subordination - The Mortgage Porter

Refinancing when you have an existing Second Mortgage or HELOC (Updated for 2026)

Refinancing with a HELOC or Second Mortgage (2026 Guide)

One of the most common refinance questions I’m hearing right now is:

“Can I refinance if I already have a HELOC or second mortgage?”

Short answer: Yes — but how it works depends on your situation.

If you have a home equity line of credit (HELOC) or an existing second mortgage, refinancing is absolutely possible. It just requires a little more strategy.

After more than 25 years helping Washington homeowners with their mortgages, I can tell you this: [Read more…]

Second Mortgage Subordinations May Cause Huge Delays with Refi’s

If you have a second mortgage (home equity line or fixed term), and you are not going to pay it off during a refinance; it needs to be “subordinated”. This is because of lien position with your mortgages…who gets to be first. Lien position is determined by when a document (such as a Deed of Trust) is recorded at the county. If you have two mortgages and are only refinancing the first mortgage, the second mortgage will need to be “subordinated”. [Read more…]