On a loan this size, half a point is real money.
This is the highest-demand category on zipBuilder, and the one where comparison shopping pays most literally: on a $100,000 home equity loan, a half-point rate difference is thousands of dollars over the term. Coverage spans home equity loans, HELOCs, cash-out refinancing, second mortgages and options for imperfect credit.
The instruments differ more than the marketing suggests. A home equity loan is a fixed lump sum with a fixed payment; a HELOC is a variable-rate line you draw as needed, which fits phased projects; a cash-out refinance replaces your whole mortgage and only makes sense when the new rate stands on its own.
Tell us roughly what your home is worth, what you owe and what the money is for. Competing lenders respond with rates and terms you can put side by side, and the funded project lands in your My Home record next to the quotes it paid for.
What does it cost?
For loans, the cost that matters is rate plus closing costs. Published averages put home equity loan closing costs at 2 to 5 percent of the amount borrowed; many HELOCs run lower. Our typical-value figure represents transaction costs, not the loan amount.
Ballparks based on commonly published national averages, stated as assumptions, not measured local pricing. Your competing quotes set the real number for your home and ZIP.
Popular Home Equity Loans services
The services and searches homeowners bring to this category most, straight from our demand data.
Understand your borrowing options
Plain-English guides to home equity and refinancing, built from the same demand data as this page. Educational only, not financial advice.
HELOC vs Home Equity Loan
Lump sum or credit line: how each works and which fits which project.
Read the guideHome Equity Loan Rates
What actually moves your rate, fixed vs variable, and how to compare offers.
Read the guideMortgage Refinancing
Rate-and-term vs cash-out, closing costs and the break-even math.
Read the guideSecond Mortgages
How second liens work, where they fit and what they cost.
Read the guideEquity for Remodeling
Using a HELOC or loan to fund a kitchen, bath, roof or addition.
Read the guideHow Much Can You Borrow
The LTV math lenders run, with worked examples you can copy.
Read the guideEquity With Imperfect Credit
Options, trade-offs and red flags when your credit score is bruised.
Read the guideTop providers near you
A preview of how vetted providers will appear. These are placeholder cards, not real businesses.
Foundation Home Lending
Ridgeline Mortgage Group
Homestead Equity Partners
Sample data ... provider roster integration pending (state licensing boards). Rendered from data/providers.json.
How zipBuilder works for home equity loans
Tell us the project
Enter your ZIP and describe the job in plain language. Size does not matter, detail does.
Local pros compete
Your brief goes to licensed pros who actually work your ZIP code. Up to four respond with quotes and availability.
You pick with confidence
Compare the responses side by side, check reviews, and share your contact details only with the pros you choose.
Home Equity Loans questions, answered straight
Home equity loan or HELOC?
A loan fits one-time known costs: fixed rate, fixed payment, done. A HELOC fits phased or uncertain costs: draw what you need, pay interest only on what you use, accept the variable rate. Many homeowners hold a HELOC as standby liquidity.
How much equity can I borrow?
Most lenders cap combined borrowing at 80 to 85 percent of home value. If your home is worth $400,000 with a $250,000 mortgage, roughly $70,000 to $90,000 is accessible. Appraisal and income verification set the final number.
What credit score do I need?
Best pricing typically starts around 740. Approvals commonly reach down to 620 to 680 at higher rates. Because cutoffs vary by lender, comparing several offers matters even more with mid-range credit.
Are there closing costs?
Home equity loans commonly run 2 to 5 percent of the loan amount; many HELOCs advertise low or no closing costs with rate tradeoffs. Compare APR and total cost over your expected payoff period, not the teaser.
Is borrowing against the house for renovation smart?
For value-holding projects (kitchens, baths, roofs) at sane loan-to-value, it is one of the cheaper ways to borrow. The house is collateral, so the payment has to work even if plans change. Compare offers, then borrow the project number, not the maximum.
Get Home Equity Loans quotes in your ZIP
Free for homeowners. No obligation. Up to four local pros compete.
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