Home Equity Agreements
- No monthly payments or interest
- Use the cash however you want
- Pay off anytime without penalties
- Doesn’t affect your existing mortgage
- Available to homeowners with lower credit scores (500+)
- Licensed mortgage lender and real estate brokerage that can support refinance or sale at repayment
- You give up a portion of your home’s future appreciation
- Closing costs and fees can eat into your upfront cash
- Only available in select states
- New company with few online reviews
| Funding amount | $20,000 – $500,000 |
| Repayment terms | 10 years |
| State availability | AZ, CA, AR, CO, FL, GA, KS, LA, MI, OK, OR, PA, WA |
If you’re house-rich but cash-strapped, a home equity investment like Nada’s home equity agreement (HEA) might sound like a dream: cash upfront now, no monthly payments, no interest. In exchange, you give up a share of your home’s future value.
We ran the numbers using Nada’s online calculator: On a $400,000 home with a $200,000 mortgage, you could unlock up to $100,000 in cash. But if you exit in year 10, you might owe Nada $167,000 to $248,000 (including the initial amount borrowed), depending on how much your home appreciates.
That’s not necessarily a bad deal, but it does mean you need to understand what you’re signing up for. Here’s how a Nada HEA works, who qualifies, and what to watch out for before signing.
About Nada
Nada is a Dallas-based company that offers homeowners an alternative to traditional home equity loans and HELOCs. Through a HEA, you receive a lump sum of cash today in exchange for sharing a portion of your home’s future value when you sell, refinance, or otherwise repay the agreement.
Founded in 2019, Nada is also the first SEC-qualified platform to let investors buy city-specific home equity shares via its CityFund endeavor. In 2025, it expanded its footprint by acquiring $10 million in HEAs for its U.S. Home Equity Fund I.
You may also see the name Homeshares referenced in Nada’s materials. Homeshares refers to the investment side of the business, where funds like U.S. Home Equity Fund I allow investors to participate in the home equity agreements Nada creates. As a homeowner, you work directly with Nada, not individual investors.
What is a Nada HEI?
Nada refers to its product as a home equity agreement (HEA), but it’s also commonly called a home equity investment (HEI). You may see both terms used interchangeably, along with phrases like home equity contract or home equity sharing agreement (HESA).
There’s no meaningful structural difference between an HEA and an HEI. They describe the same type of product. You receive cash today based on your home equity, and in return, you agree to share a percentage of your home’s future value when you sell, refinance, or otherwise repay the agreement.
The terminology varies by company and marketing preference, but the underlying structure remains the same. Read more about the acronyms for these products in this guide.
How does Nada work?
Nada’s HEA lets you trade a portion of your home’s future value for upfront cash with no interest, no monthly payments, and no loan on your credit report.
You stay the homeowner. Nada records a second lien on your property and becomes a co-investor in your home’s potential appreciation.
You can use the funds however you like, whether that’s paying off debt, starting a business, or tackling renovations. There are no restrictions.
Repayment
You can repay a Nada HEA at any time without prepayment penalties. Most homeowners repay by selling the home, refinancing, or using cash on hand.
Nada is also a licensed mortgage lender and licensed real estate brokerage, which means it can support homeowners directly through both the refinance and home sale process if they choose to use those services.
Term length
Each HEA lasts up to 10 years. If you haven’t repaid by then, you can sell the home, refinance, or apply for a new 10-year agreement.
Payment options
Nada HEAs don’t require monthly payments. Instead, the company takes a share of your home’s value when you repay the agreement.
Costs and fees
Nada charges 4% to 5% origination fees and a maximum processing fee of $750. Combined fees paid directly to Nada won’t exceed 4.9% of the HEA amount.
These are the only fees paid to Nada, but homeowners should also expect to pay third-party fees (title, inspection, notary, etc.) as closing costs.
From the Nada website, here’s an example of what the third-party fees typically include:
- Title and escrow: $475- $600
- Property inspection: $530 – $800
- Home valuation (AVM): $50 – $120
- Notary fee: $75 – $250
- Recording fees: $90 – $400 (charged on a state or county basis)
- Underwriting fee: 1% – 3% of loan amount
- Processing fee: $595 – $795
Typically, 4% to 7% of the amount you’re accessing will be applied to closing costs. All fees are deducted from your cash proceeds, so you don’t pay anything out of pocket.
