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Home Equity Investment (HEI)

Last updated: October 2026

Get roughly $30K to $600K from your home equity on select programs with no monthly payments. Credit scores from 500 are considered (lower scores mean lower limits). You trade a share of your home's future value for cash today. I want you to understand that share before you sign.

Find your optionsCall (909) 927-9896

Do I qualify?

None

Monthly payment to the investor

500

Credit Scores Considered From

Up to 25%

Of Your Home's Value

30 yrs

Terms Up To

On select programs; varies by investor.

Key Facts

  • A Home Equity Investment (HEI) gives you a lump sum of cash from your equity in exchange for a share of your home's future value at settlement.
  • It is not a loan. There are no monthly payments and no interest rate.
  • Matthew Park, NMLS# 2109427, arranges HEIs through Lumin Lending Inc., with terms of up to 30 years on select programs.

Available in select states; ask about yours. Book a call

What Is a Home Equity Investment?

An HEI turns home equity into cash without a new monthly payment. Instead of a loan with payments and interest, an investor gives you a lump sum today. In exchange, it gets a percentage share of your home's value when you sell, refinance, or buy out the agreement.

You keep your home, your title, and your daily life as they are. You keep paying your mortgage, property taxes, and insurance. When you settle, in two years or twenty, the investor gets its agreed share and you keep the rest.

If credit or debt-to-income is holding you back, an HEI can work as a bridge strategy. Take the cash, pay off high-interest debt, then move into a conventional loan or HELOC on better terms and settle the investor.

How Does an HEI Work?

The investor gives you cash today for a percentage share of your home's value at settlement. The share is set when you sign, based on how big the investment is next to your home's value. On select programs, your settlement is the lesser of that share or a capped amount, which protects you if your home appreciates quickly.

Short-Term

Bridge Route

Take the cash, pay down debt, and settle the investor through a refinance, HELOC, or reverse mortgage once you qualify. A short hold packs the cost into a few years, so run that math first.

Longer-Term

Equity Share Route

Keep the agreement in place and settle when you sell or at the end of the term, up to 30 years, keeping title throughout.

Key Benefits

No Monthly Payments

Unlike a HELOC or cash-out refinance, an HEI requires no monthly payment to the investor during the term. You keep paying your existing mortgage, taxes, and insurance.

Qualification Centered on Equity

Qualification centers on your equity and credit, not a new monthly payment. Ask me about documentation. If you're self-employed, retired, or carrying high debt, you may still have a path.

Credit Scores From 500 Considered

On select programs, scores as low as 500 may be considered, with lower limits at lower scores. If you have equity but damaged credit, this may be one of the few products that works.

Flexible Exit

Settle during the term by sale, refinance, or buyout; terms vary by investor.

Capped Settlement

Where a cap applies, you pay the lesser of the investor's share or the capped amount, which limits the payback if your home appreciates sharply.

HEI Guidelines & Terms

$30K to $600K

Investment Range

500

Minimum Credit Score

Up to ~75%

Max Combined (Mortgage + HEI)

Up to 25%

Max Investment vs. Home Value

Up to 30 years

Term

From ~$200K

Home Value

Figures apply on select programs and vary by investor. No single program offers every maximum shown.

Eligible Properties

Single-Family Homes
Townhomes
PUDs
Condos*
Investment Properties*
Revocable Living Trust
LLC-Held*

*Investment properties qualify at lower limits, and condos and LLC-held homes are accepted only on select programs. Manufactured and mobile homes are not eligible.

Who Is This For?

HEIs fit homeowners who have equity but keep hitting walls with traditional lending. These are the people I see it help.

  • Credit that has kept you from a HELOC, where scores from 500 may still be considered
  • High debt-to-income, where you need cash to consolidate but cannot add another monthly payment
  • Self-employed or hard-to-document income; qualification centers on your equity and credit, so ask about documentation
  • Retired with limited income, equity-rich but cash-poor, and not ready for a reverse mortgage
  • Bridge to better terms, where you need cash now to clean up debts, then refinance into a HELOC or conventional loan later

It's usually the wrong tool if you qualify comfortably for a HELOC or home equity loan. Same if you expect your home to appreciate quickly and plan to hold it a long time.

How Do You Qualify for an HEI?

