HELOC or HEI? powered by Honest Casa
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The HEI offer is written in jargon. Here's the decoder — and the HELOC to compare it against.

Here's the simple version first: a home equity investment (HEI) gives you a lump sum of cash from your home's equity with no monthly payment — it's not a HELOC (no loan, no interest) and not a reverse mortgage (no age requirement). The company shares in your home's future growth instead. But the offers arrive wrapped in terms like 'investment percentage' and 'risk-adjusted home value.' We offer both HEIs and HELOCs, so this page translates every term into plain English and runs your actual numbers through both.

HEI: cash today with $0/month, no income paperwork, credit scores as low as 500
HELOC: rate-capped cost, keep all your home's growth — if you qualify and can pay monthly
Already holding an HEI quote? Send your scenario and we'll price the alternative
Jargon decoder belowEvery HEI term, plain English
$0/month optionThe HEI's honest superpower
Both products, one teamNumbers decide, not pages
Second-opinion friendlyBring any provider's quote
Your side-by-side is 60 seconds away 0%

How much cash are you comparing for?

If an HEI provider already quoted you, use their number. Check your rate as of .

$100,000

Lump sum (HEI) or credit line (HELOC)

$15K$750K
Secure ~60 seconds No SSN needed

Let's estimate your available equity

Both products are sized from equity — best guesses are fine.

ESTIMATED AVAILABLE EQUITY$150,000

What's your credit score range?

Your best estimate is fine — it's confirmed later in the process.

Where are you in the process?

This shapes what your side-by-side emphasizes.

What's the property address?

Start typing and select your address — we verify it instantly so your estimate is accurate.

We couldn't verify this address — check the spelling or select one of the suggestions
Unit number is required for condos & townhomes
Address is verified against official U.S. records

Where should we send your side-by-side?

Please use your full legal name (as it appears on your government-issued ID) and an email and mobile number you control — these details are verified and used in the underwriting process. Inaccurate information can delay your estimate.

First name is required
Last name is required
Enter a valid date of birth (MM/DD/YYYY)
Enter a valid email address
Enter a valid 10-digit phone number
How your information is protected: encrypted in transit, used only to prepare your estimate and verify your identity, and never sold to third parties.
Your information is encrypted and never sold

Congrats — you're a fit!

You've been matched. A licensed specialist will price both sides — the HEI terms decoded into dollars, and the HELOC alternative — and reach out with the side-by-side.

Requested amount$100,000
Estimated equity$150,000
Property—
What happens next: Watch your email and phone — a licensed specialist at West Capital Lending will reach out within one business day with your HEI estimate and HELOC options decoded into plain dollars. Holding another provider's quote? Have it handy — he'll translate it line by line.

Fit is based on the answers you provided and is not a loan approval. Loan options are subject to verification, credit approval, and underwriting.

The HEI jargon decoder

Every home equity investment quote uses some flavor of these five terms. Here's what each one means for your wallet — and the question to ask about it.

Term on the quotePlain EnglishThe question to ask
Investment amountThe cash you receive todayIs it enough after any fees are netted out?
Investment / appreciation percentageThe provider's slice of your home's value changeWhat's my settlement in dollars at 0%, 3%, and 6% yearly appreciation?
Risk-adjusted home valueA starting value set BELOW your appraisal — the share is measured from here, so the provider profits even in a flat marketHow far below appraisal — and what's the share worth in a flat market because of it?
Exchange rate / multiplierSome providers scale the share up relative to the cash given — 2x means a 10% investment claims 20% of changeWhat's the effective share after the multiplier?
Term & settlement eventsThe deadline and the triggers (sale, refi, buyout, end of term)How long is the runway, and is early buyout penalty-free? (The program we offer: 30 years, no penalty.)

Bring any provider's quote to your side-by-side and these five rows get filled in with your actual numbers — next to the HELOC alternative. General information, not legal or financial advice; terms vary significantly by provider.

From jargon to a decision in 3 steps

HEI offers are only confusing until someone translates the four numbers that matter.

01

Send your scenario

Sixty seconds: equity, credit range, and where you are in the process. Holding a quote already? Even better — mention it.

~60 seconds
02

Get the translation

Your side-by-side decodes the HEI into dollars — what the share and risk adjustment actually cost at realistic appreciation rates — next to the HELOC's rate-based cost and monthly payment.

1 business day
03

Choose the honest winner

Sometimes it's the HEI's $0/month. Sometimes it's the HELOC's capped cost. We close either one, so the answer follows your numbers.

