Turn Your Home's Equity Into Your Next Renovation.
See exactly how much equity you can access in under 2 minutes. Smart financing for the addition, kitchen remodel, or major upgrade you've been planning — without the guesswork.
Takes 2 minutes · No impact on your credit
Quick Equity Estimate
Sample scenario
Potential line of credit
$155,000
Up to 80% combined loan-to-value
20+
Years guiding homeowners through smart financing
7,000+
Families financed by Dana personally
#11
Ranked loan officer nationally (2007)
2 min
To see what your equity can fund
See your real numbers before you commit to anything.
Tell us a little about your home and current mortgage. We'll show you the equity you can responsibly access, your estimated payment impact, and whether a HELOC or cash-out refinance fits your renovation better.
No credit impact
Soft inquiry only — your score stays exactly where it is.
Under 2 minutes
Four quick questions. Real numbers. No phone tag required.
Zero obligation
Use the numbers to plan. Move forward only when you're ready.
From equity check to funded renovation in four steps.
No mystery. No surprises. Just a clear path from your initial question to the day your contractor breaks ground.
Run Your Numbers
Quick form. We pull available equity, estimated rate, and projected payment. Takes about 2 minutes.
Strategy Call
Dana reviews your scenario and explains whether HELOC, cash-out refi, or home equity loan fits best.
Pre-Qualification
Light verification gets you a real loan estimate so you can plan your renovation budget with confidence.
Fund & Build
Close in weeks, not months. Funds available as you need them — pay only on what you draw.
20+
Years Experience
Dana Gounaris
Vice President / Branch Manager · NFM Lending
NMLS# 13818
For over two decades, Dana has helped more than 7,000 individuals and families navigate one of the biggest financial decisions of their lives. In 2007, she was ranked the #11 loan officer in the United States.
What that means for you: when you're tapping equity for a renovation, Dana has seen every scenario — and knows exactly which product gives you the most flexibility, the best payment structure, and the smartest long-term outcome for your home's value.
TOP RANKED
Recognized among the nation's top loan officers
EQUITY SPECIALIST
Deep expertise in HELOCs and cash-out refinancing
Direct line to Dana · No call centers
HELOC or cash-out refi? Dana explains the difference.
A quick walkthrough of which equity product fits which renovation — and how to pick the one that costs you less over the life of your project.
Choosing the Right Equity Product for Your Renovation
Dana Gounaris · NFM Lending
Real renovations, financed the smart way.
Homeowners who turned their equity into the kitchens, additions, and remodels they'd been planning for years.
"We'd been saving for a kitchen remodel for three years and were still nowhere close. Dana showed us how to tap our equity without restarting our mortgage. We had the funds in five weeks and our payment barely moved."
Michelle R.
Kitchen remodel · Cherry Hill, NJ
"Dana laid out three different ways to fund our second-story addition. She didn't push the most expensive option — she actually recommended the HELOC because we could draw funds as construction progressed. That saved us thousands in interest."
James & Tara K.
Second-story addition · Medford, NJ
"I was nervous about borrowing against the house, but Dana walked me through the numbers in plain English. We did a primary suite addition and the appraisal afterward was $80K higher than the project cost. Felt like an investment, not a debt."
Patricia S.
Primary suite addition · Moorestown, NJ
Equity financing without the headache.
A direct relationship with one experienced loan officer — not a call center routing you to whoever picks up.
Competitive Equity Rates
Access to a broad set of HELOC, home equity loan, and cash-out refinance products — Dana shops the right fit, not just one.
Draw-as-You-Build Flexibility
HELOCs let you pull funds in phases — pay interest only on what you actually spend. Perfect for staged renovations.
Fast Closing Timelines
Most equity transactions close in 3-5 weeks. Dana's team keeps you in the loop with weekly status updates — no silent treatment.
Protect Your Low First Mortgage
Locked in a great rate years ago? A HELOC lets you keep it untouched while still accessing the equity you've built.
One Direct Point of Contact
Same loan officer from first call to closing. You'll always know who's working on your file — and how to reach them.
Nationally Recognized Expertise
Two decades of top-tier originations. 7,000+ closed loans. The kind of pattern recognition you can't find at a startup.
What homeowners ask before tapping equity.
Straight answers to the questions that actually matter.
How much equity can I actually access?
Most lenders allow you to borrow up to 80-85% of your home's value, minus what you still owe on your first mortgage. On a $550,000 home with a $285,000 mortgage, that typically means $155,000-$182,000 of accessible equity — though the exact number depends on your credit, income, and the lender's program.
HELOC vs. cash-out refinance — which is better for a renovation?
If you locked in a low first-mortgage rate in the past few years, a HELOC almost always wins — it leaves your primary mortgage untouched and lets you draw funds as your contractor invoices you. A cash-out refinance makes more sense if your current rate is higher than today's market or you want one fixed payment for the entire amount. Dana will model both for your specific scenario.
How fast can I get the funds for my project?
HELOCs typically close in 3-5 weeks from application. Cash-out refinances usually take 4-6 weeks. We start the appraisal and underwriting in parallel to keep things moving — and Dana gives you weekly status updates so you always know where things stand.
Will this hurt my credit score?
The initial pre-qualification uses a soft credit pull — zero impact on your score. A hard inquiry only happens once you decide to move forward and formally start the loan process. Even then, the temporary score dip from a single mortgage-related hard pull is usually minor and recovers within a few months.
What credit score and income do I need to qualify?
Most equity products require a 680+ credit score and a debt-to-income ratio under 43%, though we have programs that work for scores down to 620. Income requirements depend on your existing debts and the loan amount. The pre-qualification tells you exactly where you stand in about two minutes.
Are there closing costs on a HELOC or home equity loan?
HELOCs often have minimal or no closing costs depending on the program — sometimes just an appraisal fee. Home equity loans and cash-out refinances have more traditional closing costs (typically 2-5% of the loan amount). Dana shows you the all-in cost up front so you can compare apples to apples.
Your renovation is closer than you think.
Most homeowners are surprised by how much equity they've built. Take two minutes to find out what your home can fund — no commitment, no credit impact.
Takes 2 minutes · No credit impact · Zero obligation
