As the Chief People Officer at residential equity agreement company Unison, Holly has put a significant emphasis on Diversity,
Equity, and Inclusion. She has led the effort to build DEI into Unison’s culture by creating a dedicated DEI committee, discussing DEI
efforts at bi-weekly company meetings, and changing Unison’s internal policies and recruiting practices.
Some of the most notable changes Holly led Unison’s People team to implement include: 
Adding a clause to job descriptions encouraging candidates from all backgrounds to apply even if they don't meet 100% of the job requirements. This change was based on studies that show women are less likely to apply for jobs for which they are not fully qualified. 
Ensuring that recruiting panels are diverse for each role, both in terms of gender and race, and also by department. This effort helps the team get diversity of mindset while hiring candidates.  
Running job descriptions through a gender decoder program that identifies any unconscious bias and informs the team if they’re weighting the job description towards a particular gender. Then they use this information to revise the descriptions accordingly. Ensuring that underrepresented talent, men, and women are interviewed for each open role. 
Implementing a structured immigration process and gladly paying for all visa sponsorship, immigration costs, and green cards for employees with a certain tenure.

All of this work led to 10 new DEI specific initiatives launched in
2021 alone, which helped Unison achieve an employee base of
46% female and 51% underrepresented groups – both of which
are well above average for high-growth fintech companies.

ChartHop: Unison Chief People Officer Holly Danko wins 2022 People Pioneers Award

Today, HousingWire announced the recipients of its 2020 Rising Stars award, recognizing industry professionals who have become leaders in their respective fields - those who are helping move markets forward, each and every day.

 We are proud to announce that Unison's Vice President of Portfolio Management, Brad Lookabaugh has been named one of HousingWire's 2020 Rising Stars.

 Since joining Unison four years ago, Brad Lookabaugh has led multiple programs that have enabled the company to partner with more customers, including the creations of Greenlight and its Equity Origination System. He oversees a unique combination of three teams at Unison: investment analysis, business systems and information technology, encompassing around 30 employees. When his team realized the company was scaling significantly faster than their software tools could keep up with, Lookabaugh saw an opportunity to challenge the status quo and develop processes and technologies to help the company skyrocket its growth. Without the tools that Lookabaugh spearheaded, Unison would still be approving investments by hand at a fraction of the speed, impacting the customer experience. The tools he was central in building have been instrumental in helping Unison achieve its impressive growth: The company has seen a 95% year-over-year increase in inquiries from consumers between January and June, and $4.2 billion in total value for the homes Unison has invested in as of December 2019. 

 Read more<a href="https://www.housingwire.com/articles/2020-hw-rising-star-brad-lookabaugh/" target="_blank"> here.</a>

090120 blog

Unison | HousingWire Rising Star Award

As part of ThriveGlobal's series, Big Ideas That Can Change The World,, Christina Warner sits down with Unison CEO, Thomas Sponholtz to chat about the career path and personal experiences that led him to create the idea of home co-investing. 

 When asked about the potential impact Unison could have, Sponholtz shares, "Until now, consumers only had one way to buy a home or access the equity in their home and that was to take on more debt. I saw the opportunity to create a solution where people do not have to compromise these goals by utilizing this available capital. The way we do things is rapidly changing, especially with the rise of the sharing economy. What we do now is bring the ability and the control that comes with equity to homeowners in a new and better way so they can really create the experience of home that they want." 

<a href="https://thriveglobal.com/stories/big-ideas-gain-a-partner-to-purchase-a-home-and-share-the-risk-and-reward-together-with-unison-ceo-thomas-sponholtz/" target="new">Read more about his opinion on future trends, career philosophies and "5 things I wish someone told me before I started" here </a>.

100819 blog

ThriveGlobal: Big Ideas | Unison Home Co-Investing

Unison CEO Thomas Sponholtz recently sat down with Keane Ehsani from the <a href=https://medium.com/wharton-fintech/thomas-sponholtz-ceo-and-chairman-at-unison-home-ownership-investors-b24c17a9f042/"Wharton Fintech podcast.</a></pr>
 
 In this extensive interview, Sponholtz share about his start in Denmark, the experiences that compelled him to start Unison and the opportunity home co-investing has to make an impact on the way consumers buy homes without extra risk.

080719 blog

Unison | Wharton Fintech

Unison is proud to share our inclusion on the 2020 Forbes Fintech 50 list, highlighting our leadership in the home co-investment space! 

 This is Forbes’ fifth annual Fintech 50 list, a ranking of the world’s most innovative financial technology companies that are disrupting the way people spend, invest and save. 

 At Unison, we are thrilled to have our hard work recognized and honored to stand alongside other highly valued companies who are driving innovative change. 

 2019 has been one of immense growth for us that only helped further demonstrate the need for home co-investment. 

<h3>Highlights include:</h3>
<ul>
 <li>Expansion into 8 new states: We opened our programs to customers in Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, New Mexico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah and Wisconsin, bringing our total footprint to 30 states plus Washington DC.</li>

<li>Unison has partnered with over 7,500 customers, allowing many to purchase their dream homes or access their home equity in a smarter, better way.</li>

<li>We have invested in homes worth $5 billion across America, opening up the asset class of residential real estate to investors in an even bigger way than ever before.</li>
</ul>

 We look forward to an even better 2020 with a renewed commitment to our mission of enabling optimal homeownership and remaining a trusted partner for customers and partners.

Unison | Forbes Fintech 50

Housing is the largest part of the US economy and its in need of major innovation. Thomas Sponholtz sits down with HousingWire to share his thoughts on the past, present and future of the industry. 

 
<a href="https://www.housingwire.com/podcast/unisons-thomas-sponholtz-on-alternative-homeownership-models-and-co-investing/" target="_blank">Unison’s Thomas Sponholtz on alternative homeownership models and co-investing</a>

012920 blog

Unison | HousingWire with CEO Thomas Sponholtz

HousingWire's annual Vanguard award list was published today, which celebrates the top C-level leaders in the housing and mortgage industry. <a href="https://housingwire.com/vanguard/" target="_blank">The HW Vanguard Award</a> recognizes leaders of businesses contributing to the growth of the housing economy and its various sectors, including lending, servicing, investments, and real estate. They come from diverse backgrounds, and may run established companies or start-ups, but share one common trait: an unmistakable impact on the industry at-large.

<h3>About Thomas</h3>
 Thomas Sponholtz’s focus is clear at Unison, and it’s changing how people buy and own homes and lowering the barrier to homeownership. 

 In 2004, Sponholtz founded Unison, where he invented home co-investing as an alternative to debt-only financing, which brings investors together with consumers to solve both of their problems. 

 The goal Sponholtz had in mind when beginning Unison was to launch a company whose model was focused on aligning the interests of consumers with those at the source of their capital. Sponholtz led the company’s change to a direct-to-consumer business model. This inspired the company’s brand re-launch. 

 In 2018, Sponholtz led Unison to a 370% year over year revenue growth, and a 308% year over year growth in customer transactions. Also in 2018, Sponholtz raised a $40 million Series B funding round for the company, which was the first time it had to seek outside investor funding since its launch. 

 This year, Sponholtz expanded Unison’s HomeOwner and HomeBuyer services to eight additional states in the nation to introduce the advantages of home co-investing to over 5 million more homes. As of July 1, 2019, Unison has helped more than 5,000 people and families, with a total of $3.5 billion invested into homes. 

 Sponholtz’s idea of “enlightened capitalism” and Unison’s “secret sauce” of patient capital provided by larger fund managers from pension funds and endowments enable Unison to design products that are in consumers’ best interests. Unison was designed to have interests fully aligned with its customers. 

 What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? 

 “If you want to be a successful entrepreneur, you need to truly believe in your mission. I have seen this advice come to life since launching Unison. There are many ups and downs when launching a business, and it is essential to be passionate and remember why you started initially.”

