-income. Existing debts count toward the 50% limit, and housing costs such as property taxes, Mello-Roos and HOA dues are typically included. Paying off eligible debts at closing may create room.
- Credit score. Scores below 760 don’t reach the highest amounts. See credit score requirements.
- The valuation. An AVM can miss unusual homes, where a desktop appraisal is used instead, and unpermitted square footage may not be reflected.
Investment property and LLCs
Investment properties need a 680+ credit score. If an investment property is held in an LLC, you need a 700+ credit score and at least 25% ownership, and combined loan-to-value can’t exceed 70%. See investment property.
Get a realistic sense before you apply
- Estimate your home’s value conservatively.
- Subtract every lien you’ll keep on the property.
- Check your score against the credit score minimums.
- Add up your monthly debts, including property taxes, Mello-Roos and HOA dues, and compare them with 50% of your gross monthly income.
- Talk to us before applying if anything here is unclear.
Still not sure which one fits?
Describe the situation and you will get a recommendation with the reasoning, not a product pitch.
Questions
It depends on your home’s value, existing liens, credit score and debt-to-income ratio. The highest amounts require a 760+ credit score, and debt-to-income can’t be above 50%. Your offer shows what’s available.
Every loan secured by your property divided by its value. Lenders use it to limit how much equity you can borrow against.
Debt-to-income is a common reason. It can’t be above 50%. Your existing debt payments count toward it, and housing costs such as property taxes, Mello-Roos and HOA dues are typically included too.
It may raise what you qualify for. Paying off eligible debts at closing lowers your monthly obligations and your debt-to-income ratio. The lender’s system determines which accounts on your credit report and title are eligible, and paying off credit cards to help you qualify requires a 680+ credit score and no charged-off card accounts.
These are the requirements for the home equity line we place. Other lenders set their own guidelines, and some are more flexible.
Disclosures
- Approval may be granted in five minutes but is ultimately subject to verification of income and employment, as well as verification that your property is in at least average condition with a property condition report. Five business day funding timeline assumes closing the loan with a remote online notary, and where loan amounts are under $400,000 which would not require an appraisal. Funding timelines may be longer for loans secured by properties located in counties that do not permit recording of e-signatures or that otherwise require an in-person closing, or that require a waiting period prior to closing, or where loan amounts exceed $400,000. On a primary residence, funds are sent after the three-business-day rescission period ends. Not all applicants will qualify.
- “Typically lower rates” compares home equity lines with credit cards and unsecured personal loans using published national averages, which are secured and unsecured products with different terms. Your rate depends on your application and is shown in your offer. “No out-of-pocket costs” means the origination fee and closing costs are paid from the line rather than in cash at closing; they are still costs, and they appear in your offer alongside the APR.
Ask about your property
How a HELOC compares, explained plainly, including when something else is the better choice.