How savvy real estate investors are using HELOCs to buy rental properties and build wealth

Mark, who prefers not to share his last name, retired early, thanks to his real estate investments. Courtesy of Mazske Finance Homeowners are using home equity lines of credit, or HELOCs, to buy investment properties. A HELOC lets a homeowner borrow against the equity in their property. It works like a credit card, allowing you to borrow money as needed up to a set limit and pay it back. Mark didn't have a six-figure salary when he started investing in real estate. The Florida-based former police officer, who prefers not to share his last name for privacy reasons, said he never earned more than $52,000 a year. Still, he built a 25-unit real-estate portfolio in less than five years and retired from his day job at 50. One tool that helped him get started was something he already had: equity in his home.