Point HEI Review
The Bottom Line
Best for: homeowners who want a 30-year agreement and have a credit score below 620.
Point's HEI offers up to a 30-year term — tied with Unison and Splitero as the longest we track, and notably longer than the 10-year terms offered by Hometap and Unlock. 30-year agreements can be a good fit if you don't have a fixed repayment date in mind and want maximum flexibility on when you'll repay.
Is Point Right for You?
Good Fit If
- You want a 30-year agreement (maximum flexibility on when you repay)
- You want your payoff to shrink if your home's value drops significantly (Unison, another 30-year provider, has certain restrictions on loss sharing)
- Your credit score is on the lower end (Point accepts scores as low as 500)
- You own the property individually, not through an LLC or irrevocable trust
Not a Good Fit If
- You haven't decided between a 10-year, 30-year, or mortgage-linked term — that choice matters more than which specific provider you pick. Decide on term length first, then check the cost calculator for the cheapest option within it
- Your property isn't a single family home, condo, townhome, or 2-4 unit
- You need less than $30,000 (Point's minimum funding amount)
- You live outside Point's current 27-state (plus D.C.) footprint
See How Point Compares
Enter your home details to compare Point against Hometap, Unison, Unlock, and Splitero side by side — eligibility, estimated effective APR, and year-by-year costs.
How Point Compares
Where Point Leads
- Long repayment window. Point gives you up to 30 years to repay, offering maximum flexibility to settle on your own timeline.
- Low credit score requirement. Point accepts scores as low as 500, tied with Unlock and Splitero for the most permissive minimum.
- High funding ceiling. You can access up to $600,000 with Point, tied with Hometap for the highest amount among the providers we track.
- Access more of your home's value. You can get up to 25% of your home's value in cash with Point, tied with Splitero and just behind Hometap's 27% — well above Unison's 15% cap.
- One less thing to worry about after a death in the family. If you pass away before the agreement ends, your heirs don't have to repay Point right away — they can wait until the home is eventually sold, refinanced, or the term ends. Unlock and Unison, by contrast, require repayment within 180 days.
Where Point Falls Behind
- Higher minimum amount. You have to request at least $30,000 with Point — more than some homeowners actually need, and higher than the minimum at some other providers.
- Applying may briefly lower your credit score. Point runs a hard credit check when you apply, which can cause a small, temporary dip — the same as Splitero.
- No credit for home improvements. If you renovate and your home's value goes up, Point still counts that extra value when figuring out what you owe. Some other providers subtract your renovation's value first, so you keep more of what you added.
- Not available for LLC or trust ownership. Point only works with homes owned directly by individuals, not through a business entity or certain trusts (common in estate planning) — the same restriction as Hometap and Unison.
Eligibility Requirements
| States | AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, HI, IL, IN, KY, MD, MI, MN, MO, NC, NJ, NV, NY, OH, OR, PA, SC, TN, UT, VA, WA, WI — check your specific state in the cost calculator |
|---|---|
| Property types | Single family, condo, townhome, 2–4 unit (manufactured homes, mobile homes, commercial properties, and non-traditional designs not eligible) |
| Residency | Primary residence, second home, investment property |
| Min credit score | 500 |
| Min home value | $155,000 |
| Max Senior LTV | 80% |
| Max CLTV | 80% |
| Funding range | $30,000 – $600,000 (up to 25% of home value) |
| Max term | 30 years |
| Existing liens | Reverse mortgages and existing HEI and HEA agreements not allowed |
How Point Works
Here's exactly what happens when you use Point, step by step. (New to HEIs and HEAs generally? Start with What Is an HEA?)
- Apply online. Point checks your credit, home value, and existing mortgage balance to determine your offer. A hard credit pull is required.
- Receive an offer. Point calculates its cut of your home's future value, priced individually based on your credit score, loan-to-value ratio, and other underwriting factors.
- Close and receive funds. An origination fee (3.9% of proceeds, $2,000 minimum) plus roughly $2,000 in third-party costs are either paid out of pocket or deducted from your proceeds before funding.
- Live in your home normally. No monthly payments. You continue to pay your mortgage, property taxes, and insurance as usual.
- Settle when you're ready. Sell, refinance, or buy Point out at any time — there's no prepayment penalty. If you reach year 30 without settling, Point may require a sale of your home to resolve the balance — a last resort, since the long term gives you plenty of room to settle sooner on your own terms. At settlement, Point receives its share of your home's value at that time, subject to an annual cap — see exactly how below.
See What This Costs With Your Own Numbers
Now that you know how Point works step by step, enter your home value and see your modeled effective APR and payoff instantly — no manual math required.
How Repayment Is Calculated
Every HEI and HEA provider we track — Point included — calculates repayment using a formula made up of the same handful of components, just with different names and numbers. Here's how Point's payoff is actually calculated, in five simple pieces.
- Proceeds Percentage — how much you're asking for, as a percentage. Divide the amount you request by your home's appraised value. Request $50,000 on a $500,000 home, and your Proceeds Percentage is 10%. (Point calls this its "HEI Thickness.")
