A 31-year-old used a HELOC to compete with all-cash offers on a house. 3 lenders to do the same

During the summer of 2023, Rachel Curry and her husband set out to buy their first home in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, with a strong application: a 20% down payment and stable careers. The couple toured about 30 houses and made five bids in three months. They lost all five, most of them to buyers who proposed all-cash offers, Curry was told by her realtor. The 31-year-old and her husband didn't have the liquidity to make the same type of offer. …