Current HELOC guidelines, updated from one source.
Every figure in this block comes from one guideline source and updates here when the wholesale programs change. These are the primary-residence terms; second homes and rentals follow their own tables, summarized under the ladder.
Of the home’s value, first mortgage included
The ceiling counts every lien together: the first mortgage balance plus the new line, divided by the home’s value, may reach 90% on a primary residence at a 720 profile, with lower ceilings at lower tiers.
Credit score to start
A 600 score opens the program on a primary residence; the leverage ceiling and the maximum line step up through the tiers from there, some tiers sharing a cell, and second homes and rentals carry higher floors.
Automated valuation on lines to $500,000
The program writes lines from $25,000 to $750,000; up to $500,000 the valuation is ordinarily automated, and the largest lines, above that threshold, require a full appraisal on a primary residence.
Interest-only, then 17–25 years of repayment
The draw period is 3–5 years of interest-only payments, followed by 17–25 years of repayment; which structure applies depends on the program that offers the stronger cell at your tier.
| Credit profile | Max combined LTV | Max line | Valuation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 720+ | 90% | $500,000 | Automated valuation |
| 720+ | 75% | $750,000 | Full appraisal; primary residence only |
| 700+ | 85% | $500,000 | Automated valuation |
| 700+ | 75% | $750,000 | Full appraisal; primary residence only |
| 680+ | 85% | $500,000 | Automated valuation |
| 660+ | 85% | $500,000 | Automated valuation |
| 640+ | 80% | $500,000 | Automated valuation |
| 620+ | 70% | $400,000 | Automated valuation |
| 600+ | 60% | $400,000 | Automated valuation |
The 90% combined loan-to-value ceiling requires a 720 credit profile; lower tiers carry lower ceilings or smaller line caps, as the table shows. Second homes start at a 640 profile; investment property requires 700 and caps at 70% combined loan-to-value. Lines above the automated-valuation range: $750,000 at 75% with a full appraisal (700+ credit profile).
Current HELOC snapshot · updated August 31, 2026 · seven credit tiers on a primary residence · variable rate through the draw and repayment periods · at least 75% of the line drawn at closing · first or second lien position · no prepayment penalty · no entity vesting.
Program guidelines only, not an offer of credit. The combined loan-to-value ceilings, credit tiers, line sizes, and draw and repayment periods on this page are wholesale lender parameters subject to change without notice and to full underwriting of the borrower, the property, and the occupancy; where the two programs differ, each figure carries its own program’s terms. Nothing here states a rate, a payment, or a cost; those are provided in writing by a licensed Lendmire loan officer. Licensed for consumer home equity lending in sixteen states. Lendmire, LLC, NMLS #2371349. Equal Housing Opportunity.
What a home equity line of credit is — and how the line is sized.
The mechanics are the same on every San Bernardino file: the lender measures the home’s value, subtracts the balance already secured by it, applies the ceiling for the credit tier and occupancy, and caps the result at the program maximum. Four cards below walk through the parts.
For the program overview, see Lendmire’s home equity line of credit program, or the statewide guide at HELOC in California.
A line you draw on, not a lump sum
Unlike a closed-end loan, the line stays open through the draw period: draw for a San Bernardino renovation this year and a tuition bill next year, pay interest only on the drawn balance, and repay over the years after the draw period ends.
Equity and the combined loan-to-value ceiling
Combined loan-to-value is the whole math: value times the ceiling for the tier, minus the first mortgage, equals the line, up to the program cap. On a San Bernardino home the value comes from an automated valuation on most lines and an appraisal on the largest.
Your credit tier sets the ceiling and the cap
Two wholesale programs feed the ladder, and the file lands on whichever offers the stronger cell at your tier: more leverage with a shorter runway, or less leverage with a longer one. The score comes from a single-bureau model keyed to the primary wage earner.
Valuation, verification, and closing
The file moves in a set order: the property is authenticated, identity is verified, a soft credit pull confirms the tier, a valuation is pulled and the combined loan-to-value is checked, a prequalified offer is presented, and only then is a hard credit pull consented to.
The calculator applies this to a San Bernardino scenario: enter the value and the balance, pick the credit tier and the occupancy, and the available line follows from the ceiling and the cap the program tables assign to that cell.
San Bernardino’s equity in figures — and how a line fits it.
