Are Home equity loans available sooner than 18 months to 2 years following bankruptcy??

Not that I am aware of.

After a major negative credit event like a bankruptcy, you are put into the loan penalty box. How long you stay in the box depends on many variables. But generally speaking, the earliest you come out of the box is two years after the bankruptcy discharge date.

In most cases the waiting period is two years.

probably not from any traditional source, and if it were expect the terms to be pretty stiff...