Imagine tapping into your home’s value—not just once, but as often as you need. Home equity lines of credit (HELOCs) let you do exactly that. Once you open your HELOC, you can easily draw from your equity to cover one-time or ongoing expenses. Delaware homeowners especially can benefit from this financial product as home values […]
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Imagine tapping into your home’s value—not just once, but as often as you need. Home equity lines of credit (HELOCs) let you do exactly that. Once you open your HELOC, you can easily draw from your equity to cover one-time or ongoing expenses.
Delaware homeowners especially can benefit from this financial product as home values in the state continue to increase. We’ve compared numerous HELOCs for Delaware homeowners and narrowed our list to the best. Keep reading to find the right Delaware HELOC for you.
Online HELOCs leverage the power of technology and automation. You can apply right from your phone, and you may be able to forego an in-person appraisal, too. If innovation and convenience are a top priority, these online HELOC lenders are a solid match:
Best overall
Figure stands out for Delaware residents with its competitive fixed HELOC rates. This lender offers a seamless online application process, quick approval times, and a fully digital experience, making it convenient for homeowners to access project funds.
With Figure, Delaware homeowners can benefit from transparency and flexibility, making it an excellent choice for those seeking a reliable and efficient HELOC option.
| Rates (APR) | 6.55% – 15.54% |
| Loan amounts | $15,000 – $400,000 |
| Draw period | 5 years |
| Repayment term | 5, 10, 15, or 30 years |
| Funding time | As few as 5 days |
| Properties | Primary home, second home, or investment property |
| Credit score | 640 |
Best credit union
Bethpage offers Delaware residents a low fixed 12-month introductory HELOC rate for creditworthy borrowers, transitioning to a variable rate afterward. This makes Bethpage an attractive option for homeowners with high credit scores looking to fund substantial home improvements or other large expenses. Known for its customer service and favorable terms, Bethpage provides a dependable option for those in Delaware seeking a significant line of credit.
| Rates (APR) | 6.99% for 12 months, then variable |
| Loan amounts | $10,000 – $1 million |
| Draw period | 10 years |
| Repayment term | 5, 10, or 20 years |
| Funding time | 36 – 70 days, on average |
| Properties | Primary homes, second homes, or condos |
| Credit score | 670 |
Best marketplace
LendingTree is ideal for Delaware homeowners who want to compare multiple HELOC offers. LendingTree’s platform allows users to obtain quotes from various lenders, ensuring they find the best rate and terms for their needs. This service simplifies the shopping process, making it easier for Delaware residents to secure a competitive HELOC that fits their financial goals
| Rates (APR) | Starting at 6.24% |
| Loan amounts | $10,000 – $2 million |
| Draw period | 2 – 20 years |
| Repayment term | 5 – 30 years |
| Funding time | Varies |
| Properties | Varies |
| Credit score | Varies, 620 advisable |
Best for flexible qualification
Hitch offers Delaware residents a competitive HELOC rate and the ability to borrow more home equity than many competitors. Known for its quick application and approval process, Hitch ensures homeowners can tap into their home equity for urgent financial needs or projects. This lender’s efficiency and straightforward approach make it a solid choice for Delaware homeowners seeking prompt funding solutions.
| Rates (APR) | 8.25% – 13.00% |
| Loan amounts | $25,000 – $500,000 |
| Draw period | 10 years |
| Repayment term | 20 years |
| Funding time | 21 days on average |
| Properties | Most single-family homes, including apartments, condominiums, and houses |
| Credit score | 620 (640 preferred) |
Face-to-face customer service is a comfort that online HELOCs simply can’t offer—but local lenders can. Local lenders are likely to have stronger community ties, too. For a homegrown HELOC with a human element, look no further than these Delaware credit unions:
| Company | Starting rates (APR) | Location |
| Del-One Federal Credit Union | 8.00% | Statewide |
| Community Powered Federal Credit Union | 8.50% | New Castle County |
| Dover Federal Credit Union | 8.00% | New Castle and Kent Counties |
| Tidemark Federal Credit Union | 8.50% | Sussex County |
When choosing a lender, your HELOC rate is one of the most important factors. However, if you scan these lenders’ starting APRs, you’ll notice they’re quite similar. When that happens, you may need to use additional criteria to make your selection, including:
Take note of any lenders that offer standout perks or benefits. For example, if Tidemark holds your first mortgage, you can finance up to 100% of your home equity. And with Dover Federal, you can convert your HELOC to a fixed-rate loan.
Online and local HELOCs share many commonalities, but one key distinction between them is that they rely more on technology, while local HELOCs rely more on relationships.