120219 blog

Unison | HousingWire Vanguard

Color

Brand guidelines

Unison icon

Unison logo

Image Library

Image library

Press

Contact

We are on a mission to provide the missing products and expert advice that empowers our customers to optimally own and invest in Residential Real Estate.

Download our official assets

Download for free

Unison's booklet containing "The State of the American Homeowner Report 2021"

RightBarImage

Insights about homeownership after a pandemic year.

The State of the American Homeowner: One Year Later

Discover what the experts in the industry have to say about Unison's home equity sharing program, an alternative way to get equity out of your home.

Press Releases, Industry Research, & More | Unison Equity Sharing

Factsheet Unison

Company Fact Sheet

"...Enter private credit and Carlyle. Unison had some success bundling its equity-sharing agreements into structured products — it recently got a credit rating on the tranches created. But the pure equity product by definition comes with erratic cash flows that made it tricky to securitise.

And so Unison wondered if it could merge housing debt and housing equity into a single product. It has, as a result, created the “equity-sharing loan” that resembles a corporate convertible bond with its fixed obligation attached to a call option."

<a href="https://www.ft.com/content/ca1b67a0-c95f-40f3-8dd1-ca6a583a14c6">Read the full article here.</a>

Private Credit's Latest Contraption

Home equity solutions provider Unison launched a new product on Tuesday that combines the features of traditional mortgage financing and emerging home equity investment (HEI) options.

<a href="https://www.housingwire.com/articles/unison-launches-hybrid-home-equity-sharing-loan/">Read the full article here.</a>

Home equity solutions provider Unison launched a new product that combines the features of traditional mortgage financing and emerging home equity investment (HEI) options.

Unison unveils ‘hybrid’ home equity sharing loan

Residential equity agreement firm Unison announced a $443 million securitization that it claims is the largest bond issue of its kind, opening the door for greater investor involvement.

 <a href="https://www.nationalmortgagenews.com/news/unison-issues-443-million-residential-equity-agreement-securitization" target="new">Read the full article here</a>.

National Mortgage News | Unison issues $443 million residential equity agreement securitization

The San Francisco-based firm, which currently manages US$1.3bn in residential equity agreements, priced its inaugural US$443m deal in December. The deal, on which Nomura and Barclays were joint bookrunners, is callable in 36 months.

 <a href="https://www.ifre.com/story/3241106/unison-eyes-up-to-three-home-equity-rmbs-in-2022-1dghryzjzg" target="new">Read the full article here</a>.

IFR | Unison completed its first $443 million residential equity agreement securitization

The company hired one-time PayPal and eBay executive Ryan Downs as president, Silicon Valley Bank veteran Scott Case as chief financial officer and Joe Celentano from Wells Fargo Securities as global head of markets. Unison said Monday that it closed on a $443 million securitization, the largest such financing backed by the company’s residential equity agreements.

 <a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/news/2022/02/07/s-f-fintech-unison-makes-key-c-suite-hires.html" target="new">Read the full article here</a>.

SF Business Times | S.F. fintech Unison makes trio of key C-suite hires and secures its $443 million residential equity agreement securitization

Home-equity investment pioneer Unison closed a $443 million residential equity agreement securitization
Unison recently completed a $443 million private-label offering backed by an emerging class of home-equity assets in which investors and the homeowners share in both the upside and downside of a property’s value over time.

 <a href="https://www.housingwire.com/articles/home-equity-investment-pioneer-unison-taps-the-secondary-market/" target="new">Read the full article here</a>.

Housingwire | Unison taps the secondary market

Article originally found on Forbes.com 

When Damien Vrana and his wife, who wed last year, began looking for a house in New Jersey, their lender suggested a rather novel approach to financing. For the down payment, they could co-invest with Unison, a San Francisco-based real estate company. Vrana, who owns a small business that rehabs and readies homes for sale, liked the idea. 

 “As much money as I can reinvest back into my own business as opposed to tying it all up in a large down payment on a house just made a lot of sense to me,” he says. 

 “We can keep our money in our own possession, which allows us to potentially do other investments and grow that money, whether it's into my small business or other possibilities as the years go by,” says Vrana, adding that the family has already undertaken a basement renovation. 

 <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/dimawilliams/2020/02/23/moving-past-the-mortgage-how-startups-are-shifting-home-financing-from-debt-to-equity/?sh=566c8d403cd1/" target="new">Read the full article here</a>.

022420 blog

How Startups Are Shifting From Debt To Equity | Forbes | Unison

<h3>Startups backed by deep-pocketed investors are looking at a new way to profit from rising home prices</h3> 

Some well-funded startups have an unusual pitch for homeowners strapped for cash: Let’s own this house together. 

A handful of companies, including those backed by marquee Silicon Valley names such as Andreessen Horowitz and Mark Zuckerberg’s philanthropic organization, are experimenting with a product that essentially lets them take an ownership position in a house along with the homeowner. The agreements, called shared-equity contracts, provide a new way for investors to get exposure to rising home prices across the U.S. 

<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/silicon-valley-explores-a-new-investment-your-home-1518955201" target="new">Read entire article</a>.

010622 6 blog

WSJ | Silicon Valley Explores A New Investment, Your Home | Unison Home Co-Investing

In prior generations, buying a home was considered the chief symbol of the American Dream—and this dream was often aided by states and cities. However, due to factors like housing scarcity in major U.S. cities, many millennials have been excluded from this so-called American dream—San Francisco being the perfect example. The Bay Area has enjoyed a significant increase in jobs without the same growth in home inventory causing an even higher barrier to purchase a home. The Atlantic explores the impact of existing housing policies that were implemented decades ago, alongside proposed policies by younger generations, resulting in generational warfare. 

 <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2019/06/why-millennials-cant-afford-buy-house/591532/" target="_blank">Read the full article “Why Housing Policy Feels Like Generational Warfare” in The Atlantic which cites several key housing statistics provided by Unison’s Home Affordability report.</a>

091819 blog

Unison | The Atlantic

For those that couldn't quite afford the down payment in the big city of their choice, there used to be a fool-proof solution: rent until you can save for that elusive 20% down payment.

 However, the cost of living is exceeding the growth of wages and coupled with millennials' massive debt, the hurdles are immense.

As Unison's VP of Partner Channel, Ayesha Dillon states that home co-investing is more timely and relevant than ever."Over the last years, we've homed in on segments of the population, but we found that millennial buyers are coming out with student debt and have a harder time with the down payment, so they are a natural fit," Dillon said.

<a href="https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/gy4d5w/people-are-moving-to-smaller-cities-in-search-of-affordable-houses-that-dont-exist" target="new">Read the full Vice article here</a>.

100619 2 blog

Housing Finance Fintech Sees Soaring Growth As It Helps Americans Buy Homes

2018 was an exciting year at Unison. 

We expanded into new states, shared success stories featuring Unison HomeOwner customers and Unison HomeBuyer customers, announced our annual Home Affordability Report, released the results of a nationwide survey of home buyers, and attended conferences across the country. 

<img src="https://contentimages.o-prod.unison.com/images/press/Unison-covered-in-NYT-e1528238924411.jpg">

Now, we have another exciting milestone to share. This past week, Unison was mentioned in <a href="https://mobile.nytimes.com/2018/06/01/your-money/home-buying-shared-equity.html" target="new">a New York Times article</a> about the rise of shared equity programs for home buyers: 

<div>
<q>…a small but growing number of home buyers are trying something different: asking an outside investor to put down money alongside them… It is called shared equity, and Unison, a company based in San Francisco, is the largest of a handful of firms putting it to work.</q>
</div> 

<a href="https://mobile.nytimes.com/2018/06/01/your-money/home-buying-shared-equity.html" target="new">Click here to read the full story on The New York Times website</a>

010622 4 blog

Unison In The New York Times | Unison Home Co-Investing

Ozy, a news site "for the disruptive Change Generation" explores the phenomena of how long it takes to save for a 20% down payment across a variety of cities using Unison's annual Affordability Report.

