A home equity loan is a type of loan in which the borrower uses the equity in their home as collateral. Home equity loans are often used to finance major expenses such as home repairs, medical bills or college education. A home equity loan creates a lien against the borrower's house, and reduces actual home equity.

Home equity loans come in two types: home equity term, which is a fixed term, and home equity line of credit which is variable.^{[citation needed]}

Most home equity loans require good to excellent credit history, and reasonable loan-to-value and combined loan-to-value ratios. Home equity loans come in two types: closed endHET and open endHELOC. Both are usually referred to as second mortgages, because they are secured against the value of the property, just like a traditional mortgage. Home equity loans and lines of credit are usually, but not always, for a shorter term than first mortgages. Home equity loan can be used as a person's main mortgage in place of a tradition mortgage, however you can not purchase a home using a home equity loan, you can only use a home equity loan to refinance. In the United States, in most cases it is possible to deduct home equity loan interest on one's personal income taxes.

An equity loan is a mortgage loan in which the borrower receives cash. Typically the loan is secured by real estate already owned outright.

For example, if a person owns a home worth $100,000, but does not currently have a mortgage on it, they may take an equity loan at 80% loan to value (LTV) or $80,000 in cash in exchange for a mortgage on the title.

Many lending institutions require the borrower to repay only an interest component of the loan each month (calculated daily, and compounded to the loan once each month). The borrower can apply any surplus funds to the outstanding loan principal at any time, reducing the amount of interest calculated from that day onward. Some loan products also allow the possibility to redraw cash up to the original LTV, potentially perpetuating the life of the loan beyond the original loan term.

The interest rate applied to equity loans is much lower than that applied to unsecured loans, such as credit card debt. The reasoning behind this is that equity loans involve collateral, and credit card debt does not.

Home equity is the market value of a homeowner's unencumbered interest in their real property—that is, the difference between the home's fair market value and the outstanding balance of all liens on the property. The property's equity increases as the debtor makes payments against the mortgage balance, and/or as the property value appreciates. In economics, home equity is sometimes called real property value.

Technically, home equity has a zero rate of return and is not liquid. Home equity management refers to the process of using equity extraction via loans—at favorable, and often tax-favored, interest rates—to invest otherwise illiquid equity in a target that offers higher returns.

Home owners acquire equity in their home from two sources. They purchase equity with their down payment, and the principal portion of any payments they make against their mortgage. They also benefit from a gain in equity when the value of the property increases. Investors typically look to purchase properties that will grow in value, causing the equity in the property to increase, thus providing a return on their investment when the property is sold.