Because they don’t maintain brick-and-mortar locations, online lenders tend to invest more heavily in digital customer service options. By contrast, local lenders often provide a more traditional borrowing experience, complete with the option for in-person support.
Here’s a closer look at how each lending approach differs:
| Online | Local | |
| How to apply | Online | Online, in-person |
| Appraisal type | Standard or virtual | Standard |
| Account access | Website, app | Website, app, in-person |
| Contact methods | Chat, email, phone | Chat, email, phone, in-person |
| Bank accounts offered? | Sometimes | Usually |
Given their distinct advantages, you could make a case for either HELOC. Still, there are a few scenarios when one is a better choice than the other:
| If you… | Then consider… |
| Are partial to in-person customer service | Local HELOCs |
| Prefer self-service account management | Online HELOCs |
| Already bank with a lender near you | Local HELOCs |
| Can’t easily drive or walk to a physical branch | Online HELOCs |
| Aren’t comfortable using technology | Local HELOCs |
| Travel frequently or work during typical business hours | Online HELOCs |
No matter which HELOC type you’re leaning toward, it’s a good idea to consider lenders from both camps. At worst, you’ll spend a little extra time researching your options. At best, you’ll find a lender with lower rates and better benefits than you anticipated.
Home prices may jump up or down from one zip code to the next, but HELOC rates don’t. In fact, HELOC rates have little to do with your location. You won’t always see significant changes in HELOC rates by state because rates depend far more on borrowers’ credit scores.
That said, average credit scores do vary somewhat across state lines. Differences in cost of living, economic development, and earning potential contribute to those fluctuations.
Still, you may not see much disparity in HELOC rates from one state to another. Take, for example, the average VantageScores for Delaware and surrounding states, as of May 2024:
None of these scores is considerably higher or lower than the others. It’s reasonable to assume that the typical HELOC rates in these states are also fairly similar.
To get the best rate on your HELOC, do a pulse check on your credit before applying. Pull your credit reports and credit card statements to check for ways to boost your score. These are some of the most common ways to prepare your credit:
Taking charge of your credit is only the first step, though. What’s next? Prequalifying.
When you prequalify, lenders perform a soft credit check to give you personalized, preliminary rates. You can then use these rates to calculate your HELOC payments and measure your potential borrowing cost.
The national prime rate is generally considered the best possible rate. Compare your prequalified rates to the prime rate to gauge whether you’re getting a good deal or need to keep looking.
Because prequalifying doesn’t hurt your credit, we suggest checking your rates with four or five lenders minimum. That way, you’ll have plenty of options to choose from—and plenty of leverage.
Many lenders offer rate matching programs or other incentives if you can demonstrate that you’ve gotten a better rate elsewhere. Use that to your advantage so you can lock in the lowest possible rate with your preferred lender.
Title 5 of the Delaware Code outlines several requirements for mortgage lenders, mostly related to licensing and continuing education. However, Delaware state law doesn’t specifically address HELOCs.
Instead, any supplementary requirements you’ll need to meet will likely come directly from your lender.
Toward the end of the HELOC application process, your lender will send you a HELOC early disclosure form. This form details pertinent information including:
These responsibilities may be as simple as repaying your HELOC as agreed and maintaining an adequate homeowners insurance policy for the duration of your HELOC.
Some lenders stipulate additional requirements, so read your disclosure form carefully and ask for clarification as needed.
Lenders typically require a minimum credit score of 620 for a HELOC. However, higher credit scores often secure better interest rates and terms. We recommend checking with individual lenders. Requirements can vary.
Typical fees for a Delaware HELOC include application fees, appraisal fees, annual fees, and closing costs. These can range from 2% to 5% of the loan amount. It is important to review the fee structure with your lender to understand all associated costs.
Delaware residents may benefit from special programs or incentives, such as introductory interest rates, no annual fees, or discounts for automatic payments.
Some lenders might also offer lower fees or better terms for members of certain credit unions or professional associations. Always inquire about any available programs when applying.
LendEDU evaluates HELOC lenders to help readers find the best HELOCs. Accessibility is important to this evaluation, so our editorial ratings system primarily focuses on companies available in most U.S. states. That’s why the lenders we selected in the online section have editorial ratings. They’ve gone through an extensive review process and were determined to offer superior products compared to other lenders. We’ve also independently verified that these companies are available in Delaware.
Since most local lenders aren’t available outside state lines, they haven’t gone through the same review process as the online lenders. Instead, we found them through separate research and determined that each offered solutions worthy of consideration by readers.
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