 They look into the benefits of homeownership and the work Unison is doing to help potential homeowners get into the market. 

 <a href="https://www.ozy.com/acumen/where-saving-for-a-house-can-take-95-years/94924" target="new">Read the full article here</a>.

081219 blog

This Company Will Double Your Down Payment | Unison Home Co-Investing

Article originally found on MReport.com 

A new report by Unison forecasts that it will take two years for home prices to recover from the effects of COVID-19. 

 Unison gave numerous reasons as to why the industry is in a better position to survive an economic depression when compared to the Great Recession more than a decade ago. The report said the industry is more prepared due to the current presence of more government support available to aid homeowners in particular versus in the past. 

 <a href="https://themreport.com/daily-dose/04-14-2020/report-home-prices-to-take-2-years-to-recover" target="new">Read the full article here</a>.

060120 blog

How Long Could Home Prices Take To Recover? | Unison

<img src="https://d3jkudlc7u70kh.cloudfront.net/top-10-largest-cities-in-america.jpg"> 

Article originally found on Money.com 

A buyer looking to make a smart long-term bet in today’s volatile housing market should follow the jobs, according to a new report. That may mean avoiding cities too heavily reliant on a single industry for jobs and seeking out those with more diversified economies. 

 The research, from Unison, a San Francisco-company that co-invests with homeowners in 30 states, contends owner-occupied housing will recover slowest in areas with heavy job losses. The most vulnerable of the 20 cities analyzed? Las Vegas, Miami and Detroit because employment in those places is heavily concentrated in one or two hard-hit industries. 

 “Wages drive home prices. More people making more money means more demand for homes,” says Unison Chief Executive Thomas Sponholtz. “You have to ask: ‘How diversified is the demand side for housing in a certain market?” 

 <a href="https://money.com/coronavirus-housing-market-cities/?xid=moneyrss" target="new">Read the full article here</a>.

063020 blog

3 Cities Where Coronavirus Could Hit Housing the Hardest | Unison

From the Los Angeles Times 

When Ricardo and Catherine Soto were looking to buy a home in Chula Vista, they knew that even after selling their old house in El Cajon they would be able to afford a down payment of only about 10%. 

But when buying a home, 20% is the magic number. It means not only borrowing less but also avoiding mortgage insurance, which can cost hundreds of dollars a month.

<img style="max-width:80%;height:auto;" src="https://contentimages.o-prod.unison.com/images/press/Neighborhood.jpg">

Some cash-strapped home buyers might have opted to tap a relative or retirement savings, but the Sotos tried something new. When they bought their home for $650,000 in September, the couple came up with the 20% after all — thanks to an unusual arrangement with a newcomer to the mass mortgage market. 

Unison, a 12-year-old San Francisco company, offered to match the $65,000 that the Sotos brought to the table in exchange for what amounts to an ownership stake in their house. 

The Sotos don’t have to pay anything back — not for a while, at least. But when the couple sell their house they will owe Unison the $65,000 it invested, plus 35% of the value their home gains. Should the market suffer a setback, Unison will share in the loss. 

The company, formerly called FirstREX, is one of a handful of firms developing novel financial products aimed at helping buyers afford increasingly expensive homes now that the market has recovered from last decade’s housing bust. 

<a href="http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-home-equity-investments-20170106-story.html" target="new">Read the full article here</a>.

010622 blog

From USA Today 

If you have to a super-expensive housing market and you don’t have the accumulated down payment, shared appreciation mortgages offer an alternative. 

Lindsay and Trevor O’Keefe are early-30s parents to a growing family. In fact, just hours before Trevor was interviewed, Lindsay had given birth to their third child. Trevor sounded tired. Unsurprisingly, Lindsay didn’t come to the phone. 

<img style="max-width:80%;height:auto;" src="https://contentimages.o-prod.unison.com/images/press/First-Rex-now-unison.jpg">
 

Even before their family’s new addition, the O’Keefes were living in a yard-less condo and looking to move to a larger home. However, relying on one income — Trevor is a pastor at a suburban San Diego church — they were priced out of the city’s expensive real estate market. 

Then their lender suggested a third-party provider that would help them put more money down, borrow less and have a lower monthly payment. 

It sounded almost too good to be true. There is a catch, though. You generally give up more than a third of your home’s future value. 

<h3>Shared appreciation mortgages</h3>

The company the lender recommended was Unison, a home equity investor that offers “shared appreciation” mortgages. 

Companies like Unison — two others are Patch Homes and Point — allow homeowners to tap the equity in their homes without taking out a loan; the investment company takes a share of growth in the home’s future value instead. 

But the Unison Homebuyer program takes the idea a step further, by splitting down payments with homebuyers. 

“Shared appreciation mortgages have never really attracted that much attention,” says Anthony B. Sanders, professor of finance at George Mason University. However, a down-payment-assistance version of the strategy is likely to appeal most to jumbo mortgage borrowers, especially “if you have to go into a super-expensive housing market and you don’t have the accumulated down payment,” he says. 

“I think any time you first hear about an investment group who wants to help you out, you can be a little leery,” O’Keefe acknowledges. But he adds that Unison’s presentation made the couple aware of every aspect of the agreement. 

The deal also gave the O’Keefes the ability to have some money on hand to address maintenance issues in the aging house they wanted to purchase. 

<h3>How a shared appreciation mortgage works</h3>

Here’s how the Unison program works on a 20% down payment plan:
<ul>
<li>The company splits a 20% down payment with you. It’s an investment, not a loan. You make no payments to Unison until you sell the home, and the company has no ownership or occupancy rights.</li>
<li>Unison takes 35% of the future change in the home’s value.</li>
<li>A transaction fee, paid at loan closing, amounts to 2.5% of Unison’s investment. For example, if Unison is providing $50,000 — half of the 20% down payment on a $500,000 home — the fee would be $1,250.</li>
<li>You can buy back Unison’s interest before you sell.</li>
<li>Or, if you sell the home, you pay back Unison’s share of the down payment from the proceeds, as well as 35% of the home’s gain in value.</li>
<li>If you never move and eventually pay off the mortgage, you’ll still have to pay Unison’s share of appreciation, plus its portion of the down payment.</li>
<li>If the home doesn’t gain value, you simply pay back Unison’s share of the down payment.</li>
<li>If the home loses value, it’s deducted from the down payment reimbursement.</li>
 </ul>
If you remodel your home and it adds value to the property, a 100% adjustment of that value will be made at the end of the agreement. 

<a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personalfinance/2017/03/13/company-double-your-down-payment-whats-catch/98727302/" target="new">Read the full article here</a>.

010622 3 blog

This Company Will Help With A Down Payment | Unison Home Co-Investing

“Unison’s 2018 growth numbers point to a clear break from the debt-only status quo in residential real estate,” Thomas Sponholtz, Unison’s founder and CEO, said in a statement.

San Francisco-based Unison said it achieved triple-digit growth in revenue and doubled its employees in 2018 as the fintech gained traction in the marketplace.
Unison is among a crop of Bay Area companies eager to change how Americans buy, sell and finance homes.

<img src="https://contentimages.o-prod.unison.com/images/press/thomas-sponholtz-unison_750xx1920-1080-0-0.png">

Unison helps people buy houses by purchasing stakes of home equity. Some customers use the money for larger down payments, which can allow buyers to shop for pricier homes than they could otherwise. Others reduce the mortgage debt they take on when they buy a home. Long-time homeowners can use Unison to turn some of their home equity into cash.

Since Unison’s stake in a home represents equity and not debt, there is no monthly payment. Unison’s institutional investors putting up the money to buy all these stakes of home equity ultimately share in the upside or downside of changes in a home’s value. 

<a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/news/2019/02/12/residential-real-estate-unison-san-francisco-rbc.html" target="new">Read the full article from this San Francisco Business times here</a>.

