Using HELOC to help fund a multifamily

[Stephen Scire]

Hello all, looking for help in multifamily / apartment complex -  funding.

I've been looking for multis in our very competitive Boston market but  have recently started searching out of state in other growing areas.

I was thinking of getting more aggressive. I have 3 properties currently, primary...value 650k w/ 320k mortgage , 3 family investment...value 1.2M no mortgage , 2 family investment...value 600k no mortgage.

Am I reasonable to take a HELOC on equity to purchase apartment building at a 1.5 to 2M price range.

I am open to search out of state as well, I just feel very enthusiastic about making the next move.

I guess what I need to know is what kind of buying power do I have …. of course not being too over-leveraged.

Thanks in advance for any input. 

[Jennifer Beadles]

@Stephen Scire HELOCs are a great way to access stagnant equity and start earning a return. When I've used HELOCs for the down payment I always make sure the new property will still cash flow after adding in the additional payment on the HELOC. I then use cash flow to aggressively pay the HELOC portion off quickly so I can go on to the next property.

In my experience, banks will lend at 70 LTV on an investment property on a HELOC. Since you have one property with no mortgage you may be able to get better rates and terms on that one.