What is a home equity investment (HEI)?

A home equity investment is a financial product where a company gives you a lump sum of cash in exchange for a share of your home's future appreciation. Unlike a loan, there are no monthly payments, no interest charges, and no debt added to your balance sheet. You settle the investment when you sell your home, refinance, or at the end of the term.

How is an HEI different from a HELOC or home equity loan?

HELOCs and home equity loans are debt — you borrow money and must make monthly interest payments. An HEI is not a loan. Instead of paying interest, you share a portion of your home's appreciation with the investor. This means no monthly payment obligations, which can be ideal for homeowners who need cash but want to preserve cash flow.

How much equity can I access with an HEI?

Most HEI companies let you access between 10–20% of your home's current value, up to around $500K–$600K depending on the provider. The exact amount depends on your home value, location, and the provider's criteria. Splitero, Hometap, Unlock, and Point each have their own investment ranges.

What happens if my home decreases in value?

This is one of the key advantages of an HEI. If your home's value drops, the HEI company shares in that downside. You'll typically owe back only the original investment amount, or in some cases less if there's a significant decline. Specific downside protections vary by provider.

When do I have to settle (pay back) the HEI?

You settle an HEI when you sell your home, when you refinance, or at the end of the contractual term (typically 10–30 years depending on the provider). Point offers the longest terms at 30 years. You can also settle early at any time by buying out the investor's share.

Does an HEI affect my credit score?

Because an HEI is not a loan, it typically does not appear as debt on your credit report and does not affect your debt-to-income ratio. This makes it an attractive option if you're planning to apply for other credit in the future.

Who should consider a home equity investment?

HEIs are ideal for homeowners who have significant equity but want to avoid taking on new debt. Common use cases include paying off high-interest debt, funding home renovations, covering retirement expenses, or bridging an income gap — all without adding monthly payment obligations.

Home Equity Investments

Access your equity. Zero monthly payments.

An HEI gives you a lump sum in exchange for a share of your home's future appreciation — no loan, no interest, no debt on your balance sheet. Compare Splitero, Hometap, Unlock, Point, and Unison side-by-side. Settle when you sell, refinance, or at the end of the term.

Get my home-equity rate Read Splitero review

8 providers, verified 2026
Soft check only
Editor's Pick: Splitero

Modern single-family home representing accessible equity

What are you trying to do with your equity?

Pay off high-interest debt

Use equity instead of taking on more debt

Fund home renovations

No monthly payment to absorb

Bridge a retirement income gap

Settle in 10–30 years

Compare HEI vs HELOC vs cash-out refi

Side-by-side cost breakdown

Personalized HELOC matcher · Soft pull only

Looking at a HELOC instead? Use the matcher above. For a true HEI (no monthly payment, no interest), keep reading — Splitero, Hometap, and our 6 other top picks are below.

Verified by the WalletGrower Editorial Team — current as of May 2026. We update rates, bonuses, fees, and product details regularly against each provider's published disclosures. Vendors can change offers between our update cycles, so we always recommend confirming the current published rate or bonus on the provider's site before signing up or applying.

Why Splitero is our top HEI pick for 2026

Across 8 HEI providers, Splitero earned our top pick for delivering the lowest effective cost over the typical 10-year hold, a fully digital application that funds in 2-3 weeks, and a transparent settlement structure that does not penalize early payoff. The homeowner-friendly cap on appreciation share means you keep more upside when your home value rises faster than expected.

Lowest effective cost in our 8-provider comparison over a typical 10-year hold
2-3 week funding with a fully digital application — no in-person appraisal in most cases
Homeowner-friendly cap on appreciation share — Splitero keeps less of your upside than most competitors
No early-payoff penalty if you sell or refinance before the term ends

Read full Splitero review

Splitero · Editor's Pick

Lowest effective cost

2-3 week funding · Homeowner-friendly cap

$100K home equity accessed

$0/mo payment

Settle in 10–30 years when you sell / refi

vs $100K HELOC at 8.5%

~$770/mo for 10 yrs

Plus interest, plus DTI hit

Browse providers

All 8 HEI companies we tracked

Each provider differs on investment range, settlement term, state availability, and how aggressively they cap your appreciation share. Read individual reviews for the side-by-side cost math.

