By Diana Olick | CNBC
Home values are rising and homeowners are taking advantage of that, finally tapping into that equity again in the form of cash-out mortgage refinances. They are doing so, however, by pulling the most conservative amounts in history.
Prior to the historic housing crash of the last decade, homeowners used their homes like ATMs, pulling out as much cash as the bank would allow, which at the time was essentially all of it and more. This led to millions of borrowers falling underwater on their home loans as home prices fell, and leading to 7.1 million homes so far ending up in foreclosure, according to Black Knight Financial Services.
