Fixed vs. Variable Rate HELOC

Fixed vs. Variable Rate HELOC

Member since 2020 · 13 posts · 7 votes

Hello! We are relative newbies to investing with one duplex property acquired last year, but our initial investment was conidered successful and now we're looking to scale up! We do have savings to tap into, but also wanted to consider a HELOC to give us some flexibility for the future (my husband and I are both financial advisors - so we know the do's and don'ts on this topic! Even with a HELOC we have a comfortable debt-to-income ratio). We have an option through PenFed for a 30 year credit line at 90% LTV (about $275k) with either variable 4.75% or fixed 5.5%. I'm leaning towards the fixed - I appreciate the predictable nature better and with interst rates on the rise. At current rate differential, which I think will just narrow over time, at the maximum (unlikely) loan amout it would cost us a maximum of $2k extra / year. I dont think interest rates will be lower than they are now, so more likely the gap between the variable and fixed shrinks, and over the long term, variable could be higher than the fixed rate. Any thoughts on this?

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  • Rental Property Investor · Charlotte, NC · Member since 2017 · 271 posts · 259 votes
    4y

    I agree with your assessment but I'd reach out to all of the community banks in your area. I was able to get a 20 year fixed HEL in 2nd position at 2.99% interest (they had a floating HELOC currently at 2.5%). Others I spoke with were consistently 3-4% variable rate interest.

    If you can't find a local bank, look into Lower. I didn't go through with it, but they quoted a pretty good rate a few months ago.

  • Member since 2022 · 1 post · 0 votes
    4y

    Looked into Lower but they force you to refi your property - no stand alone HELOCs. Just FYI. 

  • Investor · Clairemont, CA · Member since 2011 · 3k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    4y

    On HELOC my approach is highest possible LTV, and most flexibility as far as funding and not to worry as much about rate/term type considerations. The reason being HELOC is a shorter term cheap (relative to HML) funding option, that I then intend to either sell the project to pay back, or refi to pay back. So an extra even 2% on the full $275K balance is only $460/mo. Which even if I hold it a year is $5,500 and that is much less than any points a HML might charge. So all said and done after 1 year I refi and pay it back and still come out well ahead of any other option...again I'm using it for short term, not long.

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