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Non-Agency Closed-End Second · Primary · 2nd Home · Investment

Smart Equity / 2nd Lien

Income-qualifying standalone closed-end 2nd lien up to $1M. CLTV to 90% on Primary, full doc and alt-doc options, combined loan amounts up to $5M. No minimum reserves.

  • 90% Primary
  • 85% 2nd Home
SCORE
660
90% Primary
Max Loan
$1M
85% 2nd Home
Max CLTV
90%
Max DTI
50%
>$750K capped at 43%

Guidelines effective 2025-07-01.

Highlights

What makes this program work

  • Loan amounts $50K – $1,000,000
  • Combined 1st + 2nd up to $5,000,000
  • Primary, Second Home & Investment eligible
  • 90% CLTV on Primary at 700 FICO
  • Full Doc, Bank Statements, P&L Only & IO options
  • Max DTI 50% (43% over $750K)
  • No minimum reserves
  • Cash-Out & Standalone Second only
Ideal scenarios

When to reach for Non-Agency 2nd Mtg.

  • Borrowers tapping equity behind a low-rate 1st with income-qualifying full doc or alt-doc 2nd lien
Non-Agency 2nd Mtg. matrix

LTV / CLTV matrix

Max LTV by FICO, loan amount, and scenario. Live matrices are published in the TQL partner portal and updated in lock-step with underwriting.

CLTV Matrix

Max CLTV by FICO, loan amount, and occupancy

FICOLoan AmountPrimary2nd HomeInvestment
700$50,000 – $500,00090%85%80%
680$50,000 – $500,00085%80%80%
660$50,000 – $500,00080%70%70%
720$500,001 – $750,00080%75%70%
700$500,001 – $750,00080%70%65%
680$500,001 – $750,00075%65%60%
720$750,001 – $1,000,00065%
700$750,001 – $1,000,00060%
Program Details

Smart Equity Closed-End 2nd Lien · QR Guide

Occupancy
Primary, Second Home, Investment (income qualifying)
Eligible Borrowers
US Citizen, PR Alien, Non-PR Alien (w/ SSN). Foreign National & ITIN ineligible.
Ownership Seasoning
Primary: none required (10% CLTV haircut if <6 months) · 2nd Home / Investment: 6 months
Transaction Type
Cash-Out, Standalone Second only
Maximum DTI
50% standard (all doc types) · Loan amounts > $750,000 max DTI is 43%
Maximum Combined Loan
Combined loan amount (1st + 2nd) not to exceed $5,000,000
Products
10, 15, 20, 25, 30-Year Fixed · 20, 30-Year Interest-Only (IO must qualify on full amortizing payment, not IO payment)
Interest-Only Requirements
Existing 1st lien must be fully amortized · Primary residence only · Max CLTV 70% · Min FICO ≥ 700
Standard Full Doc
1 or 2-year W-2s only with 60-day paystubs (or) Tax Returns for self-employed borrowers
Personal Bank Statements
12 months personal w/ 2 months business showing cash-flow. If 2 months business statements are not available, the expense factor is 15%.
Business Bank Statements
12 months business statements, use 50% expense factor. If expense factor needed is >50%, provide an Accountant's Expense Statement. Min factor applied is 20%. Business statements may be combined with personal when self-employment cash flow is present in both without co-mingling of funds.
P&L Only
P&L only prepared by a CPA/EA — max 80% CLTV
Eligible Property Types
SFR, 2-4 units, Condo, Non-Warrantable Condo (max 75% CLTV), Rural Property (max 70% CLTV)
Ineligible Property Types
Condotels, row, commercial/agricultural, leasehold, land trust, age-restricted, hobby farms, modular, land contract, log homes
Acreage
Max 10 acres on all Closed-End Second Mortgage products
Appraisal Requirements
AVM only allowed with 80% confidence factor on Primary Residence or 2nd Home, must also provide a Property Condition Report ordered through TQL AMC. AVM-only max CLTV 80%.
Full Appraisal
Full standard 1004 appraisal required. On Loan Amounts >$400K and Investment properties, 1007 required on Investment
AVM Requirements
TQL to pull AVM. The AVM must have a > 80% confidence factor.
Listed Property
Must be off the market for 6 months prior to the application date
Declining Markets
Reduce max allowed CLTV by 5%
Qualifying Score
Use the primary wage earner's score — middle of 3, lower of 2 scores. (If bank statements are used for income and the business has 50/50 ownership or borrowers are tenants in common, use the lower of the 2 borrower scores.)
Tradeline Requirements
Open and active tradelines: 3 tradelines rated > 12 months (or) 2 tradelines for > 24 months w/ activity (or) 1 mortgage / installment loan > 36 months
Limited Tradelines
Allowed Primary only when borrower has 7 years of credit history and a qualifying score of 700 — max 75% CLTV
Mortgage History
0x30x12
BK / FC / SS / DIL Seasoning
84 Months · 48–83 Months Max CLTV 80%
Reserves
No minimum reserves
Title Policy
≤ $400K: O&E acceptable · > $400K: Full Title Policy
Flood Insurance
Flood escrow required (lesser of 1st UPB + 2nd or $250K)
Ineligible States / Areas
HI lava zones 1-2 · Baltimore City, MD
State Overlays
TN: max 15-year term · TX: 2nd Home & Investment only · PA: reduce max CLTV to 80%
HPML (Higher-Priced)
Eligible w/ overlays: Primary Residence only · Min score 720 · Max loan $500,000 · Max CLTV 70%
Solar Liens
Allowed per FNMA guidelines · Solar liens must be fully subordinated or paid off with proceeds, otherwise the property is not eligible
Hazard Insurance
100% replacement cost; covering both 1st & 2nd (or) RCV from HOI outlining coverage for 100% replacement
Escrows Required When
1st lien is not escrowed (and/or) combined 1st & 2nd loan amount is < $250,000
Document Validity Period
Appraisal/Title 120 days · AVM 90 days · Credit 120 days

Intended for Mortgage Professionals Only · Total Quality Lending · Equal Housing Lender

Non-Agency 2nd Mtg. guidelines

Full guidelines and product guide

The complete Non-Agency 2nd Mtg. guideline matrix lives in the TQL partner portal — open it for the full searchable experience.

Non-Agency 2nd Mtg. FAQ

Common scenarios and answers

  • Borrowers tapping equity behind a low-rate 1st with income-qualifying full doc or alt-doc 2nd lien