When you already have a loan taken out on your home, but the value of your home has since increased albeit from modifications to the home or even due to the local demand of homes in your area, the difference between what you owe and what your home is worth is known as the home's equity and you can take a loan out using this extra value as the collateral for the loan.

Home equity loans are a great way of updating your home to make it more valuable or even to make a big purchase that you have been wanting. You can use this type of loan to purchase a car, boat or even a second smaller vacation style home.

In most cases you have heard the term second or third mortgage and what these are, are additional loans taken out using the home's equity as collateral. Furthermore, you do not have to already have an outstanding loan in order to take out an equity loan, you can own the home in full because all that equity is, is the difference between any debts and its value.

When you take out a home mortgage, you are using the home as collateral, but you are not giving the home to the lender up front like most secured loans, but rather a representative for the lender will come to the final signing for the purchase of your home and trade the deed for the money. The lender though will only give you enough based on the property's value and unless you are buying a home that is selling at 50% of its value, chances are that you will not receive any cash.

On the other hand, if you own your house in full and use it to take out a home equity loan, then you get the money in cash to spend how you see fit. You give the lender the deed to the home and the only way to get it back is by paying off the loan. Let's say that you own your house in full, and although it is valued pretty high, you need to make some changes and additions to really get the most out of the home. In this case you will need to take out a home equity loan which comes in the form of cash and can be used to increase the value of the home. It does not matter if you are planning on selling the home after these improvement or continue to live in it, the point is that you are able to improve your home through the use of a home equity loan.