- Up to $600,000, generally up to 20% of your home's value
- No monthly payments during the 30-year term
- Minimum credit score of 500, with no income requirements
- 3.9% processing fee ($2,000 minimum), deducted at closing
- A Homeowner Protection Cap limits the buyback amount. Its rate comes with your offer
- Select regions of 29 states and Washington, D.C.
This Point home equity review covers what the company's Home Equity Investment costs, who could qualify, and what customers, complaint records and court listings show, using the figures Point publishes on its own website.
| Buyback amount | The amount you received plus an agreed share of your home's appreciation, limited by the Homeowner Protection Cap |
|---|---|
| Funding amount | $30,000 to $600,000. A maximum offer is generally 20% of your home's value |
| Term | 30 years, with no prepayment penalty for buying back sooner |
| Minimum credit score | 500 |
| Equity | You usually need to keep 27% or more of the equity in your home after Point's investment |
| Minimum home value | $155,000 |
| Point's fee | 3.9% processing fee with a $2,000 minimum, deducted at closing |
| State availability | Select regions of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin and Washington, D.C. |
| Offer | See your offer from Point. Point says prequalifying takes about 60 seconds and does not affect your credit. |
Our take: Point could be a fit if you have a credit score of 500 or higher, plenty of equity and a home in one of the regions it serves, and you want a lump sum with no monthly payments and as long as 30 years to buy back your equity. The trade-off is the cost and how little of it you could see in advance. In Point's own example, $50,000 received on a $500,000 home becomes $114,300 after five years of 3.5% yearly appreciation, and the two numbers that set your cost, the HEI percentage and the cap rate, only arrive with your offer.
What is Point?
Point is the trade name of Point Digital Finance, Inc., a company based in Palo Alto, California. Point has said it was founded in 2014, and its own timeline shows a first funding round in 2016 led by Andreessen Horowitz. Its main product is the Home Equity Investment, or HEI: Point gives you a lump sum of cash today in exchange for a share of your home's future appreciation. There are no monthly payments, and you buy back your equity in one lump sum at any point in a 30-year term, usually through a home sale or a refinance.
Point says it has funded more than 30,000 homeowners. The agreement you sign is a real estate option agreement that is recorded against your property, and Point places a lien on the home to secure it. Point itself notes that an HEI is classified as a mortgage loan in some states. The company also offers a HELOC, which this review does not cover.
You may see this kind of product called a home equity agreement or a home equity sharing agreement. Our home equity hub covers the other ways to use the equity in your home.
Where is Point available?
As of this update, Point is available in select regions of the 29 states below and Washington, D.C., and says availability may vary by county within those states:
- Arizona
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kentucky
- Maryland
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Jersey
- New York
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Utah
- Virginia
- Washington
- Wisconsin
- Washington, D.C.
The only way to confirm your own address is to prequalify. If Point is not offering the HEI in your area, it has a waitlist.
How does Point work?
At a glance: Point could invest up to $600,000, generally up to 20% of your home's value, in exchange for an agreed percentage of the home's future appreciation. The term is 30 years and there are no monthly payments.
You start by prequalifying online, which Point says takes about 60 seconds and uses a soft credit inquiry. If you go ahead, you complete a full application, upload documents and authorize a hard credit inquiry. Point then arranges a valuation of the home and reviews the title, and finalizes your offer and pricing.
Closing happens in person with a notary. A federally required three-day rescission period follows, during which you could cancel at no cost, and funds typically arrive by wire or check within three to five business days after it. Point says some homeowners close in as little as three weeks, and that the timeline depends on how quickly documents, the valuation and any title issues are resolved.
During the term you remain the owner of the home and make no payments to Point. When you are ready, you buy back your equity in one lump sum. Point does not allow partial repayments. If you exit within the first year, Point uses your initial appraised value as the exit value unless you pay for a new appraisal.
See your offer from Point to find out how much you could unlock and what percentage Point would ask for.
