Point [1], a fintech platform that allows homeowners to unlock home equity wealth without taking on additional debt, has announced that it has amassed more than $1 billion in new capital commitments from real estate and MBS investors, including Atalaya Capital Management [2], Kingsbridge Wealth Management [3], Palisades Group [4], and Redwood Trust [5].
“Closing our next $1 billion in capital commitments is a major milestone. Our mission to transform the cap table of home ownership now has the backing of the most respected names in residential real estate and, more importantly, is being embraced by homeowners across the country,” said Eddie Lim [6], Co-Founder and CEO of Point.
Point has seen Home Equity Investment (HEI) fundings surge over 100% in the first eight months of 2021, with more homeowners than ever looking for alternatives to traditional home equity loans, HELOCs, and cash-out refinances. These recently announced investments in Point’s HEI platform enable the company to support demand as homeowners emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic keen to tap into their home equity.
“Redwood believes that Point’s innovative solution to enable homeowners to participate in the benefits of home price appreciation without having to sell their homes can significantly improve the quality of life for many households,” said Bo Stern [7], Head of Portfolio Strategy and Risk for Redwood Trust. “Point has created a unique way to unlock a component of the $20+ trillion in current U.S. home equity by allowing homeowners to access money to pay down debt, make home improvements or address other financial needs, at competitive rates to financial alternatives. The flexibility to freely repay the instrument without penalty, while not having any monthly payment obligation, has obvious appeal. We believe this financing alternative for homeowners squarely aligns with our mission to make quality housing accessible to all American households. Redwood is excited to partner with Point.”
HEIs are an innovative financing solution for U.S. homeowners with substantial equity in their home. With an HEI, homeowners free up home equity wealth for use today in exchange for a fractional interest in their home’s appreciation, sharing future home price risk with investors.
Since the launch of Point’s platform in 2015, interest in HEIs has swelled as homeowners, still smarting from the housing crisis of 2007 and the role of mortgage debt in that crisis, seek new financial products that bring better alignment of interests between investors and homeowners. The global pandemic and growth in U.S. home prices have seen unprecedented demand for the new product class.
“Atalaya is excited to renew our commitment to Point,” said Daniel Rosato [8], Managing Director at Atalaya Capital. “Since becoming Point’s first institutional forward flow investor in 2018, the HEI asset performance and Point’s management team have consistently exceeded our expectations. We believe that Point is the leader in the rapidly-developing home equity Investment asset class. Point’s products provide clear value to consumers who are underserved by traditional housing finance and aligns well with Atalaya’s effort to invest in platforms that provide access to fair and productive credit solutions. We are confident that our additional capital will support Point’s mission and we look forward to collaboration for years to come.”