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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](https://www.bankrate.com/brp/2023/11/29114305/Homes_Home_equity_What_Is_It.jpg?auto=webp&optimize=high&crop=16:9&width=320)
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](https://www.bankrate.com/2023/02/15101041/how-to-calculate-home-equity.jpg?auto=webp&optimize=high&crop=16:9&width=320)
How to estimate your ownership stake, and how much of it you can borrow.
![House with solar panels](https://www.bankrate.com/2018/02/12141004/requirements-to-borrow-from-home-equity.jpg?auto=webp&optimize=high&crop=16:9&width=320)
Everything you need to know about HELOC and home equity loan requirements in 2024.
Editor's picks
![mom working on a laptop at home](https://www.bankrate.com/2022/09/08101846/using-heloc-to-pay-mortgage.jpg?auto=webp&optimize=high)
Related topics:
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.
Finding a lender
Here’s where you can get a home equity loan today
HELOC vs. home equity loan
How does each work, and which would be best for you?
Mortgage rates
Compare current mortgage rates for today
News highlights
The latest
![aerial view of landscape](https://www.bankrate.com/2022/09/09113049/Financing-a-land-purchase.jpg?auto=webp&optimize=high&crop=1:1&width=356)
If paying cash or obtaining a land loan isn’t an option, you might be able to use a second mortgage to buy land.
![Grandfather Playing Ball with His Son and Grandchildren.](https://www.bankrate.com/2023/05/05100707/cash-out-refi-vs-home-equity-loan.jpg?auto=webp&optimize=high&crop=1:1&width=356)
Both mean ready money — but their pros and cons vary quite a bit.
![Illustrated collage featuring a mailbox with money falling out](https://www.bankrate.com/2023/05/05104747/Homes_How-to-take-equity-out-of-your-home.jpg?auto=webp&optimize=high&crop=1:1&width=356)
Your home isn’t a piggy bank, but there are wise ways to tap your ownership stake for cash.
![Illustrated collage of: A hand holding a pencil with a house made of money](https://www.bankrate.com/brp/2023/11/04125433/Homes-What-is-the-draw-period-on-a-HELOC-and-how-does-it-work.jpg?auto=webp&optimize=high&crop=1:1&width=356)
It’s the fun part, when you get your money. But you have to be ready when it ends.
![Couple sit in living room discuss receipts, control family budget, calculate household bills to pay](https://www.bankrate.com/2023/02/15101041/how-to-calculate-home-equity.jpg?auto=webp&optimize=high&crop=1:1&width=356)
How to estimate your ownership stake, and how much of it you can borrow.
![Senior agent talking to a couple in a meeting in an office.](https://www.bankrate.com/brp/2024/03/22104528/new-flavors-in-he-loans.jpg?auto=webp&optimize=high&crop=1:1&width=356)
They’re courting new borrowers with innovative features and looser criteria.
![Couple buying a house and closing the deal with the Real Estate Agent with handshake](https://www.bankrate.com/2023/08/02095446/what-is-a-home-equity-sharing-agreement.jpg?auto=webp&optimize=high&crop=1:1&width=356)
You get cash out of your home, in return for a piece of the proceeds when you sell.
![How to get equity out of the house you’ve paid off](https://www.bankrate.com/2022/06/14132030/GettyImages-1306153838.jpg?auto=webp&optimize=high&crop=1:1&width=356)
Sometimes, it’s even easier than if you still had a mortgage. But there are caveats.
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