010622 2 blog

From LowestRates.ca

<img src="https://contentimages.o-prod.unison.com/images/press/home.jpeg">
As home co-investing becomes more familiar with consumers, the idea is making its way up North. Canada-based LowestRates.ca dives deeper around Unison, the co-investment landscape and how it helps buyers get into homes with a smarter, better way. 

Read more <a href="https://www.lowestrates.ca/blog/homes/shared-equity-mortgages-are-they-good-idea" target="new">here</a>.

060519 blog

Shared equity mortgages are becoming big business. Are they a good idea?

The sharing economy has risen rapidly over the last few years, from ride share to co-working spaces. Brick Underground, a website The New York Times calls the "first step for New Yorkers getting ready to move" explores Unison's model thoroughly, chatting with a client, financial advisor and Unison itself. 

 Ayesha Dillon from Unison explains why it's such a great option for buyers looking to make a smarter financial decision around their home purchase, "We work with buyers who are looking for their primary home and could use our down payment cash to create flexibility with their home purchase, whether it's reserving cash for a rainy day or keeping their monthly payment low by not paying PMI."

<a href="https://www.brickunderground.com/buy/buying-with-co-investor-fintech-unison-nyc" target="new">Read the full Brick Underground article here</a>.

100619 blog

Buying in New York | Unison

From Reverse Mortgage Daily 

Nearly half of American homeowners, at 48%, say they plan to retire sometime in their 60s. An additional 9% plan to do so during their 50s, and 22% plan on their 70s. 5%, however, say they’ll never retire, and 11% don’t know if retirement is an option for them. These are the findings of a survey called <a href="https://www.unison.com/article/the_state_of_the_american_homeowner" target="new">“State of the American Homeowner,”</a> conducted by alternative equity tapping company Unison. 

 More than two-thirds (68%) of American homeowners express being either “confident” or “very confident” in the amount of assets they have saved to fund their retirements, by-and-large the numbers they report do not appear to support such optimism, according to Unison. 

<a href="https://reversemortgagedaily.com/2020/02/11/unison-senior-retirement-goals-unclear-savings-insufficient/" target="new">Read the full article here</a>.

020320 blog

Reverse Mortgage | Unison

<img src=https://contentimages.o-prod.unison.com/images/blog/Couple-on-bench.jpg>

From Yahoo! Finance 

Some Americans are pinning their retirement hopes on their homes, betting that housing appreciation will continue and compensate for their lack of savings. But experts warn that adults shouldn’t bank on houses as their only retirement investment – even if real estate appreciation continues. 

One in 4 U.S. homeowners plan to use their home to fund their retirement, according to a <a href="https://www.unison.com/article/the_state_of_the_american_homeowner" target="new">recent survey from Unison</a>, a home co-investing firm. Of those, 1 in 6 said their home represents half or more of their retirement nest egg. 

“If someone thinks their home is going to fund 100% of retirement, that’s a little scary, but I’m not surprised,” said James Ciprich, advisor at RegentAtlantic, a financial planning firm. “We have a retirement savings crisis.” 

<a href="https://money.yahoo.com/home-to-fund-retirement-165957826.html" target="new">Read the full article here</a>.

012020 blog

Homeowner's Big Retirement Mistake | Unison

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — July 15, 2025 — Unison Mortgage Corporation, a Unison company, today announced that Inman recognized Unison CEO and Chairman Thomas Sponholtz for the second consecutive year as one of real estate’s best and brightest in the mortgage and finance space. 

The Inman Best of Finance Award honors those pushing the envelope and reshaping the homebuying space. Sponholtz’s pioneering contributions to reshaping how homeowners can leverage their home equity for financial flexibility and growth contributed to his winning the award. 

Awarded by the respected editorial team at Inman, this distinction highlights individuals and entities revolutionizing the proptech industry by offering transformative solutions. 

“I’m honored to be recognized by Inman alongside so many innovators in the industry,” said Sponholtz. “This award reflects the growing momentum behind equity sharing as a more sustainable path to homeownership and financial flexibility. We’re proud to be reshaping how people think about and use home equity.” 

The full list of 2025 Inman Best of Finance Award winners can be found here. 

<h2>About Unison Equity Sharing Home Loan:</h2>
The Equity Sharing Home Loan is a second mortgage that allows borrowers to access their home equity with low monthly payments. In exchange, Unison receives a portion of the home's future appreciation. The loan features lower monthly payments by splitting interest into ongoing (paid monthly) and deferred (compounded) portions. The total cost includes deferred interest and depends on home appreciation, and is repaid at the term's end. Check your eligibility and get a free, no-obligation estimate at <a href="http://www.unison.com/homeloan">www.unison.com/homeloan</a>. 

<h3>About Unison:</h3>
Based in San Francisco and Omaha, Unison is pioneering a smarter, better way to own your home. Until now, the only way to harvest hard-earned equity was by selling your home, or taking on enormous additional debt. Through Unison equity sharing agreements and equity sharing home loans, we help homeowners access their equity in a new and innovative way with low or no monthly payments. We are an investment management company with over $1.8 billion in assets under management, and we furnish investors with the opportunity to access the returns associated with home price appreciation, minus the overhead of home ownership. Our equity sharing agreements have empowered 12,000 households to pursue financial wellness, and we’re proud to continue to enhance home affordability, reduce debt, and deliver a less risky way for homeowners, investors, and society to think about that important asset - the home. For additional information, visit <a href="http://www.unison.com">www.unison.com</a> and <a href="http://www.unisonim.com">www.unisonim.com</a>. 

### 

All registered trademarks and product identifiers belong to their respective corporate entities. Any other trademarks or product names referenced here are also owned exclusively by their relevant companies. 

<h4>Media Contact:</h4>
Gary Bird FortyThree, Inc. 831.888.9011 <a href="mailto:unison@43pr.com">unison@43pr.com</a>

Contact us today to learn more about how Unison can help you access your home equity with lower monthly payments, flexible terms, and competitive rates.

Inman Best of Finance

The award recognizes his pioneering work in creating innovative home equity solutions to help homeowners achieve financial flexibility. Sponholtz was honored with the 2025 Inman Best of Finance Award for the second consecutive year. 

Unison CEO Thomas Sponholtz Wins 2025 Inman Best of Finance Award

SAN FRANCISCO — July 1, 2025 — Unison Mortgage Corporation, a Unison company, today announced the launch of its Equity Sharing Home Loan in California. Unison’s Equity Sharing Home Loan delivers unmatched affordability for homeowners feeling the squeeze of today's economic pressures.
 
For a $100,000 loan, monthly payments could be as low as $308* at a 5.38% APR. In contrast, a comparable fully amortizing 10-year closed-end second mortgage at current market rates might require monthly payments of approximately $1,208. This difference can result in annual savings of nearly $10,000**, offering significant cash flow relief for households facing inflation and rising debt.
 
High credit card balances and early 401(k) withdrawals are becoming common coping mechanisms for U.S. households with finances stretched thin. As financial anxiety grows, many homeowners are looking for ways to unlock the value of their homes without taking on more unmanageable debt.
 
The innovative Unison Equity Sharing Home Loan combines the benefits of home loans and home equity sharing agreements into a unique mortgage solution that allows homeowners to convert their home equity into cash with low monthly payments.
 
“California homeowners have long faced some of the highest costs of living in the country, and traditional home financing options often fall short in meeting their needs,” said Ryan Downs, President of Unison. “With the launch of our Equity Sharing Home Loan in California, we're offering a more flexible path forward—one that reduces monthly payments and gives families access to the equity they’ve built without adding to their financial stress.”
 
With Unison’s Equity Sharing Home Loan, homeowners can:
<ul>
 <li> - Invest in renovations and home improvement projects</li>
 <li> - Consolidate high-interest debt</li>
 <li> - Refinance second mortgages for lower monthly payments</li>
 <li> - Increase their retirement savings</li>
 <li> - Install solar panels or make energy-efficient upgrades</li>
 </ul>

<h2>Availability</h2>
 The Unison Equity Sharing Home Loan is available in California today. Find out if you are eligible and obtain a free rate estimate with no obligation by visiting <a href="https://www.unison.com/homeloan" target="_blank">here</a>.