Your call

Why get your HEI answer from a team that offers both

No thumb on the scale

HEI-only providers will always conclude you need an HEI; HELOC-only lenders, the reverse. We're compensated on either product, so the recommendation can actually follow your scenario.

We read the fine print for a living

Investment percentage vs appreciation share, appraised vs risk-adjusted value, term triggers, buyout mechanics — the decoder below is the checklist we apply to any offer you bring.

The $0/month case, made honestly

For payment-constrained, income-undocumented, or credit-challenged homeowners, the HEI isn't just better — it's usually the only real offer. We'll say so plainly when that's you.

The HELOC case, made honestly

Strong income, 640+ credit, budget room, hot market? The HELOC's rate-capped cost plus keeping 100% of appreciation usually wins. We'll say that plainly too.

HEI vs HELOC vs cash-out refi

The grid both sales pages hope you never see in one place.

HEI · $0/monthNO PAYMENTSHELOCCash-out refi
Monthly payment None Interest, monthly Full P&I, monthly
Income documentation None Required Full documentation
Credit floor From 500 ~640+ ~620+
Cost structure Share of value change Variable rate Fixed rate, whole balance
Cost if home value stays flat Small share only Full interest anyway Full interest anyway
Cost if home value booms Share grows with it Capped by rate Capped by rate
Keeps your current mortgage rate Yes Yes No — full reset
Runway / term Up to 30 yrs, buy out anytime 10-yr draw typical New 30-yr loan

Frequently asked questions

What is a home equity investment (HEI)?
A lump sum of cash today in exchange for a share of your home's future value change — settled when you sell, refinance, or buy out the agreement. It's the same mechanism as a home equity agreement (HEA); 'investment' is just the framing some providers prefer. It is not a loan: no interest, no monthly payments, no income documentation, and credit scores from 500 can qualify.
HEI vs HELOC — which should I choose?
Run both numbers; the pattern is consistent. HEI wins when a monthly payment doesn't fit, income is hard to document, or credit sits below the ~620–640 HELOC floor — and in flat markets it's often cheaper outright. HELOC wins when you qualify comfortably, can carry the payment, and your market appreciates strongly — its cost is capped by the rate and the appreciation stays entirely yours. We offer both, which is the only reason you can trust that paragraph.
What is the 'risk-adjusted home value' on my HEI quote?
The single most important term to decode. Providers typically don't measure your appreciation from the appraised value — they discount it first (commonly 10–20%), so their share is calculated from a lower base. Practical effect: they earn a return even if your home never appreciates. It's disclosed, but it's dressed in the blandest name in the contract. Always ask for the flat-market settlement number — that's the risk adjustment expressed in dollars.
What does the 'exchange rate' or multiplier mean?
Some providers scale their share relative to the cash invested: a 2x exchange rate means cash equal to 10% of your home's value buys them 20% of the value change. Combined with the risk adjustment, this is where quotes that look similar diverge by tens of thousands. The decoder table above has the exact question to ask.
I already have an HEI offer from Point, Unlock, Unison, or another provider. Will you review it?
Yes — that's a core use of this page. Send your scenario through the form and mention the quote; your side-by-side will translate its terms into settlement dollars at realistic appreciation rates, next to our HEI program's terms and the HELOC alternative. Second opinions are how you avoid learning the fine print at settlement.
How much can I get from an HEI?
Lump sums up to $500,000 through the program we offer, sized from your equity rather than your income. The form above runs the equity math instantly.
Do HEIs check income or credit?
No income documentation, ever — there's no monthly payment to underwrite. Credit is checked but scores from 500 are accepted; it influences terms rather than gating approval. This is the structural difference from every loan product on this page.
What happens if my home loses value?
The share works in both directions in most contracts — the provider shares depreciation too, reducing (sometimes eliminating) their return. Terms vary by provider on this point, so it's one of the rows we decode explicitly in your side-by-side.
Can I buy out an HEI early?
In the program we offer, yes — anytime within the 30-year term, penalty-free, at the then-current value math. Common pattern: take the HEI during a rough patch, then buy out via refinance once income and credit recover. Other providers vary; check the term row on the decoder.
Who's behind this site?
This site is operated by the team at Honest Casa (NMLS #1566096, Equal Housing Lender, Irvine, CA), offering home equity investments through a leading provider we partner with, alongside HELOC options across a 90+ lender network. We may receive compensation from the provider or lenders, which is disclosed here — and it's exactly why both products get shown honestly. We have no affiliation with other HEI providers whose offers we review. Verify licensing at NMLS Consumer Access.

Don't sign what you can't decode.

Your HEI and HELOC numbers, translated into plain dollars — one business day.

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