Home equity sharing agreements can be great ways to tap into your home equity and access cash, all without taking on a new loan or monthly payment.
Unlike loans and mortgages, these agreements allow investing companies to acquire a share of your home’s value in exchange for a lump sum of cash. You’ll be required to buy out the company’s share of your home by the end of the term. You can do this with cash, a refinance, or a home sale.
Many companies offer these arrangements, but Unison and Point are two of the most prominent. Not sure which one is your best option? We’ll look at customer reviews, eligibility requirements, and more below.
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| Investment amount | $25,000 – $350,000 | $30,000 – $500,000 |
| Investment amount | Investment amount | |
| $25,000 – $350,000 | $30,000 – $500,000 | |
| Term length | 30 years | 30 years |
| Term length | Term length | |
| 30 years | 30 years | |
| Min. credit score | 500 | 620 |
| Min. credit score | Min. credit score | |
| 500 | 620 | |
| State availability | AZ, CA, CO, FL, IL, MD, MA, MI, MN, NV, NJ, NY, NC, OH, OR, PA, VA, WA, DC | AZ, CA, CO, DE, FL, IL, IN, KS, KY, MA, MI, MN, MO, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NY, NC, OH, OR, PA, RI, SC, TN, UT, VA, WA, WI, DC |
| State availability | State availability | |
| AZ, CA, CO, FL, IL, MD, MA, MI, MN, NV, NJ, NY, NC, OH, OR, PA, VA, WA, DC | AZ, CA, CO, DE, FL, IL, IN, KS, KY, MA, MI, MN, MO, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NY, NC, OH, OR, PA, RI, SC, TN, UT, VA, WA, WI, DC | |
| See the best home equity investments. | ||
In this comparison:
- Does Point or Unison have better ratings?
- Is an investment from Point or Unison more accessible?
- Scenarios in which Point or Unison is better than the other
- Our choice between Point and Unison
Does Point or Unison have better ratings and reviews?
Customer reviews and online ratings can be a great way to gauge the trustworthiness of a company and the quality of its offerings.
Check out the table below to see how customers and other rating companies score Unison and Point.
| Rating Source | Point | Unison |
| Trustpilot | 4.5 stars | 4 stars |
| Better Business Bureau | 4.47 stars | 4.38 stars |
| LendEDU | 4.3 stars | 4.7 stars |
Ratings accurate as of February 2, 2022.
Generally speaking, Point has better reviews—and more of them. It also has fewer negative reviews. On Trustpilot, a whopping 90% of reviews say their Point experience was either “good” or “great.”
On the Better Business Bureau’s website, Unison has 42 complaints compared to just three for Point.
Is an investment from Point or Unison more accessible?
Checking reviews and ratings is important, but you should also check each company’s eligibility requirements. Both Point and Unison have unique credit score minimums, loan-to-value thresholds, and other standards, as well as different state-by-state availability.
Use the information below to ensure you’re eligible with each company before moving forward. Then, if you qualify, use the companies’ free quote tools to get a cash estimate. These tools do not require a complete application or credit check.
| Point | Unison | |
| State Availability | AZ, CA, CO, FL, IL, MD, MA, MI, MN, NV, NJ, NY, NC, OH, OR, PA, VA, WA, DC | AZ, CA, CO, DE, FL, IL, IN, KS, KY, MA, MI, MN, MO, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NY, NC, OH, OR, PA, RI, SC, TN, UT, VA, WA, WI, and DC |
| Min. Credit Score | 500 | 620 |
| Income Requirements | None | None |
| Max. LTV | 80% | 70% |
| Free Cash Estimate | Prequalify | Prequalify |
Unison is more widely available, serving states like Delaware, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Nebraska, Tennessee, Utah, and Wisconsin, where Point does not.
At 620, though, its minimum credit score is much stricter. If your score is on the lower end, an investment from Point is likely your best option.
Scenarios in which Point or Unison is better than the other
If you’re still unsure whether Point or Unison is the best option, we’ve detailed some clear-cut scenarios where one service wins out over the other. Check if you fall into any of the following categories to see which company is the best if you do.
- If you need a small investment
- If you don’t want any buy-out restrictions
- If you want a company with excellent ratings
- If you want to limit the origination fee you are charged
- If you have poor credit
If you need a small investment: Point
If you need a small investment, Point has the lowest investment range at $25,000. With Unison, $30,000 is the bare minimum.
If you don’t want any buy-out restrictions: Point
If you want to buy out the investment or sell the house without limit, Point is the way to go. There is a five-year restriction on depreciated sales or buy outs with Unison. Point doesn’t have these restrictions.
If you want a company with excellent ratings: Point
As discussed earlier, Point’s reviews and ratings are slightly better than Unison’s—both in our analysis and on other review and rating sites. The most notable difference is on Trustpilot, where 12% of Unison’s reviews are considered “bad.” Point’s bad reviews clock in at a mere 4%.
If you want to limit the origination fee you are charged: Unison
If you’re trying to minimize upfront fees, there’s a chance Unison can help you do it. There is an origination fee of 3.9% with Unison, while Point’s origination fee varies from 3% to 5% (so it could be comparable—but it could also be more).
If you have poor credit: Point
If your credit’s on the lower end, Point is your answer for a home equity investment. Unison requires a 620 credit score to qualify, while Point’s goes all the way down to 500.
Which company is our choice between Point vs. Unison?
Our analysis led us to choose Unison as the better option if you’re looking for a home equity investment. As you can see above, though, the right choice depends on your goals, your credit score, and other factors. If you’re not sure which to choose, consider filling out the free cash estimate tool on each company’s website. You can then compare terms and other conditions directly.