Whether you choose to count it is up to you, but there is smart way to think of it. You shouldn’t count on your home as a source of readily available money. Are you ahead, or behind on retirement?

Knowing how to calculate home equity gives homeowners a way to understand their home’s worth — and potentially liquidate it for their needs or wants. Your home equity is basically your home’s market ...

Yes, you can. But the more relevant question is: Should you hock one house to buy another?

“Your equity grows as you make mortgage payments, thereby reducing the mortgage balance, and as your home’s market value climbs due to factors like home improvements made or neighborhood enhancements ...

Jake Safane has nearly 15 years of journalism and marketing experience on topics ranging from local entrepreneurship to international banking. He has written for publications such as The Economist, LA ...