What is Home Equity and What Can I do with it?

What Is Home Equity and How Does It Work?

Your equity is the difference between what you owe on your home and what it’s worth. It can increase over time if your property value increases and your mortgage loan balance decreases. This process will strengthen your equity position.

Home equity is typically one of the most valuable assets for a homeowner and can be used in many ways, which is why it’s important to understand how it works and how to use it.

Building home equity can be treated as a long-term strategy for building wealth. Making mortgage payments reduce what you owe while your home gains value over time. Paying off your home is often called “a forced savings account” because these monthly payments are required.

This is unlike most other assets purchased with a loan, such as cars, which lose value while you pay them off.

What Can I Do with It?

There are many things you can do with this built-up equity.

If you decide to sell the property, you can take that equity and use it as a down payment for your next home.

You may also decide to stay where you are and utilize that equity for your own purposes. Common ways homeowners will typically use their equity include:

• • Making home improvements

    Besides making a home more comfortable for you and your family to enjoy, upgrades to your property could increase the home’s value and draw more interest from buyers if you decide to sell it later on.

  • Pay off or consolidate higher-interest debts

    A home equity loan can be used to pay off your high-interest debts to a lower interest rate. Homeowners sometimes use their equity to pay off other personal debts such as car loans and credit cards.

  • Invest the money

    Some homeowners will choose to invest their equity in real estate by buying investment properties.

  How Can I access My Equity?

  Your lender can help you take out a home equity loan.

  OptionWide.com offers various loan programs for borrowers to access their equity. Give Us a Call Today (877) 342-0181 or Apply Now to receive a free consultation!