What happens when your equity is negative?

Asked by: Shaylee Ortiz Jr.  |  Last update: November 21, 2025
Score: 4.4/5 (47 votes)

A person who has negative equity is said to have a negative net worth, which essentially means that the person's liabilities exceed the assets he owns. A common example of people who have a negative net worth are students with an education line of credit.

Is negative equity a good thing?

Negative equity can wipe out your net worth in the blink of an eye, through no fault of your own. When the value of your house falls, it's your equity that disappears. Your mortgage lender will still want all their money back, even if it's now more than your house is worth.

What happens when you have negative equity?

Because you're not paying off your mortgage amount, you don't build equity in your property, so a fall in property prices could put you at risk. Negative equity can mean selling your home for less than the value of the mortgage you took out to buy it.

Is there a way to get out of negative equity?

Refinancing the loan or selling the vehicle are two of the most commonly used ways to deal with negative equity. You may also consider trading in your vehicle for a different car, though that can lead to additional auto loan debt if you're rolling the original loan balance over.

Does negative equity hurt your credit?

Consumers who financed negative equity had lower average credit scores, lower average household income, and longer average loan terms, and were more likely to have a co-borrower than consumers with no trade-in or a positive equity trade-in.

What is Negative Equity? How Does it Affect You?

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Will a dealership pay off negative equity?

Oftentimes, the dealership will finance the negative equity into your new loan. This decision can cost you even more when you consider the interest charges on the additional amount financed and the fact it will contribute to you being underwater on your new car too!

How much negative equity is too much to roll over?

How Much Negative Equity Is Too Much on a Car? The maximum negative equity that can be transferred to your new car is around 125% . It means your loan value should not be more than 125% of your car's actual worth. If it is more than 125% then your next car's loan would not be approved.

Will gap insurance cover negative equity?

Does GAP insurance cover negative equity? Yes. Negative equity (aka an upside-down loan) is another term for the gap between what you owe on your auto loan and the car's actual value. GAP insurance covers the difference between the two.

Can you take out equity to pay off debt?

By taking out a home equity loan, you can use the funds to pay off all your credit card balances at once. This allows you to consolidate multiple debts into a single loan with a potentially much lower interest rate and a more manageable monthly payment.

How long does a repo stay on your credit?

A repossession stays on your credit report for seven years, starting from the first missed debt payment that led to the repossession. In the credit world, a repo is considered a derogatory mark.

What happens when equity is negative?

A company with negative equity has more liabilities than assets but can still pay its bills as they come due. Insolvency occurs when a company can't pay its bills on time. The company may be forced to liquidate its assets and go out of business.

Can I refinance with negative equity?

You'd need to pay off your negative equity before you qualify for a refinance loan. You may also find it challenging to sell your home. When you sell your home, you typically use the sale proceeds to pay off your existing mortgage.

Can I sell my house with negative equity?

If you have to sell a home with negative equity, you would lose money on the deal. “If you have negative equity, you will have to bring money to the closing to pay off the mortgage (when you sell your home),” says Jay Zigmont, a certified financial planner and founder of Childfree Wealth.

Is negative equity just debt?

And accidents, repairs, or other damage can further reduce its value. So, if you borrowed money to buy a car, it's possible you owe more on your car loan than the car is worth. When that happens, you have “negative equity” in the car.

How to sell a house when you owe more than it's worth?

When a homeowner owes more on their mortgage loan than the home is worth, a sale of the home cannot generate enough money to pay off the mortgage. In such a situation, lenders allow the homeowner to sell the home without having to pay the mortgage in full. This is known as a short sale.

Can I refinance if my home value has dropped?

Yes, it is possible to refinance your home even if its value has dropped.

Can I release equity to clear my mortgage?

Equity release provides an option to pay off your existing mortgage by converting part of your home's value into accessible funds, either as a lump sum or in regular payments.

Can you convert equity to debt?

In the case of an equity-for-debt swap, all specified shareholders are given the right to exchange their stock for a predetermined amount of debt in the same company. Bonds are usually the type of debt that is offered.

Can you pull money out of equity without refinancing?

Yes, there are options other than refinancing to get equity out of your home. These include home equity loans, home equity lines of credit (HELOCs), reverse mortgages, sale-leaseback agreements, and Home Equity Investments.

How much will gap insurance pay?

When your loan amount is more than your vehicle is worth, gap insurance coverage pays the difference. For example, if you owe $25,000 on your loan and your car is only worth $20,000, your gap coverage covers the $5,000 gap, minus your deductible.

Will a dealership buy my car if I have negative equity?

The dealer has no responsibility to take your car simply because you are financial moron and owe more than it is worth. Most likely, the dealer has no ties to your loan. That being said, if they see some value in your car and actually want it, they may make an offer, but you will still owe what you owe.

Is leasing a car a good way to get rid of negative equity?

A common way to get out of negative equity is to trade in your current vehicle for a leased vehicle. This not only gets you out of the red on your investment, but it also helps rebuild credit as you make manageable monthly payments.

Can I sell my car back to the dealership if I still owe?

Note: If you're selling a car with an active loan, you're still the one responsible for paying it off, so the remaining balance on the loan will likely be subtracted from the price the dealer offers you. So if you owe more than what the dealer offers, you'll need to pay the difference to the lienholder.

How much negative equity do banks allow?

With average credit you may be capped at 120%, with good credit I have banks that will go to 140% of retail. And yes, it will affect the rate. The more negative equity you have will mean a higher risk for the bank, and risk is how they determine rates.

Can I lease a car if I still owe on my loan?

A dealer may allow you to trade in a financed car for a lease, but you'll still be responsible for the amount you owe on your current car's loan.