Eligibility requirements
These are the starting points Point publishes. Meeting them does not mean you will be approved, and the criteria could change.
| Detail | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Location | A home in an eligible state or region (select regions of 29 states and Washington, D.C.) |
| Property type | Single-family homes, condos, townhomes and 1 to 4 unit residential properties on lots of 7 acres or less. Manufactured and mobile homes, co-ops and properties held in an LLC are not eligible |
| Home value | At least $155,000 |
| Minimum credit score | 500. Waiting periods apply after a bankruptcy (two years from discharge or dismissal for Chapter 7 or 11) or a foreclosure (five years) |
| Equity | Usually 27% or more left after Point's investment, and typically 45% if Point would be in third lien position |
| Lien position | Point prefers first or second lien position and must be at least third |
| Income and employment | Point does not verify income or employment |
| Occupancy | Primary residences. Second homes and investment properties are eligible under different underwriting criteria |
| Ownership | Your name must be on the title, and all owners sign at closing |
What you could use the money for
The cash is yours to use as you like. Point notes that you may be required to pay off judgments, liens or certain debts with part of it at closing. These are the uses Point lists:
- Reducing monthly expenses
- Consolidating debt
- Home improvements
- Education
- Starting a small business
- A down payment on a second home
- Retirement planning or savings
Because buying back your equity could cost far more than the cash you receive, the uses that hold up are the ones that leave you better off for years, such as clearing high-cost debt or adding value to the home.
More: How to leverage your home equity
Point pricing and fees
Point does not charge out-of-pocket fees during the application. Closing fees are deducted from the amount you receive.
| Fee | Amount | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Processing fee | 3.9% of the amount, with a $2,000 minimum | Processing, approving and funding the HEI |
| Appraisal | Up to $1,000 | A third-party appraisal or automated valuation of the home |
| Title and government fees | $1,000 to $1,600 | Notary, attorney, escrow, document preparation, taxes and recording fees, depending on location |
| Credit report | $40 to $50 | Credit bureau fees |
| Flood certification | $12 | Determines whether the property is in a federally designated flood zone |
| Financial counseling | $130 | A one-hour session with a HUD-certified counselor, if one is required before funding |
| Title cleaning | $199 per payoff, up to $597 | Obtaining and processing a lien payoff required for funding |
Point's published list of common closing fees. Point labels the amounts as current as of 2025 and says the list is not comprehensive. Your own figures appear on the estimate you receive when you apply.
Example: on $50,000, 3.9% would be $1,950, so the $2,000 minimum applies. On $100,000 the processing fee is $3,900. The third-party fees above come on top.
There are costs at the end as well. Point lists a reconveyance fee of $40 to $70 and a recording fee of $50 to $250 when its lien is released, and it may order another appraisal of up to $1,000 to set the home's value when you exit.
How the buyback amount works (the HEI percentage)
Point uses a share of appreciation model. When you buy back your equity, you owe the amount you originally received plus an agreed percentage of your home's appreciation. Point calls that share the HEI percentage. It is locked in when you sign and depends on your credit profile, your equity, the property and the amount you request.
Appreciation is not measured from your appraised value. Point sets an Appreciation Starting Value below the appraisal, which it describes as a cushion for the risk of not requiring monthly payments. In the example on its product page the starting value is 27% below the home's value. The practical effect is that a home that only holds its value still shows appreciation in Point's formula.
Point does not publish the HEI percentage. It says the figure is based on factors such as your credit profile, the amount you request, the property and your available equity, so the way to see yours is to prequalify.
Example: $50,000 on a $500,000 home
These figures are Point's own, from the cost example on its product page: a homeowner receives $50,000 on a home worth $500,000, with an Appreciation Starting Value of $365,000, and sells after five years.
| Scenario | Sale price after 5 years | Point is paid | Homeowner keeps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home falls 6.25% a year | $362,100 | $49,200 | $312,900 |
| Home rises 3.5% a year | $593,800 | $114,300 | $479,500 |
| Home rises 5.5% a year | $653,500 | $119,200 | $534,300 |
Example only, from Point's website. Point describes the amount in both rising scenarios as capped. Your HEI percentage, starting value and cap could change every figure. Closing fees are not included.
