You can put a HELOC behind an FHA first mortgage. The keys are where you shop and how that second lien affects your future moves. - Where to shop: the best HELOC pricing usually comes from big banks and credit unions rather than the wholesale lenders most brokers use, so an existing credit union relationship is a good first stop. - The process: application, income and asset documentation, and possibly an appraisal. Lower loan-to-value requests can sometimes run on an automated valuation; above roughly 80% combined loan-to-value, expect a full appraisal. - Pricing: almost every HELOC is priced as prime plus a margin. Ask what margin you are being charged over the prime rate and whether there is a temporary teaser rate up front. - Before you shop: pull your report from annualcreditreport.com rather than relying on a consumer app like Credit Karma, which often shows a different scoring model than lenders use. One strategic caution for your setup: a HELOC behind an FHA loan can make it harder to later refinance out of FHA mortgage insurance, because that second lien has to be resubordinated or paid off. If you are carrying a very low-rate FHA first and borrowing a modest amount against a large amount of equity, the HELOC can still make sense, with a plan to eventually roll both liens into a single new first mortgage when the numbers favor it. Nobody can promise where rates go, so weigh that friction before you draw. We are happy to think through the sequencing with you on the free Roadmap conversation (about 20 minutes).