Investors look at your equity, your credit, and the property. Equity sets the ceiling. Your mortgage plus the investment has to fit under the program's combined cap, up to about 75% of home value on select programs. Credit scores from 500 may be considered, with lower caps at lower scores. Past bankruptcy or foreclosure may be considered after waiting periods.

The property has to be an eligible type in a state the investor serves, valued from about $200,000 on select programs. It has to be held in your name, a revocable living trust, or on select programs an LLC.

HEI vs. Other Ways to Use Your Equity

  • Monthly payment

    HELOC:
    Required
    Reverse Mortgage:
    No monthly mortgage payment; balance grows; taxes, insurance, and upkeep still due
    Home Equity Investment:
    None to the investor

  • Credit scores from

    HELOC:
    600 primary residence on select programs (smaller lines, lower CLTV)
    Reverse Mortgage:
    Financial assessment
    Home Equity Investment:
    500 on select programs

  • Age requirement

    HELOC:
    None
    Reverse Mortgage:
    55 on select programs (60 or 62 in some states); 62 for HECM
    Home Equity Investment:
    None

  • What it costs you

    HELOC:
    Interest on what you draw
    Reverse Mortgage:
    Interest and fees added to the balance
    Home Equity Investment:
    A share of future value, capped on select programs

  • How it ends

    HELOC:
    Repay the balance
    Reverse Mortgage:
    Repaid when you sell, move, or pass away
    Home Equity Investment:
    Settle by sale, refinance, or buyout

What to Expect: The HEI Process

First conversation to funding typically takes a few weeks. The valuation and title work set the pace.

1

Eligibility Check

I confirm your state, property, and equity, and compare the HEI with a HELOC or home equity loan.

2

Application

You apply with basic documents such as ID, your mortgage statement, and insurance details.

3

Estimate

You see the investment amount, the investor's share, any cap, and fees.

4

Valuation & Title

The investor values the home and clears title.

5

Signing & Funding

You sign; a 3-day right to cancel applies on select programs. Fees are deducted and the rest is funded.

6

During the Term

Keep your mortgage, taxes, and insurance current. Nothing is owed to the investor until you settle.

What Are the Trade-Offs?

  • It can cost more than a loan. In a strong market, the investor's share can exceed what loan interest would have cost.
  • Fees come off the top. You receive less cash than the investment amount.
  • One large settlement. At the end of the term you pay it all at once, which can mean refinancing or selling.
  • Future loans need consent. Refinancing during the term involves the investor.
  • Obligations still apply. Falling behind on your mortgage, taxes, or insurance can breach the agreement.

Estimate Your Repurchase Cost

The HEI Repurchase Calculator shows how appreciation, investment size, and time change your settlement cost.