<h2>About Unison Equity Sharing Home Loan:</h2>
 The Equity Sharing Home Loan is a second mortgage that allows borrowers to access their home equity with low monthly payments. In exchange, Unison receives a portion of the home's future appreciation. The loan features lower monthly payments by splitting interest into ongoing (paid monthly) and deferred (compounded) portions. The total cost includes deferred interest and depends on home appreciation, and is repaid at the term's end. Check your eligibility and get a free, no-obligation estimate at <a href="https://www.unison.com/homeloan" target="_blank">www.unison.com/homeloan</a>.

<h2>About Unison:</h2>
 Based in San Francisco and Omaha, Unison is pioneering a smarter, better way to own your home. Until now, the only way to harvest hard-earned equity was by selling your home, or taking on enormous additional debt. Through Unison equity sharing agreements and equity sharing home loans, we help homeowners access their equity in a new and innovative way with low or no monthly payments. We are an investment management company with over $1.8 billion in assets under management, and we furnish investors with the opportunity to access the returns associated with home price appreciation, minus the overhead of home ownership. Our equity sharing agreements have empowered 12,000 households to pursue financial wellness, and we’re proud to continue to enhance home affordability, reduce debt, and deliver a less risky way for homeowners, investors, and society to think about that important asset - the home. For additional information, visit <a href="https://www.unison.com" target="_blank">www.unison.com</a> and <a href="https://www.unisonim.com" target="_blank">www.unisonim.com</a>.
 
<div class="disclaimer">
 * As of the week of 6/30/25, the lowest APR available on a $100,000 loan is 5.384%. For comparison, a 10-year closed-end second mortgage with an average market APR of 8.12% would result in a monthly payment of $1,208.44.
 
 ** Note: The quoted monthly payment and savings are based on specific loan terms and assumptions. Actual payments and savings will vary depending on individual loan details and market conditions. Consult with Unison Mortgage Corporation for personalized loan information.
 
 All registered trademarks and product identifiers belong to their respective corporate entities. Any other trademarks or product names referenced here are also owned exclusively by their relevant companies.
 </div>
 
<div class="contact-info">
 <h3>Media Contact:</h3>
 Gary Bird 
 FortyThree, Inc. 
 831.888.9011 
 <a href="mailto:unison@43pr.com">unison@43pr.com</a>
 </div>

Get your personalized rate estimate today and access your home equity with Unison.

california state flag

Unison Monthly Payments a Fraction of Traditional Options, Providing Critical Financial Flexibility for Californian Families 

Californians Can Now Convert Home Equity Into Cash With Unison Equity Sharing Home Loan 

SAN FRANCISCO — May 14, 2025 — Unison Mortgage Corporation, a Unison company, today announced the launch of its Equity Sharing Home Loan in Nevada. Unison’s Equity Sharing Home Loan delivers unmatched affordability for homeowners feeling the squeeze of today's economic pressures. 

For a $100,000 loan, monthly payments can be as low as $306* at a 5.34% APR, compared to $1,222 for a typical 10-year closed-end second mortgage at current market rates—a savings of nearly $10,000 annually. This innovative structure frees up cash flow for households squeezed by inflation and rising debt. 

High credit card balances and early 401(k) withdrawals are becoming common coping mechanisms for U.S. households with finances stretched thin. As financial anxiety grows, many homeowners are looking for ways to unlock the value of their homes without taking on more unmanageable debt. 

The innovative Unison Equity Sharing Home Loan combines the benefits of home loans and home equity sharing agreements into a unique mortgage solution that allows homeowners to convert part of their home equity into cash with low monthly payments. 

 <blockquote>
 “Across Nevada, Economic volatility is pushing households to seek financing that is both affordable today and sustainable tomorrow,” said Ryan Downs, President of Unison. “Our Equity Sharing Home Loan converts idle equity into cash at roughly one‑third the monthly cost of a standard second mortgage, letting families manage expenses or fund renovations without giving up their low first‑mortgage rate.”
 </blockquote>

 With Unison’s Equity Sharing Home Loan, homeowners can:
 <ul>
 <li>Invest in renovations and home improvement projects</li>
 <li>Consolidate high-interest debt</li>
 <li>Refinance second mortgages for lower monthly payments</li>
 <li>Increase their retirement savings</li>
 </ul>

 <h2>Availability</h2>
 The Unison Equity Sharing Home Loan is available in Nevada today. Find out if you are eligible and obtain a free rate estimate with no obligation by <a href="#">visiting here</a>.

 <h2>About Unison Equity Sharing Home Loan:</h2>
 The Equity Sharing Home Loan is a second mortgage with a 10-year interest-only term. Borrowers can access their home equity at a below-market interest rate. In exchange, Unison receives a portion of the home's future appreciation. The loan features lower monthly payments by splitting interest into ongoing (paid monthly) and deferred (compounded) portions. The total cost includes deferred interest and depends on home appreciation, and is repaid at the term's end. Check your eligibility and get a free, no-obligation estimate at <a href="www.unison.com/homeloan">www.unison.com/homeloan</a>.

 <h2>About Unison:</h2>
 Based in San Francisco and Omaha, Unison is pioneering a smarter, better way to own your home. Until now, the only way to harvest hard-earned equity was by selling your home, or taking on enormous additional debt. Through Unison equity sharing agreements and equity sharing home loans, we help homeowners access their equity in a new and innovative way with low or no monthly payments. We are an investment management company with over $1.8 billion in assets under management, and we furnish investors with the opportunity to access the returns associated with home price appreciation, minus the overhead of home ownership. Our equity sharing agreements have empowered 12,000 households to pursue financial wellness, and we’re proud to continue to enhance home affordability, reduce debt, and deliver a less risky way for homeowners, investors, and society to think about that important asset - the home. For additional information, visit <a href="www.unison.com">www.unison.com</a> and <a href="www.unisonim.com">www.unisonim.com</a>.

 * Lowest APR for the week starting 4/7/25 on a $100,000 loan is 5.348%. For the comparable 10-year closed-end second mortgage, monthly payments as of 4/8/25 using the latest market rates is $1,222.35.

 <hr>
 All registered trademarks and product identifiers belong to their respective corporate entities. Any other trademarks or product names referenced here are also owned exclusively by their relevant companies.

 <h2>Media Contact:</h2>
 Gary Bird 
 FortyThree, Inc. 
 831.888.9011 
 <a href="mailto:unison@43pr.com">unison@43pr.com</a>
 </article>

Unison Mortgage Corporation Launches Innovative Equity Sharing Home Loan in Nevada

Unison Mortgage Corporation, a Unison company, today announced the launch of its Equity Sharing Home Loan in Nevada. Unison’s Equity Sharing Home Loan delivers unmatched affordability for homeowners feeling the squeeze of today's economic pressures.

Unison Mortgage Corporation Launches Innovative Equity Sharing Home Loan in Nevada to Convert Home Equity Into Cash

Unison Sharply Reduces Monthly Payments to about One-Third of Traditional Options, Providing Critical Financial Flexibility for American Families

SAN FRANCISCO—May 5, 2025—As Americans face growing economic uncertainty, volatile markets, and mounting household debt, <a href="https://www.unison.com/" title="Unison Website">Unison Mortgage Corporation</a>, a Unison company, today announced a significant cut in the Annual Percentage Rate (APR) for its Equity Sharing Home Loan—now as low as 5.34% for qualified borrowers—representing substantial savings compared to traditional second mortgages.

High credit card balances and early 401(k) withdrawals are becoming common coping mechanisms for U.S. households with finances stretched thin. As financial anxiety grows, many homeowners are looking for ways to unlock the value of their homes without taking on more unmanageable debt.