Equity is a local picture. The figures below describe San Bernardino’s owner households, home values, and incomes, the backdrop a home equity line is sized against, with the data drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Citywide figures provide general market context, not an appraisal or an income calculation. Household income matters for the debt-to-income ratio, value for the ceiling, and the balance for the gap underneath it; the Census tells you the market, the file tells you the line.
Data sources: U.S. Census Bureau — ACS 5-Year (2024) housing and population estimates, including tenure, home values, gross rents, and household income.
Distinct San Bernardino neighborhoods, distinct equity pictures.
Within San Bernardino, a HELOC on a condominium, a decades-old family home, and a newer subdivision house are three different files: different valuation paths, different association questions, different equity depth.
Established close-in neighborhoods
In San Bernardino’s established neighborhoods the first mortgage is often the smallest number in the equation. The line is limited by the cap for the tier and the valuation path, not by the equity, which is abundant. On a one-unit principal residence at San Bernardino’s median value, the primary-residence ceiling puts total liens near $380,070 — the line is what remains after the first mortgage balance; a second home starts at a higher credit floor and matches the primary column at the top tier, and a rental caps lower at every tier.
Historic districts under renovation
A renovation in a San Bernardino historic district is a classic use of the draw period, and a classic valuation question: the model may not credit improvements yet. A line is sized on the value supported when it opens, and finished work shows in the next valuation, not in the current line. Median household income in San Bernardino sits near $67,415 on the latest Census estimate.
Condominiums and townhomes
Townhomes and condominiums near the San Bernardino core are routine files. Dues are part of the ratio math, project warrantability is handled on the program side, and a condotel is one form the program will not take. Roughly 32,092 San Bernardino households own their homes on the latest Census estimate — 50% of all households, the pool a home equity line is written for.
Newer infill and recent purchases
Infill rows and recently purchased San Bernardino homes carry high balances relative to value, so the room under the ceiling is thin: the tier decides whether a worthwhile line exists at all, and the minimum line can be the binding limit. About 50% of San Bernardino’s households rent — roughly 32,107 renter households on the latest Census estimate.
Two-to-four-unit homes
Small multi-unit homes are a San Bernardino specialty, and the longer-runway program takes them with a higher floor than a house. Rental income can be documented by lease or return, and the vesting must be individual or a revocable living trust rather than an entity. The median owner-occupied home value in San Bernardino runs near $422,300 on the latest Census estimate.
Luxury and high-value homes
On San Bernardino’s highest-value homes the line runs into the program cap long before the ceiling. Lines above the automated-valuation threshold use the primary-residence high-balance lane: a reduced ceiling, a stronger floor, and a full appraisal. San Bernardino is home to about 223K people and sits within the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA area.
Across San Bernardino, the same questions settle every line: what the home is worth on the lender’s valuation, what is owed on it, where the credit profile lands on the ladder, and whether the property type and vesting are inside the program.
Four ways San Bernardino homeowners put a home equity line to work.
San Bernardino owners open home equity lines for a handful of reasons that repeat: the renovation, the higher-cost debt worth consolidating, the next property, and the large expense that arrives on its own schedule.
Repay and draw again as needs change
After the closing draw, the undrawn remainder and any balance paid down stay available for the rest of the draw period. For a San Bernardino household with equity and uneven cash flow, that revolving room is the backstop that replaces a credit card.
Bridge the move between homes
Sequencing matters: a line is opened on the San Bernardino home while the owner still lives there and before it is listed, then drawn for the next purchase and repaid at the sale. Listing first takes the home outside the higher-leverage program, and outside both programs in some states.
Consolidate higher-cost debt
A HELOC can gather several balances into one secured line. For a San Bernardino household the question is not only cost but structure: the line is secured by the home, repays over a set period, and should not simply refill the balances it cleared.
Cover a large planned expense
Tuition, a medical bill, a wedding, a business need: a San Bernardino owner sizes the line to the expense, takes the closing draw when the bill is near, and repays over the years that follow. A balance paid down can be drawn again for the next one.
Estimate your San Bernardino home’s available credit line before requesting a quote.
This sizer runs the program’s own math on your San Bernardino inputs: value times the ceiling for the tier, minus the balance, capped at the program maximum, with the equity, the leverage, the closing draw, and the valuation path alongside. A loan officer provides the rate and payment in writing.
San Bernardino available-equity calculator
The defaults are San Bernardino context, not your file: enter the real value, the real balance, and the tier you expect.