Read the middle row first, because it is the ordinary case. The home gains 3.5% a year, and the $50,000 costs $64,300 on top of the original amount after five years. In the top row the home has to lose more than a quarter of its value before the amount due dips slightly under what was received, and Point itself says that paying back less than you received is not typical.
The Homeowner Protection Cap
Point makes two calculations when you exit and you pay the lower one. The first is the appreciation formula above. The second is a capped amount based on a fixed annual rate, compounded monthly, on the cash you received. Point calls this the Homeowner Protection Cap and says it is most likely to apply in the first few years, when the gap between the appraisal and the starting value makes the home look as if it has appreciated a lot.
Point does not publish the cap rate. It says your credit profile helps determine your maximum offer amount, your HEI percentage and your cap, with better credit generally resulting in more favorable pricing. Point's estimates also show an Equivalent APR, a comparison figure it calculates so you can set the cost beside a HELOC or a cash-out refinance. Ask to see it for several exit years.
See your offer from Point to get your own HEI percentage, starting value and cap, then check the projected amounts for the year you expect to exit.
Point pros and cons
Here is how the published terms net out.
Pros
- No monthly payments. Nothing is due to Point until you buy back your equity, at any point in the 30-year term.
- A long term. 30 years, with no prepayment penalty if you exit sooner.
- Qualification rests on the home. A minimum credit score of 500, and Point does not verify income or employment.
- Nothing out of pocket to apply. Closing fees are deducted from the amount you receive.
- A cap on the amount due. You pay the lower of the appreciation formula and the Homeowner Protection Cap.
- Point shares in a loss. If the home's value falls below the Appreciation Starting Value, you may owe less than you received, though Point says that is not typical.
- Heirs are not rushed. Point says the agreement transfers to your estate, heirs or co-owners with the original term intact.
Cons
- Buying back could cost far more than you received. $114,300 on $50,000 after five years in Point's own 3.5% example.
- Appreciation is measured from a lower starting value. 27% below the home's value in Point's example, so a flat market still produces a cost.
- Key pricing is not public. The HEI percentage and the cap rate arrive with your offer and depend on your credit.
- One lump sum. Point does not allow partial repayments.
- A hard credit inquiry. Prequalifying uses a soft inquiry, but the full application requires a hard one.
- Limits on amount and property. Generally up to 20% of the home's value, a $155,000 minimum home value, and no manufactured homes.
- Not available everywhere. Select regions of 29 states and Washington, D.C.
See your offer from Point. Point says prequalifying takes about 60 seconds and does not affect your credit, and you are not committed to anything by looking.
Is Point legit?
Yes. Point is an established company, not a scam. Point Digital Finance, Inc. lists NMLS ID 1610752 and publishes lender licenses for 20 states and Washington, D.C. on its licenses page. The Better Business Bureau has accredited it since October 2015 and grades it A+, and Point reports more than 30,000 funded homeowners. Legitimate is not the same as right for you, so read the customer feedback and complaint records below before you decide.
On how the HEI itself is regulated, Point says the product is offered as a licensed mortgage product in Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, North Carolina, Oregon, Washington and Wisconsin, and that HEIs offered in other states are not currently required to be licensed. In a December 2021 letter to California's Department of Financial Protection and Innovation, Point asked the regulator to add registration and data reporting requirements for home equity investment products.
Point customer reviews
| Source | Rating | Number of reviews |
|---|---|---|
| Trustpilot | 4.7 out of 5 | 6,881 |
| Better Business Bureau customer reviews | 4.58 out of 5 | 226 |
Ratings as shown on each site on October 6, 2026.
Point complaints
The Better Business Bureau shows 30 complaints against Point in the last three years, 12 of them closed in the last 12 months. The recent ones we read were about offer letters arriving by mail, how an existing agreement was being handled, and getting questions answered during an application.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's public complaint database lists 44 complaints naming Point Digital Finance, Inc. received between October 6, 2023 and October 6, 2026. All 44 are marked closed with explanation. The most common issues recorded are applying (16), trouble during the payment process (13) and closing (9). For scale, Point says it has funded more than 30,000 homeowners.
