A company provides you with a lump sum in exchange for partial ownership of your home, and/or a share of its future appreciation. You don't make monthly repayments of principal or interest; instead, you settle up when you sell the home or at the end of a multi-year agreement period (typically between 10 and 30 years).
Buyout agreement (also known as a buy-sell agreement) refers to a contract that gives rights to at least one party of the contract to buy the share, assets, or rights of another party given a specific event. These agreements can arise in a variety of contexts as stand-alone contracts or parts of larger agreements.
An equity buy-out is the process of acquiring the equity ownership of an existing legal owner of real property. Acquiring the equity ownership in the marital home from an ex-spouse is most commonly done by refinancing the existing mortgage.
The main disadvantage to equity financing is that company owners must give up a portion of their ownership and dilute their control. If the company becomes profitable and successful in the future, a certain percentage of company profits must also be given to shareholders in the form of dividends.
Equity agreements allow entrepreneurs to secure funding for their start-up by giving up a portion of ownership of their company to investors. In short, these arrangements typically involve investors providing capital in exchange for shares of stock which they will hold and potentially sell in the future for a profit.
Home equity sharing may also be wise if you don't want extra debt reflected on your credit profile. "These agreements allow homeowners to access their home equity without incurring additional debt," says Michael Crute, a real estate agent and operations strategist with Keller Williams in Atlanta.
Unlike HELs and HELOCs, home equity agreements aren't loans. That means there are no monthly payments or interest charges..