HELOC rates and your home equity, in plain numbers.
How much could you borrow?
Example numbers. Change them.You need more than this estimate allows. A cash-out refinance or a lender that goes above 85% may fit; we can check both.
How this estimate works
This example caps your mortgage plus the new line at 85% of home value. Payments use the midpoint of the displayed APR range and the smaller of your requested amount or estimated maximum line. Interest-only payments do not pay down the balance. HELOC rates can change; fees are not included in these payment estimates.
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Pay off high-interest debt, fix up the house, or get cash without giving up a low mortgage rate. See what a HELOC would actually do for you before you talk to anyone.
A HELOC (home equity line of credit) is a revolving credit line secured by your home: you borrow what you need, when you need it, up to a limit set by your equity, and usually pay interest only on what you use during the draw period. HELOCHQ is HELOC specialist Shawn Way's plain-numbers guide to rates, borrowing limits and costs.
Prime rate 7.00% as of October 28, 2026. Typical HELOC rates for 720–759 credit: 8.00%–9.75% APR; 760 and up: 7.25%–8.75%.
What are you trying to do?
Pick the closest match. You'll see options for your situation. No credit check.
Three reasons homeowners open a HELOC
Pay off credit cards and loans
Swap 20%+ card interest for a rate near 7.75% APR, with a payoff date you choose.
Debt consolidation → Draw as the work happensRenovate or repair
Pay contractors in stages and only pay interest on what you've drawn so far.
Renovation → Refinance alternativeKeep your low mortgage rate
Borrow against equity without resetting a 3% first mortgage to today's rates.
HELOC vs. cash-out refi →Consolidating can cut the payment and years of interest. Check both.
At the minimums, a typical card balance takes years to clear and costs more in interest than the original purchases. A HELOC payoff plan has a lower rate and a fixed end date. The calculator shows the payment, the interest and the debt-free date side by side, including when a shorter payoff costs more per month.
The risk is real too: the line is secured by your home, and running the cards back up afterwards leaves you with both debts. We say that on every page because it's the part people regret.
What would consolidating save you?
Enter each card or loan with the payment you make now. The three below are an example.
| Debt | Balance | APR | Monthly payment | Remove |
|---|---|---|---|---|
$ |
% |
$ |
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$ |
% |
$ |
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$ |
% |
$ |
Debt-free in 7 yr 3 mo at today's payments, 7 yr with the HELOC plan.
$16,824 less interest. During the draw period the lender may only require interest, $221/mo, but paying only that never clears the balance.
A short payoff costs more per month than your minimums, but it clears the debt years sooner. Try a longer term to see the trade.
$27,043$10,219Email me these results
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Shawn Way, Senior Vice President, West Capital Lending · NMLS #1007298
Rated 4.9/5 from 111 verified reviews on Experience.com
About Shawn →What borrowers say about Shawn
“Shawn was very helpful.”
“The were professional and remembered to follow-up a year later.”
“He made me a believer! He made this happen for my family and will let family and friends know about this company.”
Selected reviews, quoted as written, from Shawn Way's profile on Experience.com: 4.9 out of 5 from 111 reviews, 94% five stars. Read every review, including the critical ones.
West Capital Lending, Inc.: 4.89 out of 5 from 48,285 reviews
Shawn makes his loans through West Capital Lending, Inc., NMLS #1566096. Borrowers have reviewed the company 48,285 times on Experience.com, 94% of them five stars. These recent reviews are about other loan officers at the company.
“very easy online instructions and if you need help they are available”
“Great experience with an awesome team. Will work with them again in the future.”
“The whole process was smooth and easy, they answered my questions promptly. great job”
Quoted as written, as of October 28, 2026. Read every West Capital Lending, Inc. review.
The Unfiltered Blueprint Behind a Billion-Dollar Mortgage Team | Shawn Way · Jide Buckley on YouTube
Shawn Way has funded 1,700+ loans since 2012.
He leads The Masters, a team of more than 200 loan officers that was #1 at West Capital Lending in 2025 and funded $1.65 billion across 7,319 loans that year. See HELOCs the team funded recently. You work with Shawn and his team directly, from your first estimate to closing.
One bank's no isn't every lender's.
Banks add their own rules on top of the national minimums. A low score, a recent bankruptcy, self-employed income, a high debt ratio or an unusual property can sink you at one lender and fit at another. Shawn can price one application across more than 180 lenders, including non-QM and portfolio lenders for files banks won't take.
Guides for the most common situations: self-employed borrowers, lower credit scores, investment properties and high debt-to-income.
From estimate to funded line
See your numbers
Tell us your home value, mortgage balance and credit range. You get an estimated line, rate range and payment. No credit check.
Get a written quote
A licensed loan officer checks your details and sends a quote with the rate, line, fees and payment in writing.
Close and draw
Upload documents, get the home valued, sign. After the 3-business-day right to cancel on your primary home, the line is open.
Your rate is prime plus a margin. Prime is 7.00%.
Lenders set the margin from your credit score, how much of your home you borrow against, and the size of the line. The table shows typical margins today. The Fed meets next on December 9, 2026.
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| Credit score | Spread over prime | Typical rate today |
|---|---|---|
| 760+ | +0.25–1.75 | 7.25%–8.75% |
| 720–759 | +1.00–2.75 | 8.00%–9.75% |
| 680–719 | +1.50–3.25 | 8.50%–10.25% |
| 640–679 | +2.25–5.50 | 9.25%–12.50% |
| Under 640 | +4.00–6.00 | 11.00%–13.00% |
How these ranges are set: the middle half of starting rates on 551 primary-home HELOCs that Shawn Way's team funded from August 2026 through October 2026, each expressed as a spread over the prime rate when it closed and added to today's prime. They cover fixed and variable lines and all loan sizes, and update monthly. Historical results, not an offer or a quote; your rate depends on your credit, equity, line size, property and state. Prime 7.00%, as of October 28, 2026.
Download the HELOC Playbook (PDF)
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Questions people ask first
All questions and answers → · Browse all HELOC guides →
Will checking your HELOC estimate on HELOCHQ hurt your credit?
No, checking a HELOC estimate on HELOCHQ doesn't affect your credit, because it uses only the numbers you enter. If a written quote needs a credit check, you're told first, along with what kind of check it is.
How much equity do you need for a HELOC?
Most lenders cap the mortgage plus the new line at 80%–85% of your home's value, so you need at least 15%–20% equity. Full requirements.
What happens when a HELOC's draw period ends?
When a HELOC's draw period ends, interest-only payments stop and the balance is paid back with principal. That change often raises the monthly payment by 25% or more. See the math.