Betting on the housing market is always risky, and it's a risk you take when you get a home equity agreement. If your home becomes significantly more valuable over the course of your agreement, you'll likely end up paying more than anticipated because the investor will get a larger cut of the home's increased value.
The biggest downside to a home equity sharing agreement is that the home equity investor could end up taking a big share of your home's appreciation if it grows in value by the time your agreement ends. They also may come with restrictions on how you can improve your home or when you can sell it.
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.
These agreements let you access funds in exchange for a share of your property's future appreciation. Some or all of the mortgage lenders featured on our site are advertising partners of NerdWallet, but this does not influence our evaluations, lender star ratings or the order in which lenders are listed on the page.
Draft the equity agreement, detailing the company's capital structure, the number of shares to be offered, the rights of the shareholders, and other details. Consult legal and financial advisors to ensure that the equity agreement is in line with all applicable laws and regulations.
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.
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).