Unison HEI Review
The Bottom Line
Best for: homeowners who want a 30-year agreement with a renovation adjustment.
Unison's HEI offers up to a 30-year term — tied with Point 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. Among 30-year providers, Unison's real edge is avoiding any credit-score impact when you apply and getting credit for eligible renovations.
Is Unison Right for You?
Good Fit If
- You want a 30-year agreement (maximum flexibility on when you repay)
- You want to avoid any credit-score impact from applying — Unison only ever runs a soft credit check, the same as Unlock
- You're planning home improvements that will add real value — Unison can exclude eligible renovation value from its share
- You own the property individually, not through an LLC or trust
- You have strong credit (620+)
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 more than 15% of your home's value, or more than $500,000 (below the higher caps at Point and Hometap)
- You want to use it on an investment property or second home — Unison's stated eligibility is primary residences only, with some exceptions in practice
- You live outside Unison's current 24-state (plus D.C.) footprint
See How Unison Compares
Enter your home details to compare Unison against Point, Hometap, Unlock, and Splitero side by side — eligibility, estimated effective APR, and year-by-year costs.
How Unison Compares
Where Unison Leads
- Long repayment window. Unison gives you up to 30 years to repay, tied with Point and Splitero for the longest we track.
- No credit impact to apply. Unison only ever runs a soft credit check, even through closing, so applying or comparing offers won't affect your credit score — the same as Unlock.
- Credit for home improvements. If you renovate and your home's value goes up because of it, Unison can exclude that added value from its share — so you keep more of what you put in, the same as Hometap and Unlock.
Where Unison Falls Behind
- Highest credit score requirement. Unison requires a 620 minimum credit score — higher than every other provider we track, including the 500 minimum at Point, Unlock, and Splitero.
- Lower funding ceiling and proceeds percentage. Unison tops out at $500,000 and 15% of your home's value, versus $600,000 and 25-27% at Point and Hometap — Splitero also reaches 25%.
- Higher minimum amount. You have to request at least $30,000 with Unison — more than some homeowners actually need, and higher than the $15,000 minimum at Hometap and Unlock.
- Repayment due if you pass away. If you die before the agreement ends, your heirs have 180 days to repay Unison — unlike Point, Splitero, and Hometap, which let heirs wait until the home is eventually sold, refinanced, or the term ends.
- Restrictions on loss sharing. Unison won't share in a decline in your home's value until 36 months into the agreement, and never if you settle through a buyout. Every other provider we track has no such time-based restriction.
Eligibility Requirements
| States | AZ, CA, CO, DE, DC, FL, IN, KS, KY, MI, MN, MO, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OR, RI, SC, TN, UT, VA, WI — check your specific state in the cost calculator |
|---|---|
| Property types | Single family, condo, townhome, 2–4 unit (mobile homes, commercial properties, co-ops, and several other non-traditional property types not eligible) |
| Residency | Primary residence only (Unison has indicated some exceptions may exist in practice — confirm directly) |
| Min credit score | 620 |
| Min home value | No stated minimum |
| Max Senior LTV | 70% |
| Max CLTV | 90% (unconfirmed) |
| Funding range | $30,000 – $500,000 (up to 15% of home value) |
| Max term | 30 years |
| Existing liens | Reverse mortgages, interest-only loans, and existing HEI and HEA agreements not allowed |
How Unison Works
Here's exactly what happens when you use Unison, step by step. (New to HEIs and HEAs generally? Start with What Is an HEA?)
- Apply online. Unison checks your home value, existing mortgage balance, and credit — but only ever with a soft credit check, even through closing, so applying won't affect your credit score.
- Receive an offer. Unison calculates its cut of your home's future value, typically using a 4.0x multiple for primary residences. Secondary and investment properties may use a different multiple.
- Close and receive funds. An origination fee (3.9% of proceeds, no stated minimum or maximum) 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 Unison out at any time — there's no prepayment penalty. If you pass away before settling, your heirs have 180 days to repay Unison. If you reach year 30 without settling, Unison may require a sale or foreclosure 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, Unison 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 Unison 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 — Unison included — calculates repayment using a formula made up of the same handful of components, just with different names and numbers. Here's how Unison'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%.
- Multiple — a number based on property type. Unison typically uses a 4.0x multiple for primary residences. Secondary and investment properties may use a different multiple.
- Investor Percentage — Unison's share of your home's future gains. Multiply Proceeds Percentage by Multiple. Unison caps this at 60%. (Unison calls this its "Investor Percentage.")
