Did a home equity investment take too much of your home?

What we're investigating

We review home equity investment and shared-equity agreements for practices regulators and courts are increasingly scrutinizing: arrangements structured as a "sale" or "option" on your home's equity rather than a loan, in order to sidestep the disclosure, interest-rate, and licensing rules that protect borrowers — while the effective cost to the homeowner can be enormous.

You may have a claim if…

• You signed a home equity investment (HEI) or shared-equity agreement (HEA).
• The amount you had to repay or buy back far exceeded the cash you received.
• It was marketed as "not a loan," so you never got standard loan disclosures.
• A "risk adjustment" or discount lowered your home's starting value against you.
• Fees, the appraisal, or the share you owe were never clearly explained.
• You're being pushed to sell or buy out on terms you didn't expect.

Why it matters

Regulators — including the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau — and a growing number of courts are examining whether home equity investments are really "credit" subject to the Truth in Lending Act, state usury caps, and licensing laws. If they are, homeowners may be able to void the agreement, recover excessive amounts, clear the lien on their home, and defend against a forced sale.

Companies we're investigating

We're reviewing home equity investment and "shared-equity" companies — arrangements increasingly challenged as disguised, equity-stripping loans. These include:

• Aspire
• Balance Homes
• Cityfunds (Nada)
• EquiFi
• HomePace
• Hometap
• Homium
• Point
• QuantmRE
• Splitero
• Unison
• Unlock

This list is for identification only. Inclusion here does not mean any company has been found to have violated the law. Don't see your company? We still want to hear from you — use the form to tell us.