Home equity loans and home equity lines of credit (HELOCs) allow homeowners to tap into the value of their homes. A home equity loan is a fixed-rate, lump-sum loan that allows homeowners to borrow up to 85% of their home’s value and pay that amount back in monthly installments.

At today’s average HELOC rate of 8.88%, which assumes an 80% LTV, borrowing $100,000 on a 10-year repayment term equates to a $1,260.43 monthly payment. (Our calculation accounts for a 10-year draw period with interest-only payments.)

A borrowing product with a variable interest rate can be risky in an environment in which interest rates are volatile or on an upward trend. And that's been the case for much of the last two years as a spike in inflation led to a series of hikes to the federal funds rate.