VA Home Equity · Stand-Alone Second Lien
You locked in a low first-mortgage rate. You shouldn't have to give it up to put your equity to work. A fixed-rate second lien lets you access cash while your VA loan and its rate stay exactly where they are.
If you bought or refinanced in the last few years, your first mortgage may be one of the best financial positions you'll ever hold. A standard cash-out refinance replaces that loan entirely and resets your rate to today's market. For most veterans on a low rate, that math doesn't work. There's another path most lenders won't walk you through: leave the first mortgage alone and add a separate second lien behind it.
How a stand-alone second lien works: A fixed-rate second mortgage sits behind your existing first as its own loan, with its own payment. Your VA first is untouched (same balance, rate, term). Funds come as a lump sum at closing. Originated through Focus Home Mortgage Inc., NMLS #2769672
Veterans with a low-rate first mortgage and real equity who want to consolidate higher-interest debt, fund a project, or free up capital without restarting their primary loan.
A fixed second keeps your first intact (fixed rate/payment, lump sum); a HELOC also keeps your first intact but is a revolving, usually variable line; a VA cash-out replaces your whole first at today's rate. If protecting your rate is the priority, the first two keep it; the cash-out doesn't.
No. The VA's only equity option is a cash-out refinance that replaces your existing mortgage. To keep your first in place and still tap equity, you use a conventional second lien from a private lender, which we can originate through Focus Home Mortgage Inc., NMLS #2769672
Yes. A conventional second lien can sit behind a VA first as a separate, subordinate loan. Your VA loan stays in place.
No. A stand-alone second is a separate loan; your existing first mortgage, rate, and term are not altered.
A cash-out replaces your entire first mortgage at today's rate. A second lien leaves it untouched and adds a separate loan alongside it.
