![Couple use a laptop computer to pay bills online](https://www.bankrate.com/2023/12/04123841/are-home-equity-loans-still-a-good-idea.png?auto=webp&&optimize=high&crop=16:9&width=300)
Your home’s worth more than ever. But is borrowing against it a good idea?
They can be, but be sure to crunch the numbers and be aware of the caveats.
So much about buying a home is about timing. Knowing the time is right for you personally is more important than trying to time the housing market.
— Andrew Dehan
Andrew Dehan is a writer for Bankrate’s Home Lending team. He has been writing about real estate, mortgages and personal finance since 2020 when he began working as a writer and editor with Rocket Mortgage. He has since been published by Forbes Advisor, Business Insider and SmartAsset. He graduated from Grand Valley State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Writing.
As a homeowner himself, Andrew is passionate about writing content that empowers people to make large financial decisions. The experience of buying a home highlighted to him how crucial clear and useful information is during the process. Whether it was researching the right lender, choosing whether to buy mortgage points or understanding changing interest rates, Andrew dove in to learn more. He brought this passion as a writer to Bankrate in 2023, where he writes articles to help people understand mortgages and the process of buying a home.
Andrew lives in metro Detroit with his wife, two kids and two dogs. He enjoys problem-solving, nature and music. He feels most in his element when he’s learning, writing or building a fire.
So much about buying a home is about timing. Knowing the time is right for you personally is more important than trying to time the housing market.
— Andrew Dehan
They can be, but be sure to crunch the numbers and be aware of the caveats.
The current average rate for a 30-year fixed mortgage is 6.95, the average rate for the benchmark 15-year fixed mortgage is 6.24 percent, and the average 5/1 ARM rate is 6.15 percent.
Today's average rate for the benchmark 30-year fixed mortgage is 6.99, the average rate for a 15-year fixed mortgage is 6.25 percent, and the average rate on a 5/1 adjustable rate mortgage is 6.36 percent.
The president’s promised tariffs and deportations could have devastating affects for housing.
Here are the best mortgage lenders for February 2025.
And what do their differences mean for you, the mortgage borrower?
It isn’t cheap. But what matters more is how fast you can recoup those closing costs.
Today's average 30-year fixed-mortgage rate is 6.96, the average 15-year fixed-mortgage rate is 6.20 percent, and the average rate on a 5/1 adjustable rate mortgage is 6.31 percent.