Housing Market

Both products let you borrow against your home equity. Both put your home on the line if payments stop. But the risks they carry...

American homeowners are sitting on record levels of equity. Most of them will manage it wisely. A significant number will make one of five...

For many homeowners, the biggest financial focus has traditionally been the mortgage. But increasingly, another cost is changing the economics of homeownership: Insurance. Property insurance premiums have...

For years, homeowners were encouraged to optimize everything. Refinance aggressively.Pay down mortgages early.Maximize equity.Leverage low rates. The logic was straightforward: The more efficiently you structure your housing...

On paper, it looks like an obvious opportunity. Home values have risen.Equity levels are historically high.Access tools like HELOCs and cash out refinancing still exist. So...

It usually doesn’t feel that way at first. You tap a little equity to handle a big expense.Maybe you refinance to lower your rate and...