Equity is the portion of your home you own outright, and you might need to know how to calculate it if you want to borrow money, sell your house or refinance the mortgage. The equation is simple: ...

Your home equity — the amount of your house that you own outright — can be a valuable resource. You can use your equity to renovate some rooms, pay off credit cards, cover college tuition, start your ...

Equity can be used to describe the value of assets minus the debt associated with them. Equity is commonly used in several different circumstances – home equity, shareholder equity and brand equity.

Matt Richardson is the senior managing editor for the Managing Your Money section for CBSNews.com. He writes and edits content about personal finance ranging from savings to investing to insurance.

Vice President of Growth & Engagement at CBS News and Stations Jennifer Earl is the Vice President of Growth & Engagement at CBS News and Stations. Jennifer has previously written for outlets ...

To calculate your home's equity, subtract the balance on all debts secured by your home – including your primary mortgage and any secondary loans – from your property's current appraised value. The ...

Home equity is the portion of a house that the homeowner holds outright — the difference between the house's value and the total amount they owe on the home. As their equity increases, homeowners can ...

Sarah Sharkey is a personal finance writer who enjoys diving into the details to help readers make savvy financial decisions. She lives in Florida with her husband and dogs. When she’s not writing, ...

With home prices near all-time highs, many homeowners have built up large amounts of equity. According to an analysis from the National Association of Realtors (NAR), homeowners "build a net worth ...