Payments only when you’re ready
Unlike home equity loans or HELOCs, HEIs do not require repayment in installments. You repay at sale, refinance, or term end — on your timeline.
How It Works · The Mechanics
A home equity investment, fully explained.
Most homeowners have only encountered HELOCs and cash-out refinancing. Unfortunately, the requirements for qualification are stringent, the timelines and paperwork are a hassle, and these products might not be a fit for your unique situation. A home equity investment is structurally different and can offer a different path to the outcomes you seek — including financial mobility and wellness.
How it works
At its core, a Home Equity Investment provides you a lump sum upfront in exchange for a share of your home’s future value
You get your cash now and unlike a traditional loan, you don’t pay anything back until you sell, refinance, or the term ends (typically 10 years). Leap shares in your home’s growth — or loss. When the agreement ends, the investor gets their percentage of your home’s value at that time.
Most importantly, you keep control — you still own your home, you just repay the investor when you’re ready to move or settle the agreement.
Our complete Terms and Disclosures are available here.
Why pick an HEI?
Accessible to more homeowners
Lenient approval terms make HEIs accessible to homeowners with lower credit scores who may not qualify for traditional equity products.
A share of appreciation, not debt
Since HEIs are not traditional loans, there is no interest charged. You share a portion of your home’s future value — nothing more.
Your home. Your title.
Homeowners keep the title and can continue living in the house throughout the entire agreement term. Nothing about your daily life changes.
Comparison
Four ways to tap your equity. One is structurally different.
If you’re considering a Leap HEI, you’re almost certainly also considering a HELOC, a cash-out refinance, or a personal loan. Here’s an honest comparison, written by the company that benefits from the comparison being honest.
| Leap HEI | HELOC | Cash-out refi | Personal loan | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly payments | None | Yes — principal + interest | Yes — principal + interest | Yes — principal + interest |
| Interest rate | None — share of appreciation instead | Variable, prime + margin | Fixed (typically higher than your existing mortgage in current environment) | Fixed or variable, often 9–20% |
| Adds debt to balance sheet | No — structured as an investment | Yes — second lien | Yes — replaces existing mortgage at larger amount | Yes — unsecured installment loan |
| Credit score impact | Minimal — soft pull for pre-qual | Hard pull, reports to bureaus | Hard pull, refinance reports to bureaus | Hard pull, reports to bureaus |
| Repayment trigger | Home sale, refinance, or end of term | Monthly throughout draw + repayment | Monthly over new mortgage term | Monthly over loan term (3–7 yrs) |
| Maximum amount | Up to $300,000 | Typically 80–85% of equity, lender-dependent | Typically 80% of home value minus existing mortgage | Typically <$100,000 |
| Decision speed | Fast — automated underwriting | 2–6 weeks | 4–8 weeks | Days to weeks |
| Income / employment requirement | Flexible — equity-driven | Strict income verification | Strict income verification | Strict income verification |
| Closing costs | Single appraisal + closing fees, typically 2–3% | 2–5% of credit line | 2–5% of new loan amount | Origination fees 1–8% |
| Affects your existing mortgage rate | No | No | Yes — replaces it at current market rate | No |
| Cost if home value declines | Reduced repayment — downside shared | Full loan balance still owed | Full loan balance still owed | Full loan balance still owed |
| Cost if home value rises sharply | Higher repayment via appreciation share | Unchanged | Unchanged | Unchanged |
When a HELOC is the better choice
A HELOC makes more sense than a Leap HEI when you need short-term, flexible access to a smaller amount of capital and you have the monthly cash flow to comfortably service the new payment. HELOCs offer a revolving credit line you can draw and repay over a long period, which is unmatched by any other product when flexibility is the priority. If you expect to use the funds for under three years and you have strong income coverage, the math often favors a HELOC.
When a cash-out refinance is the better choice
A cash-out refinance is the right product when current mortgage rates are meaningfully below your existing rate. In that environment, you reduce your monthly payment and extract equity simultaneously. In the current rate environment, where most homeowners locked in below-market rates between 2020 and 2022, a cash-out refi typically increases the monthly cost meaningfully — making it a poor fit for most homeowners we speak with.
When a personal loan is the better choice
Rarely, in our view. Personal loans are typically a last resort for homeowners — the interest rates are high, the terms are short, and they don’t take advantage of the equity you’ve worked to build. The one exception is a small amount (under $25,000) for a short period (under two years), where the convenience of a personal loan can outweigh the higher rate.
When a Leap HEI is the better choice
A Leap HEI is built specifically for homeowners who want access to a larger amount of equity (typically $50,000 or more), for a longer period (5–15 years), without adding a monthly payment to their budget. It is the only product among the four that does not require monthly service. It is the only product that shares the downside if your home declines in value. And it is the only product structured as an investment, not as debt — meaning it does not appear on your credit report and does not affect your debt-to-income ratio for future borrowing.
If you’d like to see what you’d qualify for, the pre-qualification takes under two minutes and does not create a hard pull on your credit report.
Next step
Ready to see what you qualify for?
A three-question pre-qualification takes under two minutes and does not affect your credit score. You'll get a product recommendation and an estimated investment range.
Check my eligibility →