Illustrative starting assumptions: a $420,000 home value near San Bernardino’s median owner-occupied home value and a $210,000 modeled remaining first-mortgage balance (U.S. Census Bureau). Combined loan-to-value ceilings and line caps follow the current program tables for the occupancy and credit tier selected and update from Lendmire’s centralized guideline source on the live page. Every field is editable.
Illustrative estimate only — not a credit decision, approval, quote, or commitment to lend. The actual line amount, combined loan-to-value, and eligibility depend on the automated valuation or appraisal, the credit profile, occupancy, documentation, and full underwriting by the selected wholesale lender; the rate, the payment, and any costs are provided in writing by a licensed loan officer. Minimum score, line-size, and draw requirements follow the current program snapshot shown on this page. Licensed in sixteen states for consumer mortgages.
Same equity, four very different ways to use it.
Before deciding on a line, it helps to see what it is not: not a refinance, not a one-time second mortgage, not a credit card. The comparison below puts the four next to each other for a San Bernardino owner.
A line, a refinance, a closed-end second, or unsecured credit.
Open-ended by design: a credit limit secured by the home, a draw period of interest-only payments, and a repayment period after. The San Bernardino owner who wants flexibility, and who has a first mortgage worth keeping, chooses this.
A refinance resets the whole first mortgage to take cash out once. It suits the San Bernardino owner who wants a single lien and a known amount, and who is content to replace the existing mortgage rather than keep it. For the first-mortgage route, see Lendmire’s refinance program.
The closed-end second is a HELOC without the flexibility: a fixed amount, funded at closing, repaid on a set schedule. A San Bernardino owner with one defined expense and no appetite for a revolving balance may prefer it.
Unsecured credit fits small, short needs and asks nothing of the home; it costs more and caps lower, so as the amount grows a line secured by the San Bernardino home takes over, and a refinance or a closed-end second takes a lump sum.
What to prepare for a San Bernardino scenario review.
A home equity line is verified electronically wherever it can be; the items below are what a San Bernardino scenario review typically draws on.
This is a general preparation guide, not a universal checklist. The selected lender may request additional information based on the occupancy, the property, the lien position, and the income picture. Nothing here is legal or tax advice.
Local details that can change the line.
A few local and structural details change the size of a San Bernardino line, or whether the file is eligible at all. The ones that come up most often are below.
Use these checks to keep the San Bernardino file clean and fundable.
The checklist is short because the program is specific: the tier, the valuation, and the property rules decide most San Bernardino files before income is even reviewed.
- Confirm the tier: the lender’s report sets the tier, and the ladder sets the ceiling and cap for it.
- Know the valuation: the model’s value, not the owner’s estimate, is what the ceiling applies to.
- Mind the ratio: the ratio ceiling is reduced at the lower credit tiers.
The credit tier decides the ceiling and the cap
The tier is read from the lender’s report, not an app. On a San Bernardino file the difference between two adjacent tiers can be a full step in the ceiling and a different line cap, which is why the tier is confirmed before anything is sized.
Automated valuation on most lines, appraisal on the largest
The valuation path follows the line size. Up to the threshold a San Bernardino home is valued automatically, which is faster and depends on the model’s view of comparable sales; above it an appraiser visits. A home with unusual features can value differently than the owner expects.
The debt-to-income ratio on the full draw
The line qualifies on the interest-only payment at the maximum draw, added to every other obligation and divided by verified income. The ratio ceiling is reduced at the lower credit tiers, so a San Bernardino owner near the floor has less room for debt.
The minimum draw at closing and the draw mechanics
The line is not opened empty: a minimum share is drawn at closing on both programs, and interest accrues on it from day one. A San Bernardino owner sizing a reserve should size it to the closing draw they actually want.
Title must sit with the individual, not an entity
The program does not accept a home vested in a limited liability company, a corporation, a partnership, or an irrevocable, blind, or land trust. A San Bernardino rental already deeded to an entity needs a vesting change before closing, or a different product entirely.
From a San Bernardino prequalification to a funded line.
The San Bernardino process is built around verification you authorize rather than documents you gather: identity, income, the property, and the valuation are each checked in order, and a prequalified offer comes before the hard credit pull.
Scenario review
A San Bernardino scenario review is a sizing exercise: value, balance, tier, occupancy, and the use of the line. The loan officer confirms eligibility against the program rules and puts the terms in writing.
Prequalification
The property is authenticated, identity is verified, a soft credit pull confirms the tier, a valuation is pulled and the combined loan-to-value is checked, and a prequalified offer is presented. Only after you accept it is a hard credit pull consented to.
