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With cash-out refinancing, you can use the cash for anything you like. You also don’t have to pay the cash back in the way you would with a HELOC. Instead, you are refinancing your entire loan and your monthly payments will be adjusted to reflect the new balance. You may also be able to secure a lower interest rate than what you originally had, so your payments may not go up as much as you think. HELOCs generally have a variable interest rate and an initial draw period, which can last as long as 10 years. Once the draw period ends, there’s a repayment period, when interest and principal must be paid.

The best time to pay off the principal of your loan is during the draw period. You are only required to pay the interest during this time, but paying extra toward your principal as well during this period can help you avoid paying more during the repayment period. For those who have their current loan with us, you can do an FHA cash-out transaction with a 580 median FICO® Score as long as you're paying off debt at close. When it comes to VA loans, you can take cash out with a median credit score of 580 as long as you leave 10% equity in the home. You should also be aware that most HELOCs have variable rates, meaning the interest rate you pay will change with fluctuations in the market.
Can I Use a Cash Out Refinance to Buy a Second Home?
Because it’s considered a second mortgage, you must remember you’re adding another loan to your property, which means an additional monthly mortgage payment to consider. With HELOCs, there are separate periods for borrowing and repayment, although you’ll make payments on the loan through both periods. But once that period ends , you’ll begin making larger monthly payments.
Compared to taking on a second mortgage, cash-out refinances don’t add additional monthly payments to your bills. You pay out your old mortgage through the cash-out refinance loan, and then have different monthly payments. On the other hand, cash-out refinancing tends to be more expensive in terms of fees and percentage points than a home equity loan is. You usually pay a higher interest rate or more points on a cash-out refinance mortgage, compared to a rate-and-term refinance, in which a mortgage amount stays the same.
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This type of loan allows you to tap into the equity of your home, taking out cash and using it for any purpose you see fit. With a cash-out refinance, you are essentially taking out a new loan, with a new interest rate and repayment terms, which replaces your existing mortgage. Cash-out refinancing is a very low-interest way to borrow the money you need for home improvements, tuition, debt consolidation or other expenses. If you have big expenses that you need to borrow money for, a cash-out refinance can be a great way to cover those expenses while paying little in interest. Unlike a cash-out refinance, a home equity loan doesn’t replace the mortgage you currently have.
Two of the most popular are cash-out refinancing and home equity line of credit. There are many reasons you may want to tap into your home equity, and depending on your financial strategy, either refinancing your mortgage or applying for a HELOC could work for you. A HELOC works somewhat like a credit card in that it offers revolving credit. Many lenders also have a minimum draw that you will have to take out even if it is more than you need.
Can I use a cash-out refinance to pay off a home equity line of credit?
In some cases, taking on a HELOC can help you avoid paying for PMI altogether. As we’ve mentioned, cash-out refinances extend the length of your existing mortgage loans, while HELOCs add a second loan to your current time frame and therefore an additional monthly payment. So, if you can’t reasonably commit to the additional monthly expense, the cash-out refinance is probably a safer option. While a cash-out refinance replaces your existing mortgage loan (meaning you’ll continue to make just one monthly payment), a HELOC adds a second monthly payment in addition to your existing mortgage. Once this period ends, you’ll lose your ability to access the HELOC funds and will have to start making full monthly payments that would cover the principal balance with interest.
A home equity loan is a second loan that’s separate from your mortgage and allows you to borrow against the equity in your home. When you do a cash-out refinance, you usually can’t get a loan for the entire value of the home. Many loan types require that you leave some equity in the home. I was unaware until last week, that you actually can leverage both a cash-out refinance and HELOC on the same property. The trick to using both on the same loan is that a cash-out refinance needs to be in first lien position.
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This means you’ll have two monthly payments once all is said and done. A home equity line of credit is a type of second mortgage that would allow you to borrow money against the equity you’ve already built into your current home. Similar to credit cards, you’re able to access these funds and then pay them off later.
It’s calculated by subtracting your outstanding mortgage balance from the value of your home and is expressed as a percentage. For example, if your outstanding mortgage balance is $100,000 and your home is valued at $200,000, you have 50 percent equity, or $100,000, in your home. In the first period, also known as the draw period, your line of credit is open and available for use.

Let’s take a closer look at refinance vs. home equity line of credit. The money from HELOCs also doesn’t have to be used for home improvement. It can be used in other ways, from debt consolidation to making major purchases. HELOCs are designed to be a flexible way to leverage the equity in your home. There are no use restrictions for the funds you receive, so a HELOC can be flexible to what you need it for.
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