HELOC guides

Plain answers about borrowing against your home's equity.

• How much can I borrow?

  A quick estimate from your home's value, what you owe, and your state's cap.

• Using a HELOC to buy your next home before you sell

  How people use the equity in their current home toward the next one, and why timing matters.

• California HELOC requirements

  What lenders look at for a home equity line of credit in California, and how the amount is worked out.

• HELOC vs cash-out refinance

  How a home equity line differs from a cash-out refinance, side by side.

• HELOC vs home equity loan: which fits me?

  How a home equity line of credit and a home equity loan differ, side by side, with the CFPB's own descriptions.

• How a HELOC works, from first questions to closing

  The steps from your first questions to closing, and who does what.

• Can I keep my low first-mortgage rate and still use my equity?

  How to borrow against your home without giving up the rate on the mortgage you have now.

• Can I get a HELOC on a paid-off house?

  What owning your home outright means for a home equity line, what lenders still review, and what to ask before you apply.

• Texas HELOC rules

  How a home equity line of credit works in Texas, including the limit on how much of your home's value you can borrow against.

• What is a HELOC and how does it work?

  A home equity line of credit in plain words, what happens to your mortgage, and the two stages of the line.