An alternative to equity sharing is a shared appreciation mortgage. As with equity sharing, there are no monthly payments, and no pre-set interest rate, on a shared appreciation mortgage. But unlike in an equity share, the borrower/occupier is required to fully repay the investor even if the home value drops.
Whilst both Shared Appreciation Mortgages and lifetime mortgages are a form of equity release scheme, the big difference between these two types of product is that with a lifetime mortgage, rather than agreeing to hand over a percentage of any increase in the value of your property, you're charged a fixed interest rate ...
What is the difference between equity and shares? Equity refers to ownership in a company, while shares are units of that ownership. Essentially, shares represent parts of a company's equity.
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).
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.