Lawsuits and regulators
We searched for enforcement actions against Point Digital Finance by a state or federal regulator and did not find one. The National Consumer Law Center's library lists one homeowner lawsuit, Muskal v. Point Digital Finance, filed in Arizona Superior Court on July 15, 2025, with an order dated December 19, 2025 denying a motion to compel arbitration. The filings are available only to the library's subscribers, so we could not read the claims and are not describing them. A listed lawsuit is not a finding against a company.
Point vs. other home equity investment companies
Point is one of several companies that offer this kind of product. Here is how it lines up against two others a Point shopper is likely to weigh, using the figures each company publishes on its own website.
Point is the only one of the three with a 30-year term, which matters if a 10-year deadline is the sticking point. Hometap invests up to 27% of a home's value, against a general limit of 20% at Point, and publishes its percentages and its cap, so you could see more of the cost before you apply. Unlock matches Point's minimum credit score of 500, publishes a cost limit of 19.9% a year and allows partial buyouts during its 10-year term, which Point does not.
More: Hometap review
More: Unlock review
More: Hometap vs Point: the full comparison
How to apply for a Point HEI
The first step is quick. The steps after it are a full underwriting process, so plan for weeks and not days.
- Prequalify. Enter your address and answer a few questions. Point says this takes about 60 seconds and uses a soft credit inquiry that does not affect your credit.
- Apply. Complete the full application and upload documents, at minimum a valid ID and your most recent mortgage statement if you have one. This step includes a hard credit inquiry, which Point says has a temporary effect on your credit score.
- Home valuation and title review. Point arranges an appraisal or valuation and reviews the title. Some liens have to be released or paid off before closing.
- Final offer. Point finalizes your amount, HEI percentage and cap. Review the estimate and the projected buyback amounts before you agree.
- Sign with a notary. Closing documents are signed in person. A three-day rescission period follows, and you could cancel in writing at no cost during it.
- Receive your funds. By wire or check, typically within three to five business days after the rescission period.
- Buy back your equity. At any point in the 30-year term, in one lump sum, through a home sale, a refinance or other funds.
What if Point turns you down?
Point says the specific reason is always given in your decision notice. What to do next depends on which requirement it was.
If your credit score is under 500, it is below the published minimum at all three companies above. Point says you could apply again at any time once your score improves.
If equity is the issue, paying down your mortgage or waiting for the home to appreciate could get you there. A home equity calculator shows where you stand today.
If the property is the issue, check the other companies' lists. Hometap includes manufactured homes among the property types it invests in, and it lists Alabama, Delaware, Idaho, Montana, New Hampshire and New Mexico, which Point does not. Unlock lists Vermont and Wyoming. Our Splitero review covers one more company to check.
If your state is the issue everywhere, a credit product is usually the practical route. We have no home equity agreement company to point you to in Alaska, Maine, Massachusetts, Mississippi, North Dakota, South Dakota or West Virginia, and in Texas only one company lists the state. Our HEI vs HELOC comparison explains how a HELOC differs.
Point review: the bottom line
Point delivers what it advertises: a lump sum of up to $600,000, no monthly payments, a minimum credit score of 500 and as long as 30 years to buy back your equity. It is an established, licensed company with strong customer ratings.
The cost is where to slow down. Appreciation is measured from a starting value below your appraisal, the percentage Point shares in and the rate behind its cap are not published, and the whole amount is due in one lump sum. If you would be counting on a rising home value to cover it, or you expect to move within a year or two, look at other options first.
Point could make sense if your credit score is 500 or higher, you would keep at least 27% equity after the investment, your home is in a region Point serves, and you have compared the projected buyback amounts for the year you expect to exit.
Point FAQ
Point HEIs reach a maximum of $600,000, and a maximum offer is generally 20% of your home's value. Its product page shows a range of $30,000 to $600,000. The amount depends on your available equity, your home's value and any outstanding liens, and the quickest way to see your own number is to prequalify.
