Home Equity
Home Equity Loan With a Private Transfer Fee Covenant on Title (2026 Rules)
A private transfer fee covenant on your title report can stall a home equity loan. Here's how the 2026 FHFA rule, state bans, and title fixes work.
Featured guide
Home Equity Loan With a Private Transfer Fee Covenant on Title (2026 Rules)
A private transfer fee covenant on your title report can stall a home equity loan. Here's how the 2026 FHFA rule, state bans, and title fixes work.
Latest guides
View all →
Home Equity
Home Equity Loan Flood Insurance Escrow Requirements in SFHAs (2026): Why HELOANs Trigger Mandatory Escrow and HELOCs Don’t
A closed-end home equity loan in a Special Flood Hazard Area triggers mandatory flood insurance escrow under federal law. HELOCs don't. Here's exactly why.
Home Equity
Home Equity Loan Spousal Signature Requirements by State (2026 Guide)
Does your spouse have to sign a home equity loan? State-by-state 2026 guide to non-borrowing spouse joinder rules for HELOANs and HELOCs, plus Reg Z.
Chapter 13
Refinance During Active Chapter 13 in 2026: FHA, VA & USDA Rate-and-Term Guide
Refinance mid-Chapter 13 in 2026 with FHA, VA, or USDA loans. See the 12-month rule, trustee approval, Motion to Incur Debt timeline, and 2026 costs.
Bankruptcy & Credit Recovery
HELOC After Chapter 7 Bankruptcy: 2026 Waiting Period Rules
HELOC after Chapter 7 discharge in 2026: how long you wait, what Fannie Mae and portfolio lenders require, and how equity and credit rebuild affect approval.
Home Equity
Home Equity Loan as Bridge Financing: Buy Before You Sell in 2026
Using a home equity loan to buy your next home before selling? See 2026 qualification math, tax rules under TCJA/OBBBA, and how it compares to bridge loans.
Why trust Mortgage Refinancing Blog
We’re an independent education site. We don’t originate loans, and no lender pays for placement in our guides.
Independent and accountable
Every guide shows when it was published, when it was last updated, and where the numbers come from. Our editorial standards →
Primary sources only
Numbers come from Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, the CFPB, HUD, and the VA — cited at the end of every article. Sourcing policy →
Education, not sales
Plain-English explainers with the math shown. How we make money, in one paragraph: advertising disclosure →