For homeowners feeling the squeeze of today's economic pressures, Unison’s Equity Sharing Home Loan delivers unmatched affordability. For a $100,000 loan, monthly payments can be as low as $306* at a 5.34% APR, compared to $1,222 for a typical 10-year closed-end second mortgage at current market rates—a savings of nearly $10,000 annually. This innovative structure frees up cash flow for households squeezed by inflation and rising debt.

“With economic anxiety on the rise and many Americans worried about their financial future, Unison is offering a lifeline,” said Thomas Sponholtz, CEO and Chairman of Unison. "We're helping homeowners tap into the $35 trillion locked in home equity in a way that provides both immediate relief and long-term stability. When families are facing difficult choices about their finances, our innovative approach delivers breathing room that traditional loans simply can't match.”

Homeowners wary of economic instability and high borrowing costs, are hesitating to tap into their home equity even for critical needs like debt consolidation or home improvements. The Wall Street Journal predicts a potential surge in renovation spending if affordable financing emerges, highlighting the pent-up demand Unison aims to unlock.

The fixed rate structure of the Unison Equity Sharing Home Loan provides peace of mind, shielding homeowners from potential rate hikes and allowing them to plan their finances with greater certainty. With a fixed rate, homeowners can enjoy stable monthly payments, even as market conditions fluctuate.

Industry data shows second mortgage rates averaging 8–10%, with some lenders exceeding 12% for riskier borrowers. Banks and credit unions have tightened standards, rejecting nearly 30% more applications than in 2023, according to recent market reports.

<h3>About Unison:</h3>
Based in San Francisco and Omaha, Unison Mortgage Corporation (NMLS: 2574289), a Unison company, is pioneering a smarter, better way to own your home. Until now, the only way to harvest hard-earned equity was by selling your home, or taking on enormous additional debt. Through Unison equity sharing agreements and equity sharing home loans, homeowners access their equity in a new and innovative way with low or no monthly payments. Unison is an investment management company with over $1.8 billion in assets under management, and they furnish investors with the opportunity to access the returns associated with home price appreciation, minus ownership. Their equity sharing agreements have empowered 12,000 homeowners to pursue financial wellness, and they’re proud to continue to enhance home affordability, reduce debt, and deliver a less risky way for homeowners, investors, and society to think about that important asset - the home. For additional information, visit <a href="www.unison.com">www.unison.com</a> and <a href="www.unisonim.com">www.unisonim.com</a>.

<h3>About Unison Equity Sharing Home Loan:</h3>
The Equity Sharing Home Loan is a second mortgage with a 10-year interest-only term. Borrowers can access their home equity at a below-market interest rate. In exchange, Unison receives a portion of the home's future appreciation. The loan features lower monthly payments by splitting interest into ongoing (paid monthly) and deferred (compounded) portions. The total cost includes deferred interest and depends on home appreciation, and is repaid at the term's end. Check your eligibility and get a free, no-obligation estimate at <a href="www.unison.com/homeloan">www.unison.com/homeloan</a>.

*Lowest APR for the week starting 4/7/25 on a $100,000 loan is 5.348%. For the comparable 10-year closed-end second mortgage, monthly payments as of 4/8/25 using the latest market rates is $1,222.35.

All registered trademarks and product identifiers belong to their respective corporate entities. Any other trademarks or product names referenced here are also owned exclusively by their relevant companies.

Media Contact: 
Gary Bird 
FortyThree, Inc. 
831.888.9011 
unison@43pr.com

PressRelease

Unison Sharply Reduces Monthly Payments to about One-Third of Traditional Options, Providing Critical Financial Flexibility for American Families 

 Unison Cuts Rates for Home Equity Lending to Offer Relief as Households Face Debt, Market Volatility

Record 4.5% Year-Over-Year National Increase in Home Prices; 45 States See Equity Gains, With Connecticut and New Jersey Leading Growth 

SAN FRANCISCO — December 3, 2024/<a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/unison-releases-2024-annual-home-equity-report--resilient-market-and-new-alternatives-for-homeowners-302320909.html">PR Newswire</a> — <a href="https://unison.com">Unison</a>, the pioneer of equity sharing agreements, today announced the release of its 2024 Annual Home Equity Report, a comprehensive analysis of the U.S. housing market that highlights notable trends in home equity growth across states and metropolitan areas. 

The report is available for <a href="https://www.unison.com/blog/2024-home-equity-report">free download</a> on Unison's website and offers distinct insights for homeowners, investors, media and financial analysts. 

The 2024 housing market showed substantial growth and resilience with a 4.5% increase in home prices year-over-year as of July. Total homeowner equity has climbed to unprecedented levels, reaching $35 trillion nationwide by the close of Q2 2024 with the aggregate home value surpassing $48 trillion. 

This year’s report reveals remarkable regional variations in home equity performance with Connecticut, New Jersey and Delaware experiencing the highest growth rates, while Mississippi, Louisiana and Idaho saw declines. The report offers a detailed look at home equity trends, performance across key metropolitan areas and new opportunities for homeowners seeking liquidity. 

“Our report reflects the dynamic changes in the housing market and provides an in-depth look at how regional differences can impact homeowner equity,” said Ryan Downs, President at Unison. “With home equity reaching new heights, our findings underscore the critical role it plays in household wealth and the importance of innovative financial solutions.” 

Key Findings from the 2024 Home Equity Report: 
<ul>
 <li>National Growth: Year-over-year increase in home prices was 4.5% as of July 2024 with total homeowner equity reaching $35 trillion.
 <li>State Growth Trends: From September 2023 to September 2024, median home equity growth was positive in 45 out of 50 states. Connecticut led with a 24.6% increase, followed by New Jersey (22.3%) and Delaware (18.3%). Mississippi (-2.1%), Louisiana (-3.9%) and Idaho (-6.5%) recorded the steepest declines.
 <li>Dollar-Value Leaders: Hawaii and California posted the highest median home equity values at $564,728 and $497,558, respectively—nearly 30% higher than Massachusetts, ranked third. Oklahoma recorded the lowest median equity at $118,331, just one-fifth of the highest state.
 <li>CBSA Insights: Dover, Delaware, saw the highest CBSA growth with a 35.7% year-over-year increase in home equity. Trenton-Princeton and Atlantic City-Hammonton, both in New Jersey, also ranked among the top performers. In contrast, New Mexico’s Espanola CBSA recorded a 43.5% year-over-year decline, followed by Portales (-32.5%) and Carlsbad-Artesia (-32.2%).
 <li>Extremes in Equity Levels: The Jackson Micropolitan Statistical Area, spanning Wyoming and Idaho, recorded the highest median home equity at $1,562,440—over 20 times higher than Pampa, Texas, which had the lowest.
 </ul> 

Availability 
The 2024 Home Equity Report further explores the above trends and offers more detailed national and regional analysis. The full 2024 Home Equity Report is available for free download on <a href="https://www.unison.com/blog/2024-home-equity-report">Unison’s website.</a> 

As homeowners consider their financial options with elevated home values, Unison's innovative <a href="https://www.unison.com/homeloan">Equity Sharing Home Loan</a> offers a unique financing alternative. This product provides below-market interest rates and the ability to defer a portion of payments, granting homeowners the flexibility to access liquidity without the heavy payment burden of traditional loans.

Unison's 2024 Annual Home Equity Report is a comprehensive analysis of the U.S. housing market that highlights notable trends in home equity growth across states and metropolitan areas. 

Unison Releases 2024 Annual Home Equity Report 

SAN FRANCISCO — November 26, 2024 — <a href="https://unison.com">Unison</a>, the pioneer of equity sharing
agreements, today announced that <a href="https://inman.com">Inman</a> awarded the 2024 Inman Best of Proptech
Award in the category of Alternative Financing to Unison CEO and Chairman Thomas
Sponholtz. 