Point does not publish it. Its share, called the HEI percentage, is set in your offer and depends on your credit profile, your equity, the property and the amount you request. It applies to the appreciation above an Appreciation Starting Value that Point sets below your appraised value.
The main ones are cost and visibility. Buying back your equity could cost far more than the cash you received, appreciation is measured from a starting value below your appraisal, the HEI percentage and cap rate are not published, and the full amount is due in one lump sum. Point is also limited to select regions and does not accept manufactured homes.
Point requires a minimum credit score of 500. Recent bankruptcies and foreclosures are subject to waiting periods, and your score also influences your maximum offer, your HEI percentage and your Homeowner Protection Cap.
Point says some homeowners close in as little as three weeks, depending on how quickly documents, the home valuation and any title issues are resolved. After you sign, a three-day rescission period applies, and funds typically arrive within three to five business days after it.
You repay Point with your own funds, a HELOC or refinance, or the proceeds of a sale. If you do not, Point says it may exercise its option under the agreement and become a co-owner with the right to sell the home. You could keep living there until it sells, and refusing to cooperate with the sale is a default that could lead to further action, including foreclosure.
If the home's value falls below the Appreciation Starting Value, Point shares in the loss and you may owe less than you received. Point says that is not typical. In its own example, the home loses 6.25% a year for five years and the amount due is $49,200 on $50,000 received.
Point says it has never foreclosed on a homeowner and that it has no right to foreclose unless a homeowner defaults on the agreement. Not cooperating with a sale after the term ends is one example of a default it describes.
We did not find an enforcement action against Point by a state or federal regulator. The National Consumer Law Center's library lists one homeowner lawsuit, Muskal v. Point Digital Finance, filed in Arizona Superior Court in July 2025. We could not read the filings, and a listed lawsuit is not a finding against a company.
Point says the agreement is assumable, so it transfers to your estate, your heirs or any co-owners. Payment is not accelerated and the original term stays the same. Heirs could repay at any point during the term through a sale, a HELOC, a refinance or personal funds.
How we reviewed Point
This review is the editorial view of smarts.co, built from primary sources. We read Point's product pages, its licenses page and its help center articles on eligibility, states, fees, pricing, the Homeowner Protection Cap, the application, closing and the end of the term. We read Point's profiles on Trustpilot and the Better Business Bureau, searched the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's complaint database, and looked for regulator actions and court cases. Figures for Hometap and Unlock come from their own websites. License numbers are the ones Point publishes.
We did not give Point a star score of our own. The stars at the top of this page are its customer rating on Trustpilot. In place of a score, here is what we looked at and what we found.
| What we looked at | What we found |
|---|---|
| Access to cash | Up to $600,000, generally up to 20% of home value |
| Who could qualify | Credit score of 500, about 27% equity left after the investment, no income verification, select regions of 29 states and D.C. |
| Cost to start | A 3.9% processing fee ($2,000 minimum) plus third-party fees, all deducted at closing |
| Cost to exit | The amount received plus a share of appreciation from a starting value below the appraisal, limited by a cap. $114,300 on $50,000 after five years in Point's 3.5% example |
| Flexibility | 30-year term, exit at any point with no prepayment penalty, no partial repayments |
| Transparency | Published fees and a worked example. The HEI percentage and cap rate are not published |
| Customer feedback | Trustpilot 4.7 (6,881 reviews), BBB customer reviews 4.58 (226) with an A+ grade |
| Complaints and legal | 30 BBB complaints in three years, 44 in the CFPB database in three years, one listed homeowner lawsuit, no regulator action found |
Sources
- Point: Home Equity Investment product page, How the HEI works, Licenses, About, and help center articles (point.com and help.point.com)
- Trustpilot: Point reviews
- Better Business Bureau: Point Digital Finance, Inc. business profile
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: Consumer Complaint Database
- California DFPI: Point Digital Finance comment letter of December 20, 2021
- National Consumer Law Center: home equity investment case listings
- Hometap: FAQs and How It Works (hometap.com)
- Unlock: FAQs and What It Costs (unlock.com)
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Terms, pricing and availability change. Confirm the current terms on Point's site before you apply.
