Soaring real estate values mean many homeowners are awash in equity—the difference between what they owe and what their homes are worth. The average-priced home is up 42 percent since the start of the pandemic, and the average homeowner with a mortgage can now tap over $207,000 in equity, according to Black Knight Inc., a mortgage and real estate data analysis company.
Spending that wealth can be tempting. Proceeds from home equity loans or lines of credit can fund home improvements, college tuition, debt consolidation, new cars, vacations—whatever the borrower wants.