This award recognizes Sponholtz’s pioneering contributions to reshaping how
homeowners can leverage their home equity for financial flexibility and growth.
The Inman Best of Proptech Awards is renowned for acknowledging the vanguard of
innovation and achievement across the real estate technology landscape. Awarded by
the respected editorial team at Inman, this distinction highlights individuals and entities
revolutionizing the proptech industry by offering transformative solutions. 

“For the second consecutive year, Inman celebrates the companies, products and
leaders that are building the future of real estate,” said Emily Paquette, CEO of Inman.
“These honorees are pioneering new pathways in residential proptech, pushing the
industry to new heights of growth and transformation.” 

“Receiving the Inman Best of Proptech Award underscores our team’s relentless
commitment to innovation in the home financing sector,” said Sponholtz. “Our mission
has always been to provide homeowners solutions that enhance financial flexibility and
open new avenues to achieve personal goals.” 

The groundbreaking <a href="https://unison.com/homeloan">Equity Sharing Home Loan</a> exemplifies this mission. The product
provides below-market interest rates and the ability to defer a portion of payments,
granting homeowners the flexibility to access liquidity without the heavy payment
burden of traditional loans.

Thomas Sponholtz

Unison, the pioneer of equity sharing agreements, today announced that Inman awarded the 2024 Inman Best of Proptech Award in the category of Alternative Financing to Unison CEO and Chairman Thomas Sponholtz.

Inman Awards Unison with Inman Best of Proptech Award in Alternative Financing

New Home Loan Category Supported by New Carlyle Investment Offers Interest-Only, Below-Market Monthly Payments to Fund Personal Goals Without Selling Assets or Increasing Debts 

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 17, 2024 /<a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/unison-launches-innovative-equity-sharing-home-loan-to-convert-home-equity-into-cash-302250356.html">PRNewswire</a>/ -- Unison, the pioneer of equity sharing agreements, today announced the launch of the Unison Equity Sharing Home Loan, which enables homeowners to receive cash today at below-market rates. 

Today, the company also <a href="https://www.carlyle.com/media-room/news-release-archive/carlyle-enters-strategic-partnership-unison-purchase-300-million">announced</a> that global investment firm <a href="https://www.carlyle.com/">Carlyle</a> (NASDAQ: CG) has entered into an agreement to purchase up to $300 million of equity sharing home loans from Unison as part of the Unison Equity Sharing Home Loan launch. 

U.S. homeowners have almost <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/home-equity-investments-become-emerging-041014938.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucHJuZXdzd2lyZS5jb20vbmV3cy1yZWxlYXNlcy91bmlzb24tbGF1bmNoZXMtaW5ub3ZhdGl2ZS1lcXVpdHktc2hhcmluZy1ob21lLWxvYW4tdG8tY29udmVydC1ob21lLWVxdWl0eS1pbnRvLWNhc2gtMzAyMjUwMzU2Lmh0bWw&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAN315J5sfKuJZdwN_whaHyoFEpAUHPuQKccoNaAwfCNwPdzq2deSbOoBoAEMfP1CO0QC20ZQQyFHuPHFvJD4j8SQDc-ekDuzVgDnq7hiCs6k390_D28M6Q2EjFVazuSW9SIjiXoaP4SrQzMz72EQouadM8CSP9qd9xlVl_vT4rVi">$32 trillion</a> in home equity, but most aren't refinancing their current low-interest first mortgages, which results in their biggest asset being inaccessible as homes continue to appreciate. 

The innovative Unison Equity Sharing Home Loan combines the benefits of home loans and home equity sharing agreements into a unique mortgage solution that allows homeowners to manage personal financial goals by converting home equity into cash with low monthly payments. This new financial product also introduces potential home price appreciation to investors in the mortgage asset category.
 
The Unison Equity Sharing Home Loan offers homeowners a fixed below-market* interest rate for accessing a portion of their home equity, while also allowing them to make use of the appreciation potential of their home. Homeowners lucky enough to have a low-interest first mortgage can maintain their favorable rates, and access capital immediately, with minimal impact to monthly cash flow. 

"Whether homeowners want to renovate their homes, consolidate high-interest debt, or secure their financial future, Unison's Equity Sharing Home Loan offers a versatile and customizable solution to suit their individual needs and aspirations," said Ryan Downs, President of Unison. "With lower monthly payments, made possible by shared home appreciation, homeowners can confidently pursue their financial goals with peace of mind." 

About the Unison Equity Sharing Home Loan 
<ul>
 <li>Lower Monthly Payments: An interest-only loan, part of the cost is offset by sharing a portion of the home's future appreciation, as well as partially-deferred interest.
 <li>Eligibility Criteria: We welcome homeowners with a FICO score of 680 and above, a maximum combined loan to value ratio of 70%, and a debt-to-income ratio not exceeding 40%.
 <li>Early Repayment, No Penalty: Borrowers can repay the loan early without penalty, which includes paying back the original loan amount, any deferred interest, and the agreed-upon share of appreciation.
 <li>Better Credit, Better Terms: Homeowners with higher FICO scores may receive more favorable loan terms.
 <li>Remodeling Benefit: Homeowners who make improvements--beyond that of regular maintenance--are eligible, after 3 years, to request a credit for the added value, which reduces the shared appreciation component.
 </ul> 

Unison vs. Other Loan Offers
Through the Unison Equity Sharing Home Loan, Unison designed an innovative and new financing option offering homeowners lower rates and monthly payments than provided by traditional equity financing products. Its unique structure combines a below-market rate home loan and a share of the property value future appreciation.
 
Availability
The Unison Equity Sharing Home Loan is available today. Find out if you are eligible and obtain a free estimate with no obligation by visiting <a href="https://www.unison.com/homeloan">www.unison.com/homeloan</a>. 

* Data gathered on July 1, 2024

Unison Launches Innovative Equity Sharing Home Loan to Convert Home Equity Into Cash

NEW YORK, NY and SAN FRANCISCO, CA – September 17, 2024/<a href="https://www.carlyle.com/media-room/news-release-archive/carlyle-enters-strategic-partnership-unison-purchase-300-million">Carlyle</a>/ –- <a href="https://www.carlyle.com/media-room/news-release-archive/carlyle-enters-strategic-partnership-unison-purchase-300-million">Global investment firm Carlyle (NASDAQ: CG) today announced that it has agreed to purchase up to $300 million of equity sharing home loans from Unison, the pioneer of equity sharing agreements.</a> In addition, Carlyle made a strategic investment into Unison. This partnership will enable Unison to launch the Unison Equity Sharing Home Loan product and allow homeowners to access their growing pool of home equity as homes continue to appreciate. 

U.S. homeowners have almost <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/home-equity-investments-become-emerging-041014938.html">$32 trillion</a> in home equity, but many are not refinancing their current low-interest first mortgages, which results in their biggest asset being inaccessible as homes continue to appreciate. 

Unison's newly launched <a href="https://www.unison.com/homeloan/">Unison Equity Sharing Home Loan</a> seeks to combine the benefits of home loans and home equity sharing agreements into a unique mortgage solution that allows homeowners to manage personal financial goals by converting home equity into cash with low monthly payments. This product offers homeowners a fixed below-market interest rate for accessing a portion of their home equity, while also allowing them to make use of the appreciation potential of their home. 

“Our collaboration with Carlyle enables the Unison Equity Sharing Home Loan to turn dormant home equity into an active tool for financial empowerment for millions of Americans,” said Thomas Sponholtz, founder and CEO of Unison. 

Matthew O’Hara, Chief Investment Officer at Unison added that “we aim to provide homeowners with the financial stability and flexibility lacking in traditional loan products and this partnership creates a win-win situation for both homeowners and Carlyle as an investment partner.” 

"We are excited to partner with Unison to provide an attractive solution for homeowners to access their appreciating home equity,” said Akhil Bansal, Head of Credit Strategic Solutions at Carlyle. "Unison is a leader in equity sharing agreements and we’re confident our expertise in asset-backed finance can help increase origination and awareness for this new capital solution for homeowners." 

