Question

Julie bought a house for $315,000 and has a $285,000 mortgage. She claims she has $315,000 in equity. Is she correct? If not, how much home equity does she have? Explain.

Answer 1

No, she is not correct. She has only $30,000 in home equity. Equity is the value of ownership in an asset minus any debts owed on it. $315,000 minus $285,000 is $30,000.

Answer 2

In simple terms, the word "mortgage" is an account payable in which your house is the collateral. The asset acquired for the house is $315,000 but this value should be subtracted with the mortgage amount, $285,000 to calculate for the equity. 
                         equity = $315,000 - $285,000 
                                   = $30,000
Thus, the home equity Julie has is only $30,000.