Our take in 10 seconds
Point is one of the strongest fits in the HEI market for a specific homeowner: real equity, bruised credit, and a budget that can't take another payment. The 30-year term is the standout — it removes the forced-exit deadline that 10-year competitors carry, which matters most for exactly the people this product serves. The cost is the appreciation share: in a hot market, Point gets expensive in hindsight. If your score is 620+ and you can carry a payment, price a home equity loan first — keeping 100% of your upside is usually worth the interest.
How it works
The deal, in plain English
Point invests in your home rather than lending against it. You get cash now (an upfront fee of roughly 3–4%, minimum around $2,000, comes off the top), Point records a lien, and you keep the title and keep living there. When you sell, refinance, buy Point out, or reach the end of the term — up to 30 years — you repay the investment plus Point's share of how the home's value changed. Homes are typically appraised with a starting-value adjustment below market value, which is part of Point's pricing and worth understanding before you sign: it means Point shares in some appreciation from a lower baseline.
Because there are no monthly payments to default on, underwriting leans on the property and your equity stake rather than your credit. Scores around 500 can qualify, income documentation is lighter than a bank's, and the application-to-funding timeline is typically measured in weeks.
The scorecard
Where Point wins, where it costs you
What Point genuinely gets right
- No monthly payment — nothing to default on, ever
- Up to 30 years to exit on your own schedule
- Credit scores around 500 accepted — the loosest gate in home equity
- Large range: roughly $30K to $600K depending on equity
- You keep title, occupancy, and the right to sell whenever
VS
What it costs you
- A share of your appreciation — expensive in a strong market
- Starting-value adjustment means sharing from a lower baseline
- Upfront fee ~3–4% (minimum ~$2,000) plus third-party costs
- A lien on your home, senior to your future flexibility
- No partial buyout — settling generally means all at once
The real cost
Price it in three markets before signing
Point will generate a payoff table for your specific offer — that document is the entire decision. Ask for the payoff at years 3, 10, and 30 under three assumptions:
Home flat
Point is cheap
Little appreciation to share. You repay near the original amount plus fees — often beating years of loan interest.
Up ~3%/year
Roughly a wash
Comparable to a home equity loan's total cost. The honest break-even zone — your judgment call.
Up 6%+/year
Point is expensive
The appreciation share compounds past what interest would have cost. Hot-market homeowners pay the most.
The one contract question people skip: "What starting home value does my payoff calculate from?" The risk adjustment below appraised value is standard for the product category, but its size varies — and it's effectively part of the price. Get it in writing and compare it across providers before choosing.
Fit check
Take it, or walk away?
Point fits when at least two of these are true: your credit blocks bank products (below ~620), your monthly budget genuinely can't absorb a new payment, and your exit timeline is uncertain enough that a 10-year deadline from a competitor would be a gamble. In that overlap, Point is arguably the best-structured offer in the market — our provider comparison shows why the long term matters so much.
Walk away if you can qualify for and afford a home equity loan — fixed interest almost always beats sharing appreciation over a long hold. Walk away if you're selling within two or three years, because the upfront fee amortizes badly and you'll share a quick run-up. And if the amount you need is under about $30,000, keep your house out of it entirely: a personal loan from a lender like Upstart caps the cost, pre-qualifies with a soft pull, and preserves every dollar of your upside.
Negotiating tip: get a written estimate from Point and at least one competitor (Unlock and Hometap for 10-year structures, Unison for 30-year), then compare the payoff tables at identical scenarios. HEI pricing isn't advertised like mortgage rates — the payoff table side-by-side is the only real comparison shopping that exists in this market.
Who gets paid on this page
Upstart — if you check your rate and take a personal loan through our linkpays us a commission
Point — reviewed editorially; no paid relationship is live on this page todaypays us $0
Frequently asked questions
Is Point legit?
Yes — Point is one of the established providers in the home equity investment category, operating since 2015 with institutional backing. The product itself is legitimate; the decision that deserves scrutiny is whether an appreciation-sharing structure fits your situation better than a loan, and that's pure math you can run from their payoff table.
What credit score does Point require?
Point accepts credit scores around 500, far below any bank's home equity products. Approval leans on your available equity and the property. The practical gates are equity (a substantial stake after your mortgage) and the home qualifying on appraisal.
How much does Point cost?
An upfront fee of roughly 3–4% of the investment (minimum around $2,000), third-party closing costs, and — the real cost — Point's share of your home's appreciation at exit, calculated from a risk-adjusted starting value. Flat markets make it cheap; strong appreciation makes it expensive. Ask for the payoff table under multiple scenarios.
Does Point take ownership of my house?
No. You keep title and occupancy. Point records a lien securing its right to repayment when you sell, refinance, buy them out, or reach the end of the term. It cannot force a sale within the terms of the agreement.
What happens at the end of Point's 30-year term?
You settle the investment — usually by selling, refinancing, or paying from savings. Thirty years means most homeowners exit on their own schedule long before the deadline, which is the structural advantage over 10-year competitors. Build the exit plan when you sign anyway.