- Multiple — a number based on your financial profile. Point assigns this based on your credit score, how much you already owe on your mortgage, and other underwriting factors. A stronger profile typically means a lower multiple. (Point calls this its "HEI Multiple.")
- Investor Percentage — Point's share of your home's future gains. Multiply Proceeds Percentage by Multiple. Point caps this at 70%. (Point calls this its "HEI Percentage.")
- Appreciation Base — where Point starts measuring gains from. Point doesn't measure appreciation from your home's full appraised value. It first reduces that value by a Risk Adjustment (27%), and measures appreciation from that discounted value. (Point calls this its "Appreciation Starting Value.")
- Appreciation — how much your home's value grew, from Point's starting point. Subtract Appreciation Base from your Final Home Value (what it's worth when you settle). This is the number Point's Investor Percentage actually applies to.
Put together, here's the actual payoff formula:
Point Repayment Example
Here's that formula applied to a real scenario:
Scenario assumptions
- $500K home
- 700 credit score
- $50K requested
- 10% LTV
- 3.5% annual home price growth
- Exit year 10
| Proceeds Percentage | 10.0% ($50,000 ÷ $500,000) |
|---|---|
| Multiple | ≈3.22, based on credit score and loan-to-value |
| Investor Percentage | 32.2% (10.0% × 3.22) |
| Appreciation Base | $365,000 ($500,000 × 73%) |
| Final Home Value (yr 10) | $705,299 |
| Appreciation | $340,299 ($705,299 − $365,000) |
| Appreciation share | $109,576 (32.2% × $340,299) |
| Total payoff | $159,576 ($50,000 originally received + $109,576) |
Not every provider calculates repayment this way — some apply their Investor Percentage to your home's full future value instead of just the gain above a starting point. We'll cover those differences on each provider's own page.
One more protection: Point caps your total payoff at an annualized rate — about 18.0%/year in this example, applied to the amount you originally received before fees — so your home's appreciation can never push you past that ceiling. Point calls this its "Homeowner Protection Cap." See the cost calculator for how it plays out with your own numbers.
What It Actually Costs You
An HEI has no monthly payment and no stated interest rate. What you owe Point depends on two things: how much your home appreciates, and how long you hold the agreement before settling.
The table below shows Point's estimated share — the total amount you'd repay Point at settlement — across a range of home price growth scenarios and exit years.
Scenario assumptions
- $500K home
- 700 credit score
- $50K requested
- 10% LTV
Point's Estimated Share Owed ($)
| Exit Year | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 10 | 20 | 30 | ||
| Annual Home Growth | -1.5% | $59,781 | $85,457 | $81,752 | $77,307 | $70,887 | $51,471 | $34,779 |
| 0% (flat) | $59,781 | $85,457 | $93,470 | $93,470 | $93,470 | $93,470 | $93,470 | |
| 1.5% (low) | $59,781 | $85,457 | $105,913 | $111,155 | $119,317 | $149,314 | $184,126 | |
| 3.5% (avg) | $59,781 | $85,457 | $122,161 | $137,307 | $159,576 | $252,826 | $384,364 | |
| 5.5% (high) | $59,781 | $85,457 | $122,161 | $166,673 | $207,481 | $402,229 | $734,886 | |
Your own numbers — home value, mortgage balance, credit score, and requested amount — will produce a different result than the example above, and may make another provider cheaper for your situation.
Compare Point's estimated cost against other providers →Company Overview
Point was founded in 2014 and is headquartered in Palo Alto, California. The company has grown to more than 300 employees and has funded over 25,000 homeowners through more than $2.5 billion in total HEI originations. Point currently operates in 27 states and Washington, D.C.
Frequently Asked Questions
What credit score do I need to qualify with Point?
Point's minimum credit score is 500 — among the most permissive of the providers we track. Your specific offer terms will still depend on your full credit and equity profile.
How much money can I get from Point?
Point offers $30,000 to $600,000, capped at 25% of your home's value.
Does Point require monthly payments?
No. There are no monthly payments with a Point HEI. You settle the agreement — through sale, refinance, or buyout — any time before the 30-year term ends.
What happens if my home loses value?
Point's formula includes a built-in 27% "Risk Adjustment," so your home needs to lose more than about 27% of its value before you'd actually owe less than what you originally received. Past that point, what you owe keeps falling as your home's value falls further — though it can never go below $0.
Can I use Point on an investment property or second home?
Yes, Point accepts primary residences, second homes, and investment properties. Point doesn't verify income for primary or second homes; investment properties typically require additional underwriting (such as debt-service coverage) regardless of provider, so confirm current requirements directly with Point.
Can I pay off a Point agreement early?
Yes. There's no prepayment penalty or lockout period — you can buy out Point's share at any time, based on your home's value at that time.
What happens if I don't settle by the end of the 30-year term?
If you haven't sold, refinanced, or bought out the agreement by year 30, Point may require a sale of your home to resolve the balance — this isn't unique to Point; every provider we track works the same way at the end of its term. In practice this is a last resort: the 30-year runway gives you plenty of time to settle sooner through a sale, refinance, or buyout on your own timeline.
Get a Real Offer From Point
Your actual numbers depend on your home's appraised value and your own details. The surest way to know what Point would cost you is a real offer.
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