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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
![Image of two people with their backs facing one another](https://www.bankrate.com/brp/2024/07/08114255/Homes-How-is-home-equity-split-in-divorce.jpg?auto=webp&optimize=high&crop=1:1&width=356)
It’s not quite as simple as who gets the house. Here’s why.
![Mother and child in nursery](https://www.bankrate.com/2018/11/05142400/Tax-changes-make-HELOCs-less-appealing-to-homeowners-but-they-still-have-benefits.jpg?auto=webp&optimize=high&crop=1:1&width=356)
Home equity borrowers can deduct interest, but only if they meet these requirements.
![What is a second mortgage, and how does it work?](https://www.bankrate.com/2022/02/02102914/GettyImages-1353264389.jpg?auto=webp&optimize=high&crop=1:1&width=356)
It can have huge benefits — if you do it right.
![Two architects renovating an apartment](https://www.bankrate.com/brp/2024/06/26140900/home-equity-loan-vs-home-improvement-loan.jpg?auto=webp&optimize=high&crop=1:1&width=356)
Don’t confuse these soundalikes. They’re quite different.
![Two people hugging joyfully](https://www.bankrate.com/2023/04/14114108/Homes_HELOC_vs._Home_equity_loan.jpg?auto=webp&optimize=high&crop=1:1&width=356)
Know the differences between these debt products before you put your home on the line.
![Livingroom with midcentury modern furniture](https://www.bankrate.com/2018/04/07131026/heloc-with-a-fixed-rate-option-has-advantages-for-homeowners.jpg?auto=webp&optimize=high&crop=1:1&width=356)
It’s a hybrid product that can combine the best of both borrowing worlds.
![Senior couple preparing dinner](https://www.bankrate.com/2023/08/02145737/using-he-in-retirement.jpg?auto=webp&optimize=high&crop=1:1&width=356)
It can add some extra glitter to those golden years. But there are pitfalls to using it too.
![An American flag flies from the open porch and gardens surround a small single family home on a Spring afternoon on Cape Cod on the Massachusetts coast.](https://www.bankrate.com/2023/07/07092424/do-i-lose-home-equity-after-refi.jpg?auto=webp&optimize=high&crop=1:1&width=356)
Depending on the type of refinance, the amount you owe could deplete the amount you own.
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