Georgia HELOC Rates and Rules 2026: Intangible Tax

HELOC rates in Georgia right now

Most HELOCs have a variable rate based on the prime rate plus a margin set by the lender. Your margin depends mostly on your credit and how much of your home's value you borrow.

In 2025, the median HELOC in Georgia opened at 7.75%, and half opened between 6.99% and 9.00%, across 23,970 lines reported under federal HMDA data. The national median was 7.50%. Leaving out lines with a 3 to 12 month introductory rate, the Georgia median was 8.00%. Home equity loans in Georgia, which usually have a fixed rate, closed at a median of 8.93%. HELOC rates in every state.

Prime rate, unchanged since September 17, 2026 (Federal Reserve): 7.00%
Median Georgia HELOC rate at opening, 2025 (HMDA): 7.75%
Average 30-year fixed mortgage rate, week of October 29, 2026 (Freddie Mac): 7.24%

The Federal Reserve raised rates on September 16, 2026, which moved prime to 7.00%. Its October 27 and 28 meeting is more recent than the prime rate data shown here, which runs through October 27, 2026. Its next meeting is December 8 and 9. With 30-year mortgage rates above 7%, a HELOC lets you borrow against your equity without refinancing a lower rate you already have.

How much can you borrow in Georgia?

Georgia law doesn't cap home equity borrowing the way Texas does. Each lender sets its own limit on all the loans on your home combined, your current mortgage plus the new line.

The credit limit matters twice in Georgia: it caps what you can draw, and it is the amount the state taxes when the line is recorded (see the rules below).

Home value ×80% −what you owe now =a likely maximum line

Example

Home value (the Georgia median for owner-occupied homes): $343,300
80% of value (a common lender limit, not a Georgia law): $274,640
Current mortgage balance: $180,000
Maximum line of credit: $94,640

Example only. Lenders set their own limits and the final amount after an appraisal, and many approve less than the maximum based on credit and income. The Georgia intangible tax on a $94,640 line would be $285.

Run your own numbers in our home equity calculator

Georgia home prices rose about 136% from 2014 to 2025

On the FHFA House Price Index, Georgia home prices rose 136% from 2014 to 2025, with the biggest jumps in 2021 (+17.9%) and 2022 (+17.3%). Growth has slowed since: prices rose 1.6% in 2025 and 1.90% in the year to mid-2026, 33rd of the 50 states and DC. Owners who bought before 2021 have seen the biggest gains.

Source: FHFA House Price Index, Georgia, purchase-only, through 2026 Q2.

Chart data as a table

Georgia House Price Index, annual average (1991 = 100)
Year	Index (1991 = 100)
2014	178.92
2015	190.29
2016	202.33
2017	216.14
2018	232.89
2019	246.91
2020	268.68
2021	316.71
2022	371.65
2023	393.34
2024	415.10
2025	421.77

The Georgia rules that affect a HELOC, in plain English

Georgia has no special HELOC limits like a borrowing cap or a waiting period. These Georgia taxes and laws still shape your HELOC. They come from the Department of Revenue, the Department of Banking and Finance and Georgia law, summarized here in plain words.

The intangible recording tax

$1.50 per $500.: Georgia taxes a long-term loan secured by your home when it is recorded, at $1.50 for every $500 (0.3%), up to a maximum of $25,000.
Charged once, on the full limit.: For a line of credit the tax is due on the whole credit limit, whether you draw it or not. Drawing and paying down within that limit doesn't add any tax.
$300 per $100,000.: On a $100,000 line the tax is $300. On a $250,000 line it is $750.
The lender pays it, and may pass it on.: The tax is collected from the lender, but Georgia lets the lender pass the cost on to you. If it does, it can't be counted as a finance charge.
Credit union lines are exempt.: No intangible tax is due when the lender is a federal credit union or a Georgia-chartered credit union.
Only long-term lines.: The tax applies to long-term lines. On July 1, 2025, Georgia moved the long-term cutoff from three years to 62 months, and the Department of Revenue is still updating its rule for credit lines. A typical HELOC runs well past either cutoff, so plan on paying it.

Before you sign

Use a licensed lender.: Mortgage lenders and brokers need a license from the Georgia Department of Banking and Finance. Banks and credit unions are exempt. You can check a license on NMLS Consumer Access.
3 business days to cancel.: Federal law lets you cancel a HELOC on your main home until midnight of the third business day after you open it and get the required notice and disclosures.

If you can't pay

Foreclosure without a court case.: A Georgia lender can sell the home at a public auction without going to court. The sale is advertised once a week for four weeks in the county legal newspaper and held on the first Tuesday of the month.
30 days written notice.: The lender has to send you written notice at least 30 days before the sale, by registered or certified mail or overnight delivery. It must name who has full authority to change the loan terms with you.
Court approval for a deficiency.: If the sale doesn't cover the debt, the lender can't sue you for the rest unless it reports the sale to a superior court judge within 30 days and gets it confirmed.

Property tax basics

Taxed on 40% of value.: Georgia assesses homes at 40% of value. The standard homestead exemption takes $2,000 off that assessed value for county and school taxes.
Apply by April 1.: You must own and live in the home on January 1 and apply by the property tax return deadline, April 1.
Assessed value growth capped at inflation.: Georgia's floating homestead exemption limits how much your home's assessed value can rise each year to the rate of inflation, 2.7% for 2026, unless your county, city or school district opted out.

Georgia homeowners by the numbers

Median value of an owner-occupied Georgia home: $343,300; U.S.: $360,600
Georgia homeowners with no mortgage at all: 37.3%; U.S.: 40.3%
Owner-occupied homes in Georgia: 2.8 million
Median yearly property tax paid in Georgia: $2,554; U.S.: $3,211

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates.

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Frequently asked questions

Is there a tax on a HELOC in Georgia?

Yes. Georgia charges an intangible recording tax of $1.50 per $500 of the credit limit, up to $25,000, when the line is recorded. The lender pays it but may pass the cost on to you.

Is the Georgia intangible tax based on my credit limit or on what I draw?

On the full credit limit, whether you draw it or not. Later draws within that limit don't add any tax.

How much is the intangible tax on a $100,000 HELOC in Georgia?

$300. That is $1.50 for each $500 of the $100,000 limit.

Do I pay the intangible tax on a credit union HELOC?

No. Lines from a federal credit union or a Georgia-chartered credit union are exempt from the tax.

Is foreclosure in Georgia judicial or non-judicial?

Non-judicial. After at least 30 days written notice and four weekly newspaper ads, the home can be sold at auction on the first Tuesday of the month without a court case.

Can I cancel a HELOC after I sign in Georgia?

Yes. Federal law gives you until midnight of the third business day after opening a HELOC on your main home, once you have the required notice and disclosures.

How does the Georgia homestead exemption work?

It takes $2,000 off your home's assessed value, which is 40% of its value, for county and school taxes. The floating homestead exemption also caps yearly growth in assessed value at inflation unless your local government opted out.

HELOCs in Georgia: how much you can borrow and the rules that apply

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