San Diego County · Independent mortgage and equity broker
San Diego mortgage and home equity broker. Six options, compared side by side.
Homeport Equity is JJ de Villiers, an independent broker based in San Diego. He compares all six ways to tap home equity and lays out the honest trade-offs of each. He is a broker, not a lender.
or call (858) 707-5299
JJ de VilliersNMLS #312623CA DRE #01886690
Licensed in California. We serve California homeowners.
Owning here
Why an equity decision looks different in San Diego.
Moving usually resets your property taxes
Under Proposition 13, a home's taxable value rises by no more than 2 percent a year until it is sold, when the county reassesses it. For a long-time San Diego owner, selling and buying again can mean a much higher tax bill. Proposition 19 lets some owners carry their taxable value to a replacement home: those 55 and older, the severely disabled, and victims of a wildfire or declared disaster. For a replacement home in San Diego County, that claim is filed with the County Assessor.
Sources: Legislative Analyst's Office: Proposition 13, Board of Equalization: Proposition 19, San Diego County Assessor: tax savings programs
Newer neighborhoods can carry a second tax line
Parts of the county, including areas of Carlsbad, Chula Vista and San Marcos and neighborhoods in the Poway Unified school district, sit in Mello-Roos districts. Each district charges a special tax that pays for that area's public facilities and services, listed with the special assessments on the property tax bill. It is one more cost to check before trading a long-held home for a newer one. The County Assessor's site shows how to look up any parcel.
The first mortgage is often the thing to protect
A cash-out refinance replaces the whole mortgage at today's rate. Owners holding an older, lower rate usually start the comparison with the options that leave the first mortgage alone: a home equity investment, a HELOC, or a fixed second mortgage.
General information, not tax, legal, or lending advice. Property tax rules carry exceptions; ask a tax professional about your own situation.
The six options
Every way to tap equity, compared in one conversation.
01Home Equity Investment
Cash now for a share of future appreciation. No monthly payment, no income qualification.
02HELOC
A revolving line against your equity. Flexible draws, interest-only at first, variable rate.
03Fixed Second Mortgage
A fixed-rate loan behind your first mortgage. Predictable payment, your first mortgage untouched.
Second Mortgage vs Cash-Out Refinance When Your First Rate Is Low
04Cash-Out Refinance
Replace your mortgage with a larger one. Best when today's rate beats the rate you have.
05Reverse Mortgage
For owners 62+. Access equity with no monthly payment; settled when you leave the home.
Reverse Mortgage vs HELOC: Which Fits a Retiree Protecting a Low Rate
06Non-QM Loan
A mortgage that qualifies on bank statements or assets instead of W-2 income. A real payment, but available when traditional loans are not.
Where JJ works
All 18 cities in the county, and the communities between them.
Central
- San Diego
- Coronado
North County coastal
- Oceanside
- Carlsbad
- Encinitas
- Solana Beach
- Del Mar
North County inland
- Escondido
- San Marcos
- Vista
- Poway
East County
- El Cajon
- La Mesa
- Santee
- Lemon Grove
South Bay
- Chula Vista
- National City
- Imperial Beach
That includes the unincorporated communities, such as Fallbrook, Ramona, Lakeside, Spring Valley, Alpine and Rancho Santa Fe. Not in San Diego County? The first conversation is a call, and JJ works with homeowners anywhere in California.
Start here
Plain-language reading before you call anyone.
Home Equity Options for California Homeowners
California owners tend to be equity-rich and rate-protective. An overview of the main ways to tap that equity, and why state licensing and local knowledge matter here.
Read it
How Much of Your Home Equity Can You Actually Use
The equity you have on paper is not the equity you can tap. How loan-to-value and the cushion providers keep set the usable number, explained without a calculator.
Read it
What You Actually Give Up With a Home Equity Investment
A home equity investment trades a share of your home's future appreciation for cash today. Here is the honest accounting of what that costs and when it is worth it.
Read it
What clients say
Word of mouth, in writing
“JJ is fantastic to work with! As a first time home buyer, he made everything simple and easy to complete our purchase. He was incredibly reliable and his communication cadence was perfect. I can't say enough great things and would recommend him to anyone.”
“I've closed 5 deals with JJ over the last 10 years and every time it goes as smooth as butter. He's always available to answer any questions I might have and is the calming presence in an inherently stressful transaction...”Read the full review →
“JJ's attention to detail and cool, calm demeanor really helped this stressed out first time home buyer! He laid out multiple options and explained the pros and cons of each path so I had all the information I needed to make the best decision. Ridiculously responsive, and great at what he does!”
“JJ is a force of professionalism and is passionate about his work. Pair that with his dedication to client service and industry knowledge, and I could not recommend him more! My experience working with JJ has been nothing short of 5 stars!”
“JJ has helped me with refinancing my home mortgage twice, he is very helpful and knowledgeable. I'd recommend JJ to anyone looking to finance or refinance a home. You will get top notch service.”
“Mr. de Villiers was amazingly helpful through this very trying process. It is easy to get lost in all of the qualifiers and documents you need to provide, but he was extremely organized and patient. He answered all of our questions, even when we asked the same one several times. A true professional.”
Common questions
Working with a San Diego broker.
Do I have to live in San Diego to work with Homeport Equity?
No. JJ is based in San Diego and licensed in California, so he works with homeowners anywhere in the state. The home has to be in California.
Is Homeport Equity a lender?
No. Homeport Equity is an independent broker, not a lender. JJ compares the options and places the one that fits with a lender or home equity investor. That lender or investor makes the lending decision, and not all applicants will qualify.
Which home equity options can San Diego County homeowners look at?
All six: a home equity investment, a HELOC, a fixed second mortgage (often called a home equity loan), a cash-out refinance, a reverse mortgage for owners 62 and older, and a non-QM loan. Which ones make sense depends on your home, your existing mortgage, and what you want the money to do. Sometimes the answer is none of them.
Does the first call cost anything or affect my credit?
No. It is a 15-minute conversation with no obligation and no credit pull.
Fifteen minutes, no obligation, no credit pull.
Tell JJ about the home, the goal, and the timeline. He will tell you which options are worth comparing, including when the answer is to leave your equity alone.
NMLS #312623 · CA DRE #01886690 · San Diego, California