CLTV (Combined Loan-to-Value)
The total of all loans secured by a property divided by its value. Lenders cap CLTV (often at 80–85%) when you add a home-equity loan or HELOC.
What does CLTV mean?
Where LTV looks at a single loan, CLTV adds up every lien on the property — first mortgage plus any home-equity loan or HELOC — against the home value. Lenders lean on CLTV when you borrow against equity, commonly capping it around 80–85%. It is the number that decides how much of your equity you can actually tap.
Calculating CLTV
Add up every loan secured by the home and divide by its value. With a $400,000 home, a $300,000 first mortgage and a $40,000 HELOC:
| Step | Value |
|---|---|
| First mortgage | $300,000 |
| + HELOC (full credit line) | $40,000 |
| = Total liens | $340,000 |
| ÷ Home value | $400,000 |
| = CLTV | 85% |
For a credit line, lenders generally count the full available line, not just what you have drawn — sometimes called HCLTV.
Where CLTV limits bite
CLTV is the gatekeeper for second mortgages. Many lenders cap home-equity loans and HELOCs at 80% to 85% CLTV, a few go to 90%. It also matters on purchases: an 80/10/10 piggyback uses an 80% first mortgage to avoid PMI, but the combined CLTV is 90%, which must fit both lenders’ rules.
Frequently asked
How is CLTV calculated?
Add up every loan secured by the home — your first mortgage plus any home-equity loan or HELOC — and divide by the home’s value.
On a $400,000 home with a $250,000 mortgage and a $50,000 HELOC, CLTV is $300,000 ÷ $400,000, or 75%.
What is the difference between LTV and CLTV?
LTV counts only one loan against the home’s value; CLTV counts every lien on it. Lenders use LTV for a single first mortgage and switch to CLTV once you add a second loan such as a home-equity loan or HELOC.
Put it to use
Home Equity Calculator
See how much equity you have, your LTV and combined LTV, and how much of it a lender would let you borrow.
Down Payment Calculator
Turn a down-payment percentage into dollars and see whether you clear the 20% PMI threshold.
Home Equity Loan Calculator
Calculate the fixed monthly payment and total interest on a lump-sum home-equity loan.
Related terms
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