Unlock Review

Unlock is offered by Unlock, a nonbank financial services provider founded in 2020 and based in San Francisco, CA. Unlock is available in 14 states across the USA.

• No monthly payments. Unlock’s Home Equity Investment is not a loan, so there are no interest charges or monthly payments.
• Large investments available. Unlock will invest up to $500,000 in a home, which is more than what most shared equity companies offer.
• 10-year term. The investment has a contract term of 10 years, at which time you'll need to settle up with Unlock. You can do so by paying them in cash, getting cash-out refinancing, selling your home, or partnering with Unlock for another term.
• Share of the home's future value. Unlock gets paid a 5% to 43.75% share of the home's value when the contract ends. The specific percentage is based on how much cash you receive up front.
• Cash-out only. Existing homeowners can access up to 43.5% of their property's value without taking on debt. Funds can be used for anything, from paying off debt, renovating or retirement.
• Only available in select states. Unlock is currently available in 14 states.
• Poor credit accepted. Homeowners with a credit score as low as 500 can qualify with Unlock.

How does the Unlock product work?

A shared equity agreement (also called home equity contract) is essentially a way to sell a portion of the equity in your home to an investment company.

The Unlock product allows you to tap into the equity in your home without the monthly payments that come from a traditional home equity loan or line of credit. This product is designed for homeowners who need cash for reasons such as home improvement project or to eliminate debt.

Unlock will have a lien on the property (just like a mortgage does), but since it's not a loan you won't be paying Unlock interest or a monthly payment. Instead Unlock gets paid a share of your home's value when the contract ends, which typically occurs when you decide to sell your home or buy Unlock out. For example, Unlock might provide you with a cash investment today equal to 10% of your home's current value in exchange for 16% of your home's future value when you sell.

How much will Unlock invest into a shared equity agreement?

The Unlock program offers equity investments that range from 1% up to 43.5% of a property's market value. As you might expect, Unlock has a cap on the amount of funding they will invest in a single home. The most Unlock can invest in a single home is $500,000.

While Unlock is not a loan product, the maximum "loan to value" percentage is 85%. That means the value of their investment in the property plus any existing mortgage balance cannot exceed 85% of its market value.

What are the costs associated with Unlock?

Unlike loans, the cost associated with an Unlock investment is not based on an interest rate. There are no monthly payments or accrued interest. Instead, Unlock shares in the future value of your property and typically only receives a return on its investment when you sell your home or decide to buy Unlock out. The percentage of your home’s value that Unlock shares when the contract ends is larger than the percentage of Unlock's investment in your home. Therefore, Unlock will make a profit if your home’s value does not change. If your home’s value increases, Unlock will make a larger profit. If the value drops, Unlock will make a smaller profit, or might incur a loss.

The Unlock program includes an origination fee equal to 3% of the Unlock investment. This will reduce the amount of cash that you receive at closing. There are also expenses that are typical for any real estate financing transaction, such as appraisal, inspection and closing costs.

Unlock’s profit on its investment is subject to an annualized cost limit (typically 18%), Your cost for the Unlock money can never exceed the limit. In many cases, and depending on how long the contract remains outstanding, the cost will be significantly lower.

What are the terms for a shared equity investment via Unlock?

You can use the funds provided by Unlock for up to 10 years. After 10 years, you will need to settle up with Unlock, either by selling the home or buying Unlock out. You can finance a buyout with your cash, refinancing your mortgage, or by partnering with Unlock for another term.

The amount payable to Unlock when you settle up equals their agreed-upon percentage share of your home's value at the time of settlement.

How long does it take to close a deal with Unlock?

Unlock will typically fund a deal within 30 days.

What types of property does Unlock consider?

Shared equity investors often have restrictions on the type of properties they will invest in. Unlock will consider shared equity agreements secured by the following property types:

• Primary home
• Secondary homes and vacation properties.
• Investment properties.