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Home Equity

Find out what home equity is and how to use it, plus news, advice and tools on home equity loans and HELOCs.

Home equity basics

A green house on a sunny day
It’s the portion of your home you own outright. Its uses are almost endless.
Couple sit in living room discuss receipts, control family budget, calculate household bills to pay
How to estimate your ownership stake, and how much of it you can borrow.
House with solar panels
Everything you need to know about HELOC and home equity loan requirements in 2024.

Home equity tools & resources

Bankrate's suite of tools and articles are designed to help you effortlessly learn about your home equity, connect with reputable lenders, compare offers for HELOCs and home equity loans, and more.

The latest

Couple sits in new home with moving boxes
If you’re looking to borrow money, you’re probably benefiting from this law.
Man painting wooden columns of modern apartment against sky during sunny day
Yes, your for-profit property can be a cash source for you.
Couple sitting on a couch in front of a laptop
Tapping home equity can be a smart move, but don’t get trapped by surprise terms.
A family unpacking a box together
Why and how your home can be the foundation of your family’s fortune.
Image of a large house in the evening
You don’t have to spend a fortune to boost your property’s worth.
Pink shed in a backyard garden
Why pay cash? Borrowing can make more sense for an add-on.
Smiling man with arm around woman at backyard
Qualifying for one is harder than it looks — maybe even harder than your mortgage.
Exterior of a red-brick house
They’re less than mortgages’ closing costs, but the upfront expenses do add up.
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