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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
![Couple sits in new home with moving boxes](https://www.bankrate.com/2021/01/12150120/What-is-Regulation-Z.jpg?auto=webp&optimize=high&crop=1:1&width=356)
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](https://www.bankrate.com/2022/12/25093138/can-you-get-a-heloc-on-an-investment-property.jpg?auto=webp&optimize=high&crop=1:1&width=356)
Yes, your for-profit property can be a cash source for you.
![Couple sitting on a couch in front of a laptop](https://www.bankrate.com/2023/06/26102526/Homes-Risks-of-home-equity-loans-and-how-to-avoid-them.jpg?auto=webp&optimize=high&crop=1:1&width=356)
Tapping home equity can be a smart move, but don’t get trapped by surprise terms.
![A family unpacking a box together](https://www.bankrate.com/2023/11/17102044/Homes-Home-Equity-and-Generational-Wealth.jpg?auto=webp&optimize=high&crop=1:1&width=356)
Why and how your home can be the foundation of your family’s fortune.
![Image of a large house in the evening](https://www.bankrate.com/brp/2024/02/06145904/Homes_8_ways_to_increase_your_homes_value.jpg?auto=webp&optimize=high&crop=1:1&width=356)
You don’t have to spend a fortune to boost your property’s worth.
![Pink shed in a backyard garden](https://www.bankrate.com/2020/11/11165117/How-to-finance-a-detached-structure-and-protect-your-homes-value.jpg?auto=webp&optimize=high&crop=1:1&width=356)
Why pay cash? Borrowing can make more sense for an add-on.
![Smiling man with arm around woman at backyard](https://www.bankrate.com/brp/2024/06/06101530/who-is-the-best-candidate-for-a-home-equity-loan.jpg?auto=webp&optimize=high&crop=1:1&width=356)
Qualifying for one is harder than it looks — maybe even harder than your mortgage.
![Exterior of a red-brick house](https://www.bankrate.com/2021/07/16122304/How-much-are-home-equity-loan-closing-costs.jpeg?auto=webp&optimize=high&crop=1:1&width=356)
They’re less than mortgages’ closing costs, but the upfront expenses do add up.
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