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

Property deriving at least 75% of the income from personal residences. ...

Funds that are retained in an account until a certain event occurs. For example, a downpayment on a contract held until full payment is received whereupon the holding funds are credited to ...

Same as term closing: legal process of transferring a piece of real estate to a buyer. Typically it occurs in the office of the lender, attorney, or an escrow company. ...

When we think of rural property or rural real estate, most of us think of farms, properties with large areas designated to agricultural land. That’s how rural communities generally ...

A right or interest in property held by a third party, which often limits the use and diminishes the value of the property, but usually does not prevent the transferring of title. The more ...

What is reconciliation in real estate? Both aspiring appraisers and wannabe real estate agents know the definition of reconciliation in real estate. In appraisal, it refers to the process ...

Commonly, a covenant refers to a legal treaty or agreement between various parties. Explicitly, a stipulation comes into existence and is signed to confine particular financial transactions ...

Process determining an individual's financial ability to meet the terms of a loan. When selling real estate, the sales broker must qualify the buyer to make certain he/ she has the ...

Any gain or loss from selling of capital assets. The gain or loss is the difference between the net selling price and cost basis. The two types of capital gains or losses for tax purposes ...

Popular Real Estate Questions