Rates and APRs shown are sample/average figures updated daily by Edge Home Finance for illustration purposes. Actual rate and APR depend on credit profile, loan amount, down payment, term, and lender fees. Click any product to pre-fill the calculator below. Not a commitment to lend. John P. Cobain · NMLS #374881 · Equal Housing Lender.
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Conventional Home Loans.
FHA Home Loans.
USDA Home Loans.
VA Home Loans.
There's no set limit — you can refinance as many times as it makes financial sense to do so. What I
always tell people is that the right time to refinance is when the numbers genuinely work in your favor, not
just because rates moved a little. I'll help you run the break-even analysis so you know exactly what you'd
save and how long it takes to recoup closing costs. That's the only way to make a truly informed decision.
You might have more options than you think. VA loans allow zero down payment for eligible veterans and
active-duty service members. USDA loans offer zero down for buyers in qualifying rural and suburban areas
across Washington State — many communities around Tacoma, Spokane, and the Olympic Peninsula qualify. There are also Washington State down payment assistance programs that can cover some or all of your down payment on FHA and conventional loans. Let's look at what applies to your situation specifically.
That's exactly the conversation I like to have before anything else. Every buyer is different — your credit,
your income, your down payment, your goals — and the right program depends on all of those factors
together. I specialize in VA loans, first-time homebuyer programs, FHA, USDA, jumbo, and Non-QM
financing, so I have a wide range of options to work with. My job is to lay out what's available, explain the real
differences, and let you make the call. No pressure either way.
A typical purchase loan takes around 30 days from application to closing, though it can move faster with
good preparation. VA loans have an additional appraisal step that can add a little time. USDA loans include a
secondary review by the USDA itself, which also extends the timeline slightly. I'll set honest expectations at
the start based on your specific loan type and keep both you and your realtor updated throughout — no one
should ever feel like they're in the dark about where things stand.
The only real way to know is to have a conversation and look at your actual situation together. I've helped
a lot of buyers who came in thinking they couldn't qualify and walked away with a path forward. Credit,
income, down payment, employment history — there are a lot of variables, and sometimes one small
adjustment changes everything. I'll give you an honest assessment and if now isn't the right time, I'll tell you
that too, along with what it would take to get there.
The most common reasons are to lower their interest rate, reduce their monthly payment, or shorten their
loan term. Some homeowners refinance to access equity for home improvements or to consolidate debt.
Buyers who started with an FHA loan sometimes refinance into a conventional loan once they've built 20%
equity — which eliminates FHA mortgage insurance and can meaningfully lower their payment. Whatever the
reason, I'll help you run the numbers so the decision makes sense on paper before you commit to anything.
It depends on the loan program and your situation. VA loans can be zero down for eligible veterans.
USDA loans are zero down in qualifying areas. FHA loans require as little as 3.5% down, and some
conventional programs go as low as 3%. On top of the down payment, you'll have closing costs — typically
2–3% of the loan amount, though some can be rolled in or covered by seller concessions. Down payment
assistance programs in Washington State can also help cover upfront costs for qualifying buyers. We'll look
at all of it together.
Yes — bankruptcy doesn't permanently close the door on homeownership. Each loan program has
defined waiting periods after a bankruptcy discharge. FHA typically requires two years after a Chapter 7. VA
loans are generally two years as well. Conventional loans are typically four years. The waiting periods after a
Chapter 13 can be shorter if you've been making payments consistently. Once you've cleared the waiting
period and rebuilt some credit, there's often a real path forward. Let's talk about where you are and what the
timeline looks like.
I track rates every day — multiple times a day, actually — because they move constantly based on
economic data, Fed decisions, and bond market activity. My honest answer is: if the rate available today
makes the payment work for your budget, locking now eliminates the risk of it going higher. Waiting is a
gamble. Rates can improve, but they can also move against you quickly. I'll give you my read on where
things are and what I'm seeing in the market, and then you make the call. That's what I'm here for.

What the Newest Mortgage Data Is Telling Us About How Homeowners Are Accessing Their Equity
The brand-new Mortgage Monitor just released data that explains exactly what millions of homeowners have been quietly figuring out on their own. Second-lien borrowing just hit an 18-year high with more than half of all equity now being accessed through HELOCs and home equity loans rather than through cash-out refinances.
That is not a coincidence. It is a rational and well-reasoned financial decision driven by a specific set of circumstances that a large portion of American homeowners find themselves in right now.
Why Homeowners Are Choosing to Keep Their First Mortgage Untouched
The logic is straightforward once you understand the rate situation most homeowners are navigating. Millions of people locked in first mortgage rates at historically low levels during 2020, 2021, and early 2022. Those rates in the two and three percent range represent a financial asset that is genuinely difficult to replace in today's rate environment.
A cash-out refinance would require giving that rate up entirely. The full outstanding balance gets replaced with a new loan at today's rates and while the cash becomes available the monthly payment on the new loan is substantially higher than the one being replaced. For homeowners with large balances on their low-rate mortgages that trade-off is difficult to justify regardless of how much equity is sitting available.
A HELOC or home equity loan solves the problem entirely. As John Cobain explains the low first mortgage stays exactly where it is, untouched and fully intact. The second lien sits alongside it providing access to the equity that has accumulated through appreciation and principal paydown without disturbing the rate that makes the existing mortgage so valuable to preserve.
With HELOC rates recently at their most attractive levels since 2022 the cost of accessing equity through a second lien has become meaningfully more reasonable than it was over the past couple of years. The combination of a preserved low first mortgage rate and improved second lien pricing is what is driving the 18-year high in this borrowing category.
What Homeowners Are Using the Equity For
The applications are as varied as the homeowners using them. Home improvement projects that build additional value and reduce deferred maintenance. High-rate debt consolidation that restructures credit card balances into a lower-rate product. Down payments on investment properties or second homes. College funding. Business capital for self-employed homeowners. Emergency reserves that provide a financial cushion without requiring ongoing interest payments unless the line is actually drawn upon.
The HELOC structure is particularly well suited to needs that unfold over time rather than arriving as a single lump sum requirement. You draw what you need when you need it. You pay interest only on the amount actually drawn. During periods when the line is not being used the carrying cost is zero. And the first mortgage continues operating at the rate that makes it so efficient to keep.
The Trillions in Equity That Are Sitting Available
American homeowners are sitting on a substantial pool of equity that has accumulated through years of appreciation and principal paydown. That equity is a real financial resource that is available to be put to work toward goals that matter rather than sitting passively in the property until a sale event eventually unlocks it.
For homeowners who locked in low first mortgage rates and have been wondering how to access the equity they have built without giving up the rate that makes their existing mortgage so efficient the answer the data is pointing to is clear. A second lien in the form of a HELOC or home equity loan is the tool that the market has developed specifically for this situation and the 18-year high in second-lien borrowing reflects how many homeowners have figured that out.
John Cobain works with homeowners to evaluate their equity position and determine whether a HELOC or home equity loan is the right tool for their specific goals and financial situation. Reach out to John Cobain to explore whether tapping your equity through a second lien makes more sense than refinancing your entire mortgage right now.
Sources
MortgageNewsDaily.com
BlackKnightMortgageMonitor.com
FederalReserve.gov
Investopedia.com
BankRate.com
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