Frost Bank: 2025 Home Equity Review

Home equity products offered

Frost Bank offers a variable-rate HELOC and two fixed-rate home equity loans, including a standard home equity loan and its Progress home equity loan, geared to lower-income homeowners.The Progress has considerably cheaper interest rates, but is available only to those making less than 80 percent of their area’s median income.

With its home equity loans, you can choose from a variety of repayment terms: seven years to 20 years for its standard loan and seven to 30 years for its Progress home equity loan. Its HELOCs only have one term: 20 years. 

The maximum amount you can borrow for both options is up to 80 percent of your home’s appraised value. It must be your primary residence.

How Bankrate scored

Affordability: 5/5   

• APR: Frost’s rates are competitive, significantly below the Bankrate national average. 
• Fees: Frost’s HELOC and home equity loans don’t carry any prepayment penalties, application and annual fees — a rarity among lenders. 

Thanks to its low APRs and lack of fees, Frost Bank scores a perfect 5 out of 5 for affordability. 

Availability: 2.6/5 

• Loan products: Frost offers HELOCs and two home equity loan products, including a home equity loan geared to low-income borrowers. 
• Footprint: Frost’s home equity products are only available in Texas; you will be out of luck if you live in another state.   
• Credit score: Frost has a minimum credit score requirement of 640-680, on the low side by home equity lending standards.  
• Loan minimum: Frost’s minimums ($2,000 for HELoans, $8,000 for HELOCs) are quite low, compared to other typical home equity lenders. 

Despite its low loan and credit score minimums, Frost earns a 2.6 out of 5 for availability because of its limited national reach and HELOC draw requirements. 

Borrower experience: 3.9/5

• Rate transparency: Frost’s advertised APRs are easy to find on its website, and it lists them in detail by loan size. 
• Convenience: Frost lets you apply for loans online, and also offers an app that lets you make payments and check loan status. It seems to require that closings be in person at a branch. 
• Customer service: Customers have multiple contact methods, including phone, online portal, email and visiting its 200 branch locations in Texas (with more to come in 2025).   
• Fixed-rate options: Frost has two fixed home equity loan options, but does not offer a fixed-rate HELOC.    

Frost Bank scores a 3.9 out of 5 for its borrower experience, losing points because it doesn’t offer a fixed-rate HELOC or allow remote closings.

Frost Bank’s reputation 

Frost Bank gets an A- rating from the Better Business Bureau, but is not accredited. For the 15th year in a row, Frost Bank earned the highest ranking for banking customer satisfaction in Texas, according to the J.D. Power 2024 U.S. Retail Banking Satisfaction Study. Out of more than a dozen reviews, the company earns a 2.5 rating on Trustpilot. 

How to qualify for a home equity loan with Frost Bank 

Your property must be a primary residence located in Texas, and your combined loan-to-value (CLTV) ratio must be 80 percent or less to qualify for a home loan with Frost Bank. The minimum credit score requirement is between 640 and 680. You’ll need to open a Frost deposit account for a HELOC. 

When your loan is approved, you will close on your loan at one of Frost’s financial centers unless the amount is greater than $500,000.

How to apply for a home equity loan with Frost Bank 

You can apply for a home equity loan or HELOC through Frost’s website or by calling 800-513-7678. As is typical with a home equity loan application, you will need a government-issued ID, your Social Security Number and information about your income and home. Be prepared to enter in the months the loan term you are considering. The online application process takes about 15 minutes to complete.