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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.
home equity
How to estimate your ownership stake, and how much of it you can borrow.
photo illustration of house balanced on stack of cash, light blue background
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

home equity myths
We separate the fact from fiction when it comes to using your homeownership stake.
A stylized two-story house with a fan of money behind it and a piece of paper in front with a dollar sign on it and a blue question mark next to the paper.
The spending doesn’t end when you buy a home. Here’s what to expect to pay for upkeep.
Two women chatting in front of a for sale sign
Your home equity line of credit’s life ends — but the debt doesn’t just disappear.
A roundup of the week’s top stories in home equity, mortgages and real estate.
heloc in reserve
Why not keep a home equity line of credit in reserve for a rainy day?
Image of town houses with money falling from the sky
It’s when your home’s value sinks below the amount you owe on your mortgage.
Image of two people with their backs facing one another
It’s not quite as simple as who gets the house. Here’s why.
How to get equity out of the house you’ve paid off
Sometimes, it’s even easier than if you still had a mortgage. But there are caveats.
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