- Appreciation Base — where Unison starts measuring gains from. Unison doesn't measure appreciation from your home's full appraised value. It first reduces that value by a Risk Adjustment (5%), and measures appreciation from that discounted value. (Unison calls this its "Original Agreed Value.")
- Appreciation — how much your home's value grew, from Unison's starting point. Subtract Appreciation Base from your Final Home Value (what it's worth when you settle — Unison calls this its "Ending Agreed Value"). This is the number Unison's Investor Percentage actually applies to.
Put together, here's the actual payoff formula:
Unison's own contract documents present this same formula in a different but mathematically equivalent form.
Unison Repayment Example
Here's that formula applied to a real scenario:
Scenario assumptions
- $500K home
- 700 credit score
- $50K requested
- 3.5% annual home price growth
- Exit year 10
| Proceeds Percentage | 10.0% ($50,000 ÷ $500,000) |
|---|---|
| Multiple | 4.0 |
| Investor Percentage | 40.0% (10.0% × 4.0) |
| Appreciation Base | $475,000 ($500,000 × 95%) |
| Final Home Value (yr 10) | $705,299 |
| Appreciation | $230,299 ($705,299 − $475,000) |
| Appreciation share | $92,120 (40.0% × $230,299) |
| Total payoff | $142,120 ($50,000 originally received + $92,120) |
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.
As an extra protection, Unison also caps your total payoff at an annualized rate — applied to the amount you originally received, before fees — so your home's appreciation can't push you past that ceiling. Unison calls this its "Equity Appreciation Limit." Unison is the only provider we track whose cap is temporary: it only applies for the first 3 years (36 months) of the agreement, during which your payoff can't exceed a 20% annualized rate. After year 3, there's no cap at all — Unison's share is based purely on the formula above, with no ceiling on how high your effective cost could run in a strong appreciation market. See the cost calculator for how this plays out with your own numbers and exit year.
What It Actually Costs You
An HEI has no monthly payment and no stated interest rate. What you owe Unison depends on two things: how much your home appreciates, and how long you hold the agreement before settling.
The table below shows Unison's estimated share — the total amount you'd repay Unison at settlement — across a range of home price growth scenarios and exit years.
Scenario assumptions
- $500K home
- 700 credit score
- $50K requested
- 10% LTV
Unison's Estimated Share Owed ($)
| Exit Year | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 10 | 20 | 30 | ||
| Annual Home Growth | -1.5% | $60,000 | $60,000 | $45,443 | $39,922 | $31,946 | $7,827 | $0 |
| 0% (flat) | $60,000 | $60,000 | $60,000 | $60,000 | $60,000 | $60,000 | $60,000 | |
| 1.5% (low) | $60,000 | $69,136 | $75,457 | $81,969 | $92,108 | $129,371 | $172,616 | |
| 3.5% (avg) | $60,000 | $81,744 | $97,537 | $114,456 | $142,120 | $257,958 | $421,359 | |
| 5.5% (high) | $60,000 | $86,400 | $121,392 | $150,936 | $201,629 | $443,551 | $856,790 | |
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 Unison's estimated cost against other providers →Company Overview
Unison describes itself as the "first home equity sharing company" and is the oldest of the five providers we track. Since its founding in 2006, Unison has invested with more than 17,000 homeowners with more than $8.8 billion in total home value. Unison is headquartered in San Francisco, California, currently operating in 24 states and Washington, D.C.
Frequently Asked Questions
What credit score do I need to qualify with Unison?
Unison's minimum credit score is 620 — the highest minimum among 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 Unison?
Unison offers $30,000 to $500,000, capped at 15% of your home's value.
Does Unison require monthly payments?
No. There are no monthly payments with a Unison 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?
If your home's value falls, Unison doesn't share in that decline during the first 36 months of the agreement, or ever if you settle through a buyout. In either case, your payoff is calculated as if your home's value hadn't dropped, so a declining market doesn't lower what you owe. After 36 months, on a sale exit, Unison does share in further losses.
Can I use Unison on an investment property or second home?
Unison's stated eligibility is primary residences only, though the company has indicated some exceptions may exist in practice. Confirm directly with Unison before assuming an investment property or second home would qualify.
Can I pay off a Unison agreement early?
Yes. There's no prepayment penalty or lockout period on when you can settle — though settling within the first 36 months, or through a buyout at any time, means you won't benefit from loss sharing if your home's value has fallen, as covered above.
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, Unison may require a sale or, in some cases, foreclosure to resolve the balance — this isn't unique to Unison; 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 Unison
Your actual numbers depend on your home's appraised value and your own details. The surest way to know what Unison would cost you is a real offer.
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