According to new figures, homeowners' equity (the difference between the value of a house and the remaining loan) has increased by an average of 37% in the last two years, leaving homeowners with more than half their wealth tied up in assets, primarily their homes. This doesn't come as a surprise to the Rat and Mouse... although the casual way in which homeowners are happy to dip into a pot that isn't at all guaranteed - especially against a background of rising interest rates - does surprise me, continuously. From This Is London :

Industry figures published earlier this week show homeowners released £14.6billion of the wealth locked up in their properties in the final three months of 2006. That was up by £2.4billion on the previous quarter and £ 3billion on the same period the year before.

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