Homeowners tapped $47 billion in equity in the first quarter. What to consider before you borrow

Westend61 | Westend61 | Getty Images Even as home price growth has slowed , the housing boom during the first half of the 2020s means many owners are sitting on substantial equity — and they appear willing to use it. Homeowners tapped an estimated $47 billion in equity — the difference between their mortgage balance and the property's market value — during the first three months of 2026, according to a new report from Intercontinental Exchange, a financial markets technology and data company. While down from $49 billion in the final quarter of 2025, the figure marks the highest first-quarter withdrawal figure since 2021. Home equity lines of credit, or HELOCs, and home equity loans accounted for 54% of withdrawals in the quarter, and the remainder came from cash-out mortgage refinancing, the report shows. Nearly two-thirds of those second-lien borrowers have mortgages that were originated between 2020 and 2022, when average rates were in the 3% to 4% range.