the HELOC will be based on appraised value...appraisals are hard to predict, but you have a huge equity position...so even if it comes back conservative, you should be good...credit unions are your best bet...better on fees and higher LTV....but you should shop to confirm.The alternative for you is putting a loan in place and using the delayed finance exception...try to take cash out.

Remember that real estate is not get rich quick but a way to build wealth predictably over a long term.

I suppose I cannot predict whether a seller would entertain that... can you take home equity to get the down payment for seller financing?

Making decisions by predicting tax policy is a no win game. 

Just remember you don't need to predict the future to make money.  

Figuring out the unknown unknowns and all the dumb stuff you could never predict is an issue.

As an analyst, you learn how to sit back and re-piece together disparate data in order to make educated predictions on where something is headed.

I have my own opinion regarding trying to predict future rates, but I will keep it out of this post.So, I'm looking for feedback regarding whether this is a fair rate in today's market in Illinois.Credit score = 800+ and townhouse is classified as si gle family attached, all factors pointing towards a lower interest rate on the spectrum.

But no-one can predict the future, but we can learn to be conservative and manage risks.

It was for these reasons why we left Canada to invest in markets where we know we can gain a return on our invest through real numbers.. ie, Buy + rehab costs, compared to rents and monthly expenses to predict our ROI - leaving very little up to chance and market conditions.