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Home equity estimator

Total equity is one number. Tappable equity — what a lender will actually let you borrow — is a different number. We calculate both.

Your home

Current market value$580,000

Mortgage balance$310,000

Lender cap

Max combined LTV85%

Most HELOC lenders cap you at 85% combined LTV. Investor-heavy lenders sometimes stretch to 90%; conservative banks stay at 80%.

Tappable equity

$183,000

Total equity $270,000 · capped at 85.0% CLTV · you can draw up to 31.6% of home value

Mortgage 53.4%Tappable 31.6%Cushion 15.0%

You qualify. At today's numbers, you can draw up to $183,000 — but don't max it. Leaving 15% headroom protects you from valuation swings.

Total equity

$270,000

Current LTV

53.4%

Max borrow (at cap)

$183,000

How we built this tool

How we size tappable equity

Step 1

Total equity = value − mortgage

Straight subtraction. This is the number on your net-worth statement, but not what you can actually borrow.

Step 2

Tappable = (value × max LTV) − mortgage

Lenders cap Combined Loan-to-Value at 80–90%. We subtract your existing mortgage from that ceiling — what's left is your HELOC or cash-out refi room.

Step 3

Leave 15% headroom

Max-out is a trap. If home values dip, an 85% CLTV HELOC can become 95% overnight. Lenders freeze lines at 100%+ CLTV.

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