Final payment
Nada’s repayment amount depends on your home’s future value and the percentage you sold. The exchange rate starts at 1.85, meaning that if you access 10% of your home’s current value, Nada’s share becomes 18.5% of your home’s value when you repay.
Example 1: Moderate appreciation
- Home value at agreement: $400,000
- Percentage accessed: 10%
- Cash received: $40,000
- Exchange rate: 1.85
- Nada’s share at repayment: 18.5%
If your home is worth $500,000 at repayment:
- 18.5% × $500,000 = $92,500
- Total repayment: $92,500
Example 2: Minimal appreciation
- Home value at agreement: $400,000
- Percentage accessed: 10%
- Cash received: $40,000
- Exchange rate: 1.85
- Nada’s share at repayment: 18.5%
If your home is worth $420,000 at repayment:
- 18.5% × $420,000 = $77,700
- Total repayment: $77,700
Note: Nada caps its annualized return at 19.99%, which limits how much it can earn per year if your home appreciates significantly.
Eligibility and requirements
To qualify for a Nada HEA, you’ll need:
- At least 25% equity in your home (meaning your mortgage is no more than 75% of the home’s value)
- A minimum credit score of 500
- No recent mortgage delinquencies
- A property located in one of Nada’s eligible states: AZ, CA, AR, CO, FL, GA, KS, LA, MI, OK, OR, PA, or WA
- A single-family home, townhome, site condo, or two to four-unit multi-family worth at least $175,000
Nada doesn’t require income or asset minimums, but you will need to provide proof of employment.
Does Nada have any control over my home or its condition?
Nope. You stay in full control of your home.
Renovations and home projects
You don’t need Nada’s permission to renovate, upgrade, or even sell your home. Just know that increasing your home’s value could also increase the amount Nada receives when you repay.
Maintenance and condition
While Nada doesn’t dictate how you maintain your home, they are a co-investor. So if your property falls into disrepair and loses value, that could reduce your eventual payout (and theirs). Keeping the home in good shape protects both parties’ interests.
Pros and cons of a Nada HEA
Nada’s pros and cons we are similar to what you’d expect from any industry-standard home equity investment arrangement.
Read More: 10 Home Equity Agreement (HEA) Pros and Cons
Pros
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No monthly payments or interest
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Use the cash however you want
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Pay off anytime without penalties
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Doesn’t affect your existing mortgage
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Licensed mortgage lender and real estate brokerage offering support during refinance or home sale
Cons
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You give up a portion of your home’s future appreciation
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Total repayment can be high if your home gains value quickly
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Closing costs and fees can eat into your upfront cash
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Only available in certain states
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New company with few online customer reviews
Customer reviews
Nada earns strong customer ratings across the platforms where it maintains an active review presence.
| Platform | Rating | Number of Reviews |
| Trustpilot | 4.6 / 5 | 58 reviews |
| Google Reviews | 4.7 / 5 | 69 reviews |
The ratings are high, though the total number of reviews remains relatively modest. Nada launched in 2019, and because its agreements last up to 10 years, many customers are still in the middle of their term rather than at the repayment stage—when borrowers are more likely to leave detailed feedback.
Nada also holds an A+ accreditation rating with the Better Business Bureau (BBB), which reflects the company’s responsiveness to complaints and overall business practices.
Customer service
Nada’s team is based in Dallas and operates Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. CT. You can reach them by:
- Email: [email protected]
- Online scheduling: Book a call with a rep through their website
- Application support: Nada offers hands-on help with refinancing, selling, or repaying your HEA
How to apply for a Nada home equity agreement
You can check your eligibility and get a free estimate on Nada’s website in just a few minutes. The application process starts with these steps:
- Navigate to Nada’s website and click “Get Your Cash Estimate.”
- Fill out the short form to see how much equity you could unlock with a Nada HEA.
- Book a call with Nada’s team to go over the next steps.
If approved for a Nada HEA, the company will order a valuation and finalize terms. Once everything’s signed, you’ll receive your funds minus closing costs.
Alternatives to Nada
Before making any commitments, we recommend comparing Nada to other home equity agreement companies. Some of our top recommendations include Hometap, Point, and Unlock.
About our contributors
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Written by Cassidy Horton, MBACassidy Horton is a finance writer passionate about helping people find financial freedom. With an MBA and a bachelor's in public relations, her work has been published more than 1,000 times online.