Accessing your equity (HELOC & fixed second)
Can I access my equity without refinancing my first mortgage?+
Yes. A HELOC or a fixed second mortgage sits behind your existing first mortgage, so you tap your equity while keeping your current first-mortgage rate completely untouched. This is the right move when you don't want to lose a low rate to a cash-out refinance.
Can I get a HELOC or fixed second with no appraisal?+
Often yes. CTC Equity can provide up to $400,000 with no appraisal required, which is faster and lower cost. Larger amounts may need a valuation.
How large can a HELOC or fixed second be?+
We place HELOCs and fixed seconds up to $4 million — a size rarely available anywhere else — subject to equity, credit, and lender guidelines.
What is a fixed second mortgage, and how is it different from a HELOC?+
A fixed second gives you a one-time lump sum at a fixed rate and payment. A HELOC is a revolving line you draw from as needed, usually at a variable rate. Both sit behind your first mortgage.
How much equity do I need?+
Generally enough to keep your combined loan-to-value around 80–90%. The exact maximum depends on the lender and your credit profile.
Can I use home equity for business or investment?+
Often yes — many borrowers use a HELOC or fixed second for a business need, an investment, or a down payment on another property.
Investment property (DSCR)
What is a DSCR loan?+
A DSCR (Debt Service Coverage Ratio) loan is an investment-property loan that qualifies on the property's rental income rather than your personal income.
Can I buy an investment property without tax returns?+
Yes. A DSCR loan needs no income documentation at all — no tax returns, W-2s, or pay stubs — for purchase or refinance. The property's rent qualifies the loan.
What DSCR ratio do I need?+
Often around 1.0 (rent covers the payment), though many programs allow lower with the right down payment or structure.
How many investment properties can I finance?+
There's typically no cap tied to your personal income, so DSCR is how investors keep buying past conventional limits.
Can I close a DSCR loan in an LLC?+
Yes — DSCR loans are commonly closed in the name of an LLC.
Do short-term rentals qualify for DSCR?+
With many lenders, yes. Short-term rental income can be used depending on the property and market.
Self-employed financing (bank statement & P&L)
Can I qualify using bank statements instead of tax returns?+
Yes. A bank statement loan qualifies self-employed borrowers using 12–24 months of personal or business bank deposits instead of tax returns.
What is a P&L loan?+
A loan that qualifies you using a profit & loss statement for your business, another option when tax returns understate your real cash flow.
I'm self-employed and was declined elsewhere — can you help?+
Frequently yes. Self-employed and complex-income files are a core specialty, and with 160+ lenders we match your real income picture to a program that fits.
Working with CTC Equity
I was turned down by another lender. Can you still help?+
Often yes. A turndown usually means that one lender's guidelines didn't fit your scenario — not that no option exists. With 160+ lenders, our job is to find the one whose guidelines do fit.
Are you nationwide or local?+
Both. CTC Equity is licensed to lend across the country and is based in Orange County, CA — a real local team, not a call center.
Why does access to 160+ lenders matter?+
Most lenders have one set of guidelines — one box. With 160+, when your scenario doesn't fit one lender, we move to the one it does fit, which is how we place loans others decline.
Who will I be working with?+
Ahoo Khalessi (Division Manager & Loan Officer, NMLS #2239510) and the CTC Equity team. Ahoo started the home equity department at Rocket Mortgage and is a Scotsman Guide Top Originator and EMC Top 5% Loan Officer.