Definition of "Equity Appreciation "

Lydia Spink real estate agent

Written by

Lydia Spinkelite badge icon

United County Talking Rock Realty

The American Dream has cemented the role of homeownership into the collective conscience of the US population. Homeownership provides a place for families to stay that is their own, as well as the means to build equity. Before we get into analyzing what equity appreciation is, let’s first understand what equity is.

Equity or home equity is the difference between your home’s worth and the value you own on your mortgage. For example, a house bought for $300,000 with a $30,000 down payment, leaving $270,000 in the loan amount. To determine your home equity, you have to subtract the outstanding balance from the price paid for the home. When you buy the home, your equity is $30,000, and this grows with each mortgage payment. When you pay off your whole mortgage, your equity is 100%.

What is Equity Appreciation?

Equity appreciation results from home equity that increases due to appreciation. This is one of the two ways through which anyone can build their equity. The first method is mentioned above, by paying off your mortgage, but the second one deals with the market value of your home.

It is highly unlikely that your home value will remain the same after you purchase it. This value can go up and down, but the national average when it comes to property appreciation is 3%. Because of this, once you purchase a home, if it’s well maintained and prices in the neighborhood are appreciating, your home equity will also appreciate. Meaning that while your home equity grows from $30,000 with every monthly mortgage payment, it can also grow because of home appreciation. So, based on the example above, a $300,000 home that appreciates by 3% annually will have an increased home value of $403,000 (rounded up) in ten years.

Through equity appreciation, you can reach financial stability. However, there is no way to ensure your home equity will appreciate, but a market analysis can help as some areas appreciate faster than others. Economic conditions can also lead to property depreciation, but if you don’t maintain your home, this can also be a result.

image of a real estate dictionary page

Have a question or comment?

We're here to help.

*** Your email address will remain confidential.
 

 

Popular Real Estate Terms

Failure or refusal to perform a specified action. The failure to fulfill contractually agreed upon terms or actions. Nonperformance creates a liability which can enable a judicial damage ...

Legal instrument permitting one to grant others general or specific powers for administering their finances. ...

The meaning of a development impact fee or impact fee defines a one-time cost the local government imposes on a brand new or planned development project (regularly on a property developer.) ...

Warm air heating system where ducts are located in the concrete slab of a building constructed without a basement. As the name implies, a perimeter heating system is located around the ...

Everyone is aware of the perplexing complexities of a real estate transaction. Enter Opendoor, a company that aims to simplify this experience. If you're a house hunter, seller, real estate ...

House that can be bought at a low price because it is in poor condition. A buyer who is handy may find it attractive because he can personally make the needed repairs without hiring others. ...

(1) Methods that involve discounting the future cash flows generated by an income property. These techniques are used primarily for valuation. (2) Methods of selecting and ranking ...

A method widely used for evaluating real estate projects. Under the net present value method, the present value (PV) of all cash inflows from the project is compared against the initial ...

Metal or wood channel attached immediately below or along the eaves of a building for the purpose of channeling rainwater away from the structure. The gutter prevents rain runoff from ...

Popular Real Estate Questions