How much equity can you access from your home? And what's the best way to access it? It's no secret home values have hit record highs. In fact, the Wall Street Journal says that tappable home equity rose to over $11 Trillion in the first quarter of 2022 alone.
Is a HELOC right for you?
A HELOC (home equity line of credit) loan is a home equity line of credit that enables you to tap into your home’s equity. While it may have an interest rate similar to a home equity loan, a HELOC offers access to your home's equity in the form of a revolving line of credit (while a home equity loan offers a one-time lump sum).
What they have in common is that they allow you to borrow against your available home equity with your property as collateral.
With the HELOC, you have the flexibility to withdraw funds from the overall amount when and as you need them, and only pay interest and pay back the funds you draw upon. And the sooner you pay your HELOC back, the less interest you’ll pay — similar to a credit card.
Many homeowners love HELOCs because it allows them to access their home’s equity without touching their low first mortgage rate.
That’s because a HELOC is considered a second mortgage and will have its own term and repayment schedule, separate from your first mortgage.
A HELOC also beats personal loans because it can often offer:
- Lower interest rates
- Larger loan amounts
- The flexibility to only pay interest on what you borrow
- A tax-deductible option if you’re using the funds for home improvements
How much cash can you access? To see an estimate of how much cash you may be able to access, simply take a minute to visit our equity insights calculator and see.
And whether you want to access your home's equity to pay off high-rate debt, cover home improvements or anything else, we can help you find the solution that works best for you.