


Let’s take a look at six ways that people can use their home equity for investments, and whether you should consider doing the same.Īt some point in your career, you may decide that you could benefit from additional education. If you use your available credit, you’ll need to repay the balance and interest charges then, you can spend up to your credit limit again.Ħ ways to use home equity for investments You’re given a borrowing limit, which you can choose to spend or not, and an interest rate that’s often variable. This allows you to use it whenever you need the funds.Ī HELOC acts sort of like a credit card. It differs from a home equity loan or cash-out refinance, though, in that this line of credit remains open and available during a set draw period. Lastly, there’s the home equity line of credit (HELOC), another type of second mortgage that’s secured by your home. Loan terms generally range from five to 30 years in length, and you may be offered lower interest rates with a home equity loan than you would find with, say, an unsecured personal loan.Īs with a cash-out refi, you’re likely to pay closing costs when taking out a home equity loan.

With a home equity loan, you’ll receive a lump sum payment, which is repaid in monthly installments. This type of loan is secured by your home’s equity and is similar to a mortgage loan against the property - and it often comes with similar requirements, like a home appraisal. Home equity loanĪnother option for tapping equity is through a home equity loan, which is sometimes known as a second mortgage. Keep in mind a cash-out refinance usually involves closing costs, and will increase your overall debt burden. You could use a cash-out refi to take out a $240,000 loan (your current $180,000 mortgage loan balance, plus $60,000 in equity) and begin making monthly payments on the new loan. In the example above, a cash-out refinance could be used to pull up to $60,000 in equity from your home.