Verification and valuation
The San Bernardino valuation path is set by the line: automated on most lines, with a second opinion at higher leverage and an appraiser above the threshold. Income and obligations are verified in parallel.
Closing and funding
Closing happens where you are: a remote online notarization where the state allows it, or a mobile notary at the San Bernardino kitchen table. The line funds by electronic transfer or check, with the closing draw included.
A brokerage that matches the line to the equity.
The value of a brokerage on a home equity line is comparison: two programs with different ladders, different runways, and different rules on history and property, read side by side for the San Bernardino file and quoted in writing.
Two programs, the stronger cell quoted
A single program is a single answer; two programs are a choice. The San Bernardino owner at a given tier sees the higher-leverage cell and the longer-runway cell side by side, and the review quotes the one that serves the use.
Structure matched to the use
Lendmire sizes the San Bernardino line to the purpose, not to the maximum the ladder allows: the minimum draw at closing, the repayment runway, and the ratio all argue for a line that fits the job.
Licensed, consumer-purpose, in writing
The program figures on this page come from one guideline source; the terms for a specific San Bernardino file come from a licensed loan officer, in writing, after the review. Lendmire is a broker, never the lender.
Trusted by homeowners & families alike.
San Bernardino HELOC FAQs
Plain answers to the questions San Bernardino homeowners ask most about a home equity line of credit, in the order they usually ask them.
What is a HELOC, and how is it different from a home equity loan?
The difference is the draw period. A home equity line stays open for years so a San Bernardino owner can draw in pieces; a home equity loan is a single advance with a fixed repayment path. The program on this page is the line.
How much can I borrow on a HELOC in San Bernardino?
The line is the home’s value times the combined loan-to-value ceiling for your credit tier and occupancy, minus every balance already secured by the home, capped at the program maximum for that tier. The snapshot shows the primary-residence ceiling and the ladder of tiers; the calculator applies them to your figures.
What credit score do I need for a HELOC?
Eligibility starts at the program floor, but the score does more than open the door: it sets the tier, and the tier sets the combined loan-to-value ceiling and the maximum line. Second homes and rentals start at higher floors than a primary residence.
Do I need an appraisal for a HELOC?
Not for most San Bernardino lines. The automated valuation draws on public records and comparable sales, so it may not reflect a recent renovation. Where the line is large enough to require an appraisal, the appraiser’s value replaces the model’s.
How do the draw period and the repayment period work?
Draw, then repay. In the first phase a San Bernardino owner can borrow, repay, and borrow again up to the limit, paying interest only on the balance; in the second phase no new draws are allowed and the balance pays down on schedule. The rate is variable through both.
Can I get a HELOC on a home I am about to sell?
Not once it is listed. A home currently listed for sale, or listed within the last two months, is outside the higher-leverage program everywhere and outside the longer-runway program in several footprint states. An owner planning a bridge opens the line first, then lists.
Can I get a HELOC on a duplex or a small multi-unit home?
Small multi-unit homes are inside the program with their own credit floor. Occupancy decides the column: live in one unit and the home is a primary residence, rent all of them and it is investment property with the tighter table.
What if I own my San Bernardino home free and clear?
A home with no mortgage takes the line as its first lien. The equity math is simple, value times the ceiling up to the cap, and a San Bernardino owner at a strong tier often reaches the program maximum.
My rental is in an LLC. Can it get a HELOC?
Not while it is vested in the entity. Neither program accepts title held by a limited liability company, a corporation, a partnership, or an irrevocable, blind, or land trust. The choices are a vesting change before closing or an investor cash-out product that accepts entity title.
Can I get a HELOC on a second home or a rental property?
Both are eligible. A second home follows its own ladder with a higher floor; a rental is written on the longer-runway program with a hard credit floor and a lower ceiling, and it cannot be vested in an entity.
Put San Bernardino equity to work without touching the first mortgage.
Request a San Bernardino scenario review to confirm the tier, the valuation path, and the line the program supports. Lendmire is a broker, licensed in sixteen states for consumer mortgages, and never the lender.
This guide covers San Bernardino — for the statewide ceilings, tiers, and state rules, see HELOC in California, part of Lendmire’s home equity line of credit program.
Nearby markets in California: Rialto · Colton · Highland · Redlands · Fontana · Jurupa Valley · Riverside · Rancho Cucamonga
Related programs: Refinance Loans · Investment Property HELOC · Bank Statement HELOC