Costs are up across the board. Wages haven’t kept pace. And the biggest asset most Americans own sits largely locked away, unavailable for the financial challenges facing today’s homeowners.
Homeowners need better options and flexibility.
65%
of homeowners say the cost of homeownership is more expensive than they expected
46%
of homeowners say personal finances cause the most stress in their lives
52%
say day-to-day expenses like gas and groceries are causing moderate to extreme financial stress
76%
believe homeownership remains one of the best ways to grow personal wealth
60%
say having the option to leverage home equity provides an extra level of financial security
Source Unlock Homeowner Survey, February 2026 Read more
Homeowners are feeling the pressure across their entire budget, and it’s growing. Data confirms “the squeeze” homeowners are trying to manage, according to analysis commissioned by Unlock in 2026.
The Urban Institute studied shared equity products, the homeowners who use them, and what regulators should know. The findings challenge a lot of assumptions.
Urban Institute, February 2026. Funded independently by the Housing Finance Innovation Forum.
$30 trillion in wealth is locked in equity, unavailable to most homeowners without refinancing to a higher rate mortgage or selling. Instead, a Home Equity Agreement (HEA) lets homeowners access the value already in their home — without monthly payments or the need to refinance.
It opens options, without adding new monthly obligations.
In a May 2026 article, Housingwire’s Flávia Furlan Nunes and Unlock’s Jim Riccitelli discuss what distinguishes Shared Equity Products (SEPs) from other types of financing, recent regulatory and legal efforts that target the industry, and the factors that are driving demand among homeowners of all ages.
No. But you must pay your mortgage, taxes, HOA dues and other housing obligations just as you normally do.
Yes, we do! Pricing is typically higher for a rental property versus a primary residence.
We obtain one or more appraisals, broker price opinions or AVMs (automated valuation model) during the underwriting of your application.
Whenever we obtain an appraisal or broker price opinion, Unlock Technologies engages a third-party appraiser or broker to provide a valuation report on your home. This person will always be a neutral service provider, representing neither you or us.
Objectivity and accuracy of the appraisal and inspection process is fundamental to the Unlock Agreement, and we are committed to those goals in our standards and procedures, including the following:
**IMPORTANT: Unlock does not ever apply a discount to the home value determined by our valuation process.
See the Unlock Product Guide for more details.
Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming
In some cases, Unlock Technologies may require you to pay off some debts, or property liens when your Unlock Agreement is originated, but we do not place any other restrictions on the net cash you receive from us at close of escrow.
We pay you a lump sum of cash in exchange for a portion of your home’s future value. There are no monthly payments or monthly interest charges. You can typically use the proceeds any way you want, and you continue to own your home just as you always have. When you are ready to sell your home, we share in your home’s then-current value according to the percentage agreed up front. You can also buy us out based on an appraised value without selling your home.
A reverse mortgage is available only to homeowners that are at least 62 years old. An Unlock Agreement has no age requirements. Depending on your circumstances an Unlock Agreement can yield more or less cash to you up front versus a reverse mortgage. With a typical reverse mortgage, you are required to pay off your existing mortgage at closing in order to qualify. With an Unlock Agreement you are not required to pay off your existing mortgage.
In addition, a reverse mortgage is a loan and has an interest rate which increases the balance owed regardless of the home’s value. Over time it is possible for a reverse mortgage to consume all of your home equity.
Once you create an account, we’ll provide an estimate of the maximum cash available.
In general, the maximum amount of cash available from Unlock is $500,000. The specific amount we can offer you depends on four things:
Note that these factors can affect each other. For instance, an expensive home with a lot of debt may qualify for less cash than a less expensive home with no debt.
See the Unlock Product Guide for more details.
There are no monthly payments or interest charges with Unlock. Instead, we share in the value of your home according to the terms of the Unlock Agreement when you sell or decide to buy us out.
At closing, we charge an origination fee of 4.9% of our investment, which is comparable to many other types of financing. You will also pay any required third-party expenses to appraise and inspect your home and record your transaction.
See the Unlock Product Guide for more details, including numerical examples.
Click here to access a cost calculator.
You do! Unlock secures its interest by placing a lien on the property but has no rights of occupancy. We do not go on title except in rare circumstances.
See the Unlock Product Guide for more details.
Homeowners with:
In addition, property owners should not be currently participating in a mortgage lender repayment program or a mortgage foreclosure mitigation program. Unlock must be in no greater than 2nd lien position and home must be clear of any liens deemed unacceptable by Unlock (Unlock may require investment proceeds to be used in order to clear any unacceptable pre-existing liens as a condition to close). Unlock may also require investment proceeds be used to pay off certain outstanding debts as a condition to close.
Unlock Technologies invests in most residential real estate (single family, condominiums, 2-4 unit properties and townhomes), including primary residence, second homes and rental properties. We currently do not invest in TICs, co-ops, raw land, or any prefabricated homes such as mobile homes or manufactured housing.
See how much equity your home could unlock — without monthly payments or the need to refinance.
Terms and conditions apply. Not all homeowners will qualify. Use home equity responsibly.