Splitero

Editor's Pick — Best Overall HEI. Splitero offers some of the most competitive terms in the HEI space with low effective costs, a streamlined digital process, and a homeowner-friendly settlement structure. Our top pick for 2026.

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Hometap

Best for fast funding. Hometap provides equity investments in as little as 2-3 weeks. Available in 16+ states with investments from $15K to $600K and a 10-year effective term.

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Unlock

Best for high equity access. Unlock lets homeowners access up to $500K of equity with a flexible 10-year term. Strong presence on the West Coast and growing nationwide.

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Point

Best for long-term flexibility. Point offers a 30-year term — the longest in the industry — giving homeowners maximum flexibility on when to settle. Available in 28+ states.

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Unison

Pioneer of shared equity. One of the original HEI providers, Unison offers co-investment programs for both existing homeowners and new buyers, with investments up to $500K.

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Aspire

Best for lower equity requirements. Aspire targets homeowners with moderate equity, offering smaller investments with competitive pricing and a straightforward application process.

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HomePace

Best for homeowner protections. HomePace emphasizes transparency and downside protection for homeowners, with clear terms and a strong focus on customer education.

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Balance

Best for debt payoff. Balance focuses on helping homeowners use HEI proceeds to pay off high-interest debt, offering personalized financial coaching alongside equity access.

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Hub tools

Free calculators that pair with HEI decisions

All tools

Home equity estimator

How much equity can you actually access?

HELOC payment calculator

Compare HELOC payment vs HEI's $0/mo.

Refinance break-even

When does a cash-out refi pay back?

Debt payoff planner

If you're using equity to clear debt.

Latest in home equity

Deep guides for HEI decisions

Full comparison

Splitero Review 2026

Our Editor's Pick. Lowest effective cost across the 8 providers we tracked. Full breakdown of fees, settlement structure, and where Splitero wins vs Hometap, Unlock, and Point.

11 min readRead →

HEI · review

Hometap Review 2026

Best for fast funding. 2-3 week timeline, $15K–$600K access range, 10-year effective term. Available in 16+ states. Where Hometap fits in the HEI landscape.

9 min readRead →

HEI · review

Point Review 2026

Best for long-term flexibility. 30-year term is the longest in the industry. Available in 28+ states. When Point's longer settlement window is worth the trade-offs.

10 min readRead →

Read first

HEI · compare

HEI vs HELOC vs Cash-Out Refi

Three ways to tap your home equity, side by side. Monthly cost, interest, DTI impact, and risk profile. Plus when each option actually wins on the math.

12 min readRead →

HEI · review

Unlock Review 2026

Best for high equity access. Up to $500K with a 10-year term. Strong West Coast presence, growing nationwide. Where Unlock fits vs Splitero and Hometap.

9 min readRead →

HEI · review

Unison Review 2026

Pioneer of shared equity. Co-investment programs for both existing homeowners and new buyers. Up to $500K. The original HEI provider — how it compares today.

8 min readRead →

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Quick answer

Which home equity investments pick fits your situation?

Lowest cost HEI overall

Splitero (Editor's Pick)

Fastest funding (2-3 weeks)

Hometap review

Longest settlement term (30 years)

Point review

Largest equity access ($500K)

Unlock review

Pay off high-interest debt with equity

Balance review

Compare HEI vs HELOC vs cash-out refi

Side-by-side comparison

Want a HELOC instead of an HEI

HELOC matcher (above)

Decision matrix

Which path fits you?

You have significant equity but want zero monthly payment

HEI — start with Splitero (Editor's Pick)

You can absorb a monthly payment for the lowest total cost

HELOC — use the matcher above

You plan to sell or refinance within 10 years

HEI — settle naturally at the transaction

You need $500K+ accessed quickly

Unlock or Hometap (higher caps, 2-3 week funding)

You want maximum settlement flexibility

Point (30-year term, longest in industry)

You're using equity to pay off high-interest debt

Balance (HEI with financial coaching)

Methodology & how we picked these▾

HEI provider ranking weights effective cost over a 10-year hold (the most realistic median hold period), then state availability, investment range, funding speed, and homeowner-friendliness of the settlement structure (cap on appreciation share, early-payoff terms, downside protection). We exclude providers with opaque pricing or aggressive appreciation-share caps. Splitero earns Editor's Pick for delivering the lowest effective cost across the typical 10-year hold combined with a transparent fee structure and homeowner-friendly settlement terms.

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