Basics
What is home equity?
Borrowing against the equity in your home can be a smart move if you’re careful.
Home equity loan requirements
When lenders check your financial situation, these criteria will count the most.
How to build home equity
Building equity is a smart financial move, and there are a few ways to do it.
How to calculate home equity
Use these five steps to learn how much equity you have in your home.
Editor's Picks
What is home equity?
10 min read
Latest Articles
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Home Equity Rates for July 22, 2010
Greg McBride talks about home equity loan rates and lines of credit.
0 min read Jul 22, 2010
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Home Equity Rates for June 3, 2010
Greg McBride discusses home equity loan rates, and why they’re declining.
0 min read Jun 03, 2010
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Emergency fund may calm home equity fears
Fears of rising rates keeping you up at night? Time to build a bigger emergency fund.
2 min read May 12, 2010
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Home equity loan refinance could be costly
Refinancing a home equity loan to a first mortgage will add a lot more in total interest expense.
1 min read Apr 22, 2010
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Credit card may beat home equity loan
Credit card debt may trump a home equity loan for a couple planning a home improvement project.
2 min read Jan 18, 2010
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Financial meltdown: home equity
The biggest home equity lesson of the financial crisis is that your home is not a piggy bank.
1 min read Sep 18, 2009
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4 steps to prevent a remodel gone wrong
A ‘bargain’ remodeling job can turn into a costly headache if you don’t follow these four steps.
5 min read Sep 02, 2009
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How do I … Choose a home equity loan or a HELOC?
Step by step guide to choosing between a home equity loan or a HELOC.
1 min read Aug 03, 2009
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Using a HELOC for a business?
A couple wonders if interest on a HELOC is tax deductible if the loan is used for an LLC.
2 min read Jul 30, 2009
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Know risks before tapping home equity
Using home equity to finance improvement projects makes sense in some situations, but not others.
1 min read May 01, 2009