Best Home Equity Loans
Home equity loans let you borrow against the equity you hold in your house. Compare our picks for the best home equity loans.
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If your home goes up in value, you make a large down payment, or you pay down your mortgage, you build equity in your home. Home equity is the difference between the value of your home and what’s owed on it.
Home equity loans allow you to borrow against the equity in your home, so you can access the cash tied up in your house. They often have lower interest rates compared to other types of debt because the loans are secured by your house.
Lenders have different interest rates, eligibility requirements, and loan repayment periods that you should consider. This guide will help you compare your options and learn more about how home equity loans work.
On this page:
- Current Average Low Home Equity Rate
- Best Home Equity Loan Reviews
- How to Find the Best Rates
- Learn More About Home Equity Loans
Current Average Lowest Home Equity Rate
| 5.11% | Based on the lowest rates of 6 lenders, as of September 21, 2022 |
5 Best Home Equity Loans
Below are reviews of our choices for the best home equity loans. You can click a link below to jump down to a lender’s review:
- Best Multi-Product Application: Spring EQ
- Best HELOC: Figure
- Best Marketplace: LendingTree
- Best Bank: Discover
- Best for Military Members: Navy Federal Credit Union
Spring EQ
Best Multi-Product Application
- Check your eligibility for a home equity loan and HELOC with one application
- Access up to 95% of your home’s equity
- Not available in AK, HI, ID, MA, MO, ND, NY, SD, WV, or WY
Spring EQ is an online lender that offers a home equity loan and line of credit. Interested homeowners can check their eligibility for each product through one application.
Some of the key features of a home equity loan from Spring EQ include the following:
- Rates (APR): Starting at 5.205%
- Loan limits: $25,000 to $500,000
- Loan repayment terms: 5 to 30 years
- Maximum loan-to-value: 95%
- Origination fee: $1,395
Figure
Best HELOC
- Redraw up to 100%, borrow up to $400K
- 100% digital app & online appraisal
- Check your rate without impacting your credit
Figure is an online lender offering home equity lines of credit for debt consolidation and financing new projects. Funding can be completed in as few as five days, making the lender one of the fastest home equity financing solutions available.
Homeowners can prequalify online and view their rates without any impact on their credit score. If you qualify, the lender will let you customize your terms to find a monthly payment that fits your budget.
Here are some important details:
- Rates (APR): 3.50% to 11.16%
- Loan limits: $15,000 to $400,000
- Repayment terms: 5, 10, 15, or 30 years
- Maximum combined loan-to-value: 95%
- Origination fee: Up to 4.99%
LendingTree
Best Marketplace
- Get customized offers from multiple lenders
- No application costs
- No hard credit check
LendingTree is an online loan marketplace allowing homeowners to submit an application and receive personalized offers from several partner lenders.
Some of the key things to know about LendingTree’s home equity loan marketplace include the following:
- Rates (APR): Varies
- Loan limits: Varies
- Loan repayment terms: Varies
- Maximum loan-to-value: Varies
- Origination fee: Varies
Discover
Best Bank
- No origination, appraisal, or closing costs
- Offers lower rates for first-lien loans
Discover makes home equity loans available to borrowers with credit scores of 620 or higher who have verifiable employment and income as well as sufficient home equity. Here are some of the key things that you should know about home equity loans from Discover.
- Rates (APR): Starting at 4.99%
- Loan limits: $35,000 to $150,000
- Loan repayment terms: 10 to 30 years
- Maximum loan-to-value: 95%
- Origination fee: None
Navy Federal Credit Union
Best for Military Members
- Borrow up to 100% of your home’s equity
- No application or origination fee
Navy Federal Credit Union provides home equity loans to credit union members. You must be a member of the military, a veteran, or a family member to qualify for a home equity loan with Navy Federal Credit Union.
Here are some of the key features to be aware of.
- Rates (APR): Starting at 5.75%
- Loan limits: $10,000 to $500,000
- Loan repayment terms: 5 to 20 years
- Maximum loan-to-value: 100%
- Origination fee: None
How to Find the Best Home Equity Loan Rates
When shopping for a home equity loan, you should always take steps to try to find the best interest rate possible. This will keep your costs down. Some tips to find the best rates include the following:
- Monitor changing interest rates: Interest rates can change over time, either because of economic conditions or because financial institutions change the special promotions they offer. Be sure to monitor trends in interest rates and see how rates change over time.
- Improve your credit before applying: Borrowers with high credit scores are offered loans at more favorable interest rates. Work to improve your credit score by paying down debt, paying bills on time, correcting mistakes on your credit report, and avoiding opening too many new types of credit before getting your home equity loan. (Find out how to qualify for a home equity loan with bad credit)
- Shop around: There’s often a lot of variation in rates from one lender to another. Compare rates from multiple lenders to find the best deal for your situation. Try to get at least three quotes, but look for lenders that do soft credit checks rather than putting a hard inquiry on your credit report. Too many hard inquiries could hurt your credit.
>> Read More: Home Equity Loan Requirements
Fixed vs. Variable Rates: Which is Better?
There’s no one right answer to whether you should opt for a fixed or variable rate home equity loan.
- Variable-rate loans are loans with the interest rate tied to a financial index. The rate usually starts below what a fixed-rate loan charges, but could go up or down over time. As the rate changes, your interest payments will change.
- Fixed-rate loans have the same rate over the life of the loan. While this may be higher than the starting rate on variable rate options, you don’t have to worry about it increasing over time. These loans provide stability and certainty as you’ll know the required monthly payments and other costs upfront.
If you think interest rates could go down in the future, you may opt for a variable rate loan—but you run the risk of your rate going up and payments potentially becoming unaffordable. Variable rate loans could also be a good option if you plan to sell your home soon after borrowing as you could benefit from the introductory low rate and sell before rates go up. However, if you aren’t able to sell the home, you could end up with unaffordable payments.
If you want certainty and to know your costs up front, a fixed rate loan is a safer option.
Home Equity Borrowing Limits
Most banks and lenders do not allow you to borrow 100% of the value of your home. Your combined loans against your home, including mortgages and home equity loans, typically can’t exceed 80% to 90% of the value of your home. This is known as your Loan-to-Value ratio (LTV).
To determine your current home value, banks will want a recent appraisal. You can then borrow a percentage of that market value. If your home appraises for $200,000 and you owe $140,000, the equity in your home is currently worth $60,000.
You can’t borrow the full $60,000, though. If you’re allowed to borrow up to 90% of your home’s value, your total combined loan balances can’t exceed $180,000 (90% of the home’s total value). Since you already owe $140,000, you could only borrow another $40,000.
Lenders may also have maximum or minimum loan balances for their home equity loans, which could limit the amount you’re allowed to borrow as well.
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