Real estate investors borrow significantly more via HELOCs than homeowners

An analysis of Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) data reveals that real estate investors utilize home equity lines of credit (HELOCs) significantly differently than owner-occupants. According to data from the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC) and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), investment property HELOCs are substantially larger in scale than those used for primary residences.

In 2025, lenders originated 27,183 HELOCs on investment properties, totaling $10.4 billion. The average credit line for these investment properties was $384,000, compared to an average of $146,000 for owner-occupied properties. This gap has remained consistent since 2022, with investment-property line sizes never falling below 1.8 times the owner-occupied average.

While these loans represent a relatively small portion of the total market—approximately 2.27% of HELOC originations in 2025—both the number of loans and their average size reached four-year highs during that year.