How Much Equity Do You Need for a HELOC?

You probably already know that a home equity line of credit (HELOC) may be one of the smartest ways to fund significant home repairs, pay for education costs or consolidate outstanding high-interest debt into a single loan at a lower interest rate. But how much home equity do you need for a HELOC?

In this post, we’ll explore how home equity is accrued and what that means for your eligibility to open a HELOC.

How Much Equity Do You Need for a HELOC?

In This Article

Home Equity Explained

There are two primary ways home equity is established:

The value of your home increases.
By making your monthly mortgage payments.

Here’s an example of what this might look like in real terms:

Let’s say you bought your home for $225,000, 10 years ago. Since then, you’ve made 120 monthly mortgage payments (12 per year for 10 years), with an average of $400 applied to the principal balance of your mortgage loan each month. That’s $48,000 you paid toward the principal, which will have reduced your outstanding mortgage balance to $177,000.

During the same 10-year period, you’ve seen the value of real estate rise in your area. Let’s assume your home is now worth $275,000, an increase of $50,000.

$275,000 – $177,000 = $98,000

Together with the mortgage payments you made, you would have established a $98,000 equity stake in your home. You may be eligible to access some of this amount through a HELOC.

Use our home equity calculator to see how much home equity can you tap into.

Now you’re likely asking, “How much equity do I need for a HELOC?”

Do I Qualify for a HELOC?

The requirements to be approved for a home equity line of credit differ from lender to lender. Generally speaking, you will need to have a certain percentage of equity established, a good credit score, stable income, a history of on-time payments, and a sufficiently low debt-to-income ratio.

Before proceeding with a home equity line of credit, it’s important to understand that this is a secured loan. A HELOC will use your home as collateral, meaning that if you draw money from the line of credit and become unable to make the payments, you could be at risk of losing your home. In other words, be sure you can make the payments.

How Much Equity Is Needed For a HELOC?

Most lenders require that you have at least a 15 to 20 percent equity stake in your home. This is calculated by finding your loan-to-value ratio (LTV). The math is simple. Just divide your current mortgage loan balance by the appraised current value of your home. Using the previous example, a $177,000 balance on a home now valued at $275,000 equates to an LTV of 64%, which means you would have a 36% equity in your home.

How Much Equity Can I Borrow?

With a HELOC through Prosper, you will be able to borrow up to 80–85% of your home’s current value, less the remaining balance on your mortgage. Using the same figures from above:

$275,000 (home value) x 85% = $233,750
$233,750 (85% of your home value) – $177,000 (remaining mortgage balance) = $56,750 (amount you may be eligible to borrow through a HELOC)

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT PROCEDURES FOR OPENING A NEW ACCOUNT.

To help the government fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering activities, Federal law requires all financial institutions to obtain, verify, and record information that identifies each person who opens an account.

What this means for you: When you open an account, we will ask for your name, address, date of birth, and other information that will allow us to identify you. We may also ask to see your driver’s license or other identifying documents.

Eligibility for a home equity loan or HELOC up to $500,000 depends on the information provided in the home equity application. Loans above $250,000 require an in-home appraisal and title insurance. For HELOCs borrowers must take an initial draw of $50,000 at closing. Subsequent HELOC draws are prohibited during the first 90 days following closing. After the first 90 days following closing, subsequent HELOC draws must be $1,000 or more (not applicable in Texas).

The time it takes to get cash is measured from the time the Lending Partner receives all documents requested from the applicant and assumes the applicant’s stated income, property and title information provided in the loan application matches the requested documents and any supporting information. Spring EQ borrowers get their cash on average in 26 days. The time period calculation to get cash is based on the first 6 months of 2022 loan fundings, assumes the funds are wired, excludes weekends, and excludes the government-mandated disclosure waiting period. The amount of time it takes to get cash will vary depending on the applicant’s respective financial circumstances and the Lending Partner’s current volume of applications.

Spring EQ cannot use a borrower’s home equity funds to pay (in part or in full) Spring EQ non-homestead debt at account opening. For HELOCs in Texas, the minimum draw amount is $4,000. To access HELOC funds, borrower must request convenience checks.

Interest rates may be adjusted based on factors related to the applicant’s credit profile, income and debt ratios, the presence of existing liens against and the location of the subject property, the occupancy status of the subject property, as well as the initial draw amount taken at the time of closing. Speak to a Prosper Agent for details.

Qualified applicants may borrow up to 95% of their primary home’s value (not applicable in Texas) and up to 90% of the value of a second home. Home equity loan applicants may borrow up to 85% of the value of an investment property (not applicable for HELOCs).

All home equity products are underwritten and issued by Spring EQ, LLC, an Equal Housing Lender. NMLS #1464945.

Prosper Marketplace NMLS Prosper Marketplace, Inc. NMLS# 111473

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