Open HEI Calculator

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Home Equity Investment (HEI)?
An investor gives you a lump sum of cash today. In exchange, it gets a share of your home's future value. It's not a loan. There are no monthly payments and no interest rate. You keep living in the home, keep title, and keep paying your mortgage, taxes, and insurance. When you sell, refinance, or buy out the agreement, the investor gets its share.
How is an HEI different from a HELOC or home equity loan?
A HELOC or home equity loan is debt with monthly payments and interest. An HEI is not a loan. You make no monthly payment to the investor. It gets a share of your home's value when you sell, refinance, or buy out the agreement. HEIs consider credit scores from 500 on select programs, where my HELOC programs start at 600 on select programs (smaller lines, lower CLTV). The trade-off is cost. In a rising market, the share can exceed loan interest.
Do I lose ownership of my home with an HEI?
No. You keep title and ownership for the whole term. The investor holds a contractual right to a share of the home's value at settlement, secured by a recorded lien, much like a mortgage lender's. You can live in and renovate the home as usual, and some programs allow renting it later. Selling or refinancing means settling with the investor or working with it, so read those sections before you sign.
How much can I get from an HEI?
It depends on your home value, equity, and credit, within the investment range shown above. Two limits apply. The investment can be up to 25% of your home's value. And your mortgage plus the investment is generally capped at up to about 75% of value, lower for lower credit, investment properties, larger amounts, or higher-value homes. Whichever limit is smaller is your realistic number.
What credit score do I need for an HEI?
Credit scores from 500 may be considered on select programs, and lower scores mean lower limits. Past bankruptcy or foreclosure may be considered after waiting periods.
How do I exit or repay an HEI?
You settle by selling your home, refinancing, or paying the investor in cash, any time during the term. You owe the investor's share of your home's value at settlement. On select programs, that amount is limited by a cap, and you pay whichever is lower. That protects you if your home appreciates quickly. Share and cap terms vary by investor.
More questions (8)
Is there a penalty for exiting early?
On select programs, there is no prepayment penalty for settling before the term ends. Some homeowners use an HEI as a bridge. They take the cash, pay off high-interest debt, improve their credit, then refinance into a HELOC or conventional loan that pays off the investor. Settling early packs the fees and the investor's share into a short period, so run the math on your expected timeline first.
What properties are eligible for an HEI?
Eligible homes include single-family homes, townhomes, and PUDs, plus condos on select programs. Primary residences are the core. Investment properties may qualify at lower limits. Homes in a revocable living trust may be eligible, and LLC-held homes are accepted on select programs. Manufactured and mobile homes are not eligible. HEIs are available in select states; ask me about yours.
What is the catch with a home equity investment?
Cost. It's easy to underestimate because there's no rate to compare. If your home appreciates strongly, the settlement can be far larger than the cash you got, and larger than a loan would have cost. Fees come out of your proceeds. And at the end of the term you settle in one payment, which can mean refinancing or selling. I check whether a loan fits first.
What happens to my HEI if my home loses value?
The investor's share is a percentage of your home's value at settlement. If the home loses value, the dollar amount of that share falls too. So the investor shares the downside, which a lender never does. Check how your agreement sets the starting value, though. Some begin below the appraisal, which builds in a gain for the investor even when your home barely moves.
What happens at the end of the term if I cannot buy out the investor?
The agreement must be settled at the end of the term, usually by refinancing, selling, or using savings. If none of those works, the investor can enforce its lien, which can force a sale. That's the real risk to plan for. Terms can run up to 30 years, which gives you time. Before you sign, we should map out how you'd settle.
Can I refinance my mortgage or get a HELOC after signing an HEI?
Often yes, with conditions. The HEI is recorded against your home. A new loan that needs to sit ahead of or alongside it requires the investor's consent, approved case by case. Your mortgage, the new loan, and the HEI together must also fit both the investor's and the new lender's limits. Many homeowners just settle the HEI as part of the refinance.
What fees do HEIs charge?
Expect an origination fee plus third-party closing costs like the valuation, title, and escrow. These come out of your proceeds at closing, not out of pocket, so the cash you receive is less than the investment amount. Compare the net cash, not the headline amount, against a HELOC or home equity loan. I'll lay out that net figure before you commit.
What happens to an HEI if I die?
The agreement becomes part of your estate. Your heirs settle it the same way you would. They can sell the home and pay the investor its share from the proceeds, refinance into their own loan, or pay the settlement amount in cash. If keeping the house in the family matters, talk with your heirs and an estate planner now. Make sure they know where your agreement is filed.

Related Loan Programs

HELOC / HELOAN

Tap your equity and keep your current mortgage.

Learn more

Cash out

Replace your mortgage and take cash out.

Learn more

Reverse

Age 55 and up on select programs in select states; no monthly mortgage payment, but you still pay taxes, insurance, and upkeep.

Learn more

Have Equity but Keep Hearing No?

An HEI might be the answer, and it might not. I'll compare it with a HELOC and a home equity loan for your home and show you the numbers side by side.

Find your optionsBook a call

Or call (909) 927-9896

Rates and program availability may vary based on the state or region in which the financed property is located. This is not a credit decision, an offer, or a commitment to lend. Program restrictions apply.

Home Equity Investments are not loans. The HEI investor receives a share of the home's value at settlement. Terms, pricing, share calculations, and caps vary by investor and are subject to change and approval. Availability varies by state and investor. This page is for educational purposes only and does not constitute an offer, commitment, or guarantee of terms. Actual eligibility depends on property location, home value, equity position, credit profile, and investor guidelines.

Matthew Park NMLS# 2109427 | DRE# 02033005 | Lumin Lending Inc. NMLS# 2716106 | DRE# 02291443. Equal Housing Opportunity.