This transaction was led by Carlyle’s Credit Strategic Solutions (“CSS”), a group within the Global Credit business focused on private fixed income and asset-backed investments. The highly experienced team leverages the knowledge, sourcing, structuring, and breadth of the entire Carlyle investment platform to deliver tailored asset-focused financing solutions to businesses, specialty finance companies, banks, asset managers, and other originators and owners of diversified pools of assets. CSS has deployed nearly $5 billion since 2021 and has roughly $7 billion in assets under management as of June 30th, 2024. 

 
About Carlyle 

Carlyle (NASDAQ: CG) is a global investment firm with deep industry expertise that deploys private capital across its business and conducts its operations through three business segments: Global Private Equity, Global Credit and Global Investment Solutions. With $435 billion of assets under management as of June 30, 2024, Carlyle's purpose is to invest wisely and create value on behalf of its investors, portfolio companies and the communities in which we live and invest. Carlyle employs more than 2,200 people in 29 offices across four continents. Further information is available at <a href="https://www.carlyle.com/">www.carlyle.com</a>. Follow Carlyle on X @OneCarlyle and LinkedIn at The Carlyle Group. 

About Unison 
Based in San Francisco and Omaha, Unison is pioneering a smarter, better way to own your home. Until now, the only way to harvest hard-earned equity was by selling your home, or taking on enormous additional debt. Through Unison equity sharing agreements and equity sharing home loans, we help homeowners access their equity in a new and innovative way with low or no monthly payments. We are an investment management company with over $1.8 billion in assets under management, and we furnish investors with the opportunity to access the returns associated with home price appreciation, minus the overhead of home ownership. Our equity sharing agreements have empowered 12,000 households to pursue financial wellness, and we’re proud to continue to enhance home affordability, reduce debt, and deliver a less risky way for homeowners, investors, and society to think about that important asset - the home. For additional information, visit <a href="https://www.unison.com/">www.unison.com</a> and <a href="https://www.unisonim.com/">www.unisonim.com.</a>

 

Media Contacts 

Kristen Ashton 
Phone: +1 212-813-4763 
<a href="mailto:kristen.ashton@carlyle.com">kristen.ashton@carlyle.com</a> 
Carlyle 
 
Gary Bird 
FortyThree, Inc. 
Phone: + 1 831-888-9011 
<a href="mailto:unison@43pr.com">unison@43pr.com</a> 
Unison 
 

The original joint press release can be seen <a href="https://www.carlyle.com/media-room/news-release-archive/carlyle-enters-strategic-partnership-unison-purchase-300-million">here.</a> 

Photo via <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/posts/the-carlyle-group_homeloans-activity-7241780434865389568-kp3h?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop">Carlyle</a>.

Screenshot 2024-09-17 at 10.56.51 AM

Global investment firm Carlyle (NASDAQ: CG) today announced that it has agreed to purchase up to $300 million of equity sharing home loans from Unison, the pioneer of equity sharing agreements.

Carlyle Enters into Strategic Partnership with Unison to Purchase $300 Million of Equity Sharing Home Loans

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Unison, the pioneer of equity sharing agreements, closed a securitization of $215 million of assets, supporting the U.S. Home Equity Investments (HEI) asset class and increasing access to institutional investors who want to participate in this emerging sector. This securitization is the second of Unison’s to take place after DBRS Morningstar <a href="https://www.dbrsmorningstar.com/research/417278">finalized their ratings criteria</a> for the burgeoning asset class in 2023. 

DBRS Morningstar rated Unison’s senior bond BBB, and the mezzanine bond BB, setting the precedent for this and future rated securitizations to take place. 

Unison’s equity sharing agreements help homeowners who otherwise struggle to harvest their trapped equity, as the longtime available solutions require them to take on enormous additional debt. This transaction further enables Unison to empower homeowners to renovate their homes, save for retirement, and consolidate their debt, rather than drastically exacerbating it. Unison is proud to provide this innovative alternative both for homeowners in need and investors pursuing efficient and scalable investment opportunities into one of the largest asset classes in the world: owner-occupied residential real estate. 

The transaction closed June 5, 2024 and included Nomura as structuring agent and bookrunner. Mayer Brown LLP served as the legal counsel of the issuer, and Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP served as the legal counsel of the initial purchaser. 

As Unison’s second rated securitization after DBRS Morningstar finalized the ratings criteria for the HEI asset class, we believe the transaction is a significant step forward in validating HEI as a mainstream asset for institutional and other investors. As the pioneer of the equity sharing agreement, Unison is excited to continue to innovate on behalf of both homeowners and investors who seek additional options to suit their needs. 

Unison’s Chief Investment Officer Matthew O’Hara describes the securitization as “good news for homeowners and investors alike," as continued confirmation of HEI as a reliable and gainful asset "will ensure their availability to those seeking scalable investment opportunities into owner-occupied residential real estate, as well as those who could most benefit from an innovative financing alternative." 

As a market leader, Unison Investment Management, LLC (UIM) helps homeowners access the accumulated value of their homes while enabling institutional investors to access U.S. residential home price appreciation. Their portfolios provide low volatility and high risk-adjusted net returns relative to other major asset classes.

Unison Announces DBRS Rated Securitization of $215 Million of Unison Home Equity Sharing Agreements

SAN FRANCISCO, CA / ACCESSWIRE / November 29, 2023 / Unison, the pioneer of equity sharing agreements, closed a securitization of $202 million of assets, supporting the U.S. Home Equity Investments (HEI) asset class and increasing access to institutional investors who want to participate in this emerging sector. This securitization is the first of Unison's to take place after DBRS Morningstar <a href="https://pr.report/D6flLdGY">finalized their ratings criteria</a> for the burgeoning asset class earlier this year. 

DBRS Morningstar rated Unison's senior bond BBB, and the mezzanine bond BB-, setting the precedent for future rated securitizations to take place. 

Unison's equity sharing agreements help homeowners who otherwise struggle to unlock trapped equity, as traditional solutions require them to take on additional debt. This transaction further enables Unison to pave the way for homeowners to renovate their homes, save for retirement, and consolidate their debt, rather than further adding to it. Unison is proud to provide this innovative alternative both for homeowners in need and investors pursuing efficient and scalable investment opportunities into the largest asset class in the world: owner-occupied residential real estate. 

The transaction closed on Nov. 28, 2023, and included Barclays, as structuring agent and joint bookrunner, and Performance Trust, as joint bookrunner. Mayer Brown, LLP served as the legal representative of the issuer, and Hunton Andrews Kirth, LLP as the legal representative of the initial purchasers. 

As Unison's first rated securitization after DBRS Morningstar finalized the ratings criteria for the HEI asset class, the transaction is a significant step forward in validating HEI as a mainstream asset for institutional and other investors. Unison, who pioneered the equity sharing agreement and institutionalized the HEI asset class, is delighted to continue to occupy the forefront of its formalization and recognition of its resilience. 

Unison Chief Investment Officer Matt O'Hara describes the securitization as "a demonstration of both the increasing investor demand for scalable investment opportunities into the largest asset class in the world - owner-occupied residential real estate - and the heightened confidence in Home Equity Sharing Agreements as a reliable and gainful asset." 

As a market leader, Unison Investment Management (UIM) helps homeowners access the accumulated value of their homes while enabling institutional investors to access U.S. residential home price appreciation. Their portfolios provide low volatility and high risk-adjusted net returns relative to other major asset classes.

The securitization is Unison's first under DBRS Morningstar's recently finalized ratings criteria for the U.S. Home Equity Investments asset class.

Unison Announces First DBRS Rated Securitization of $202 Million of Unison Home Equity Agreements

SAN FRANCISCO, November 14, 2023 (Newswire.com) - Unison founder and CEO, Thomas Sponholtz, has been recognized as one of Inman’s “2023 Best of Proptech,” which recognizes achievements of leaders changing the residential landscape. The full class of honorees were announced on Inman’s website on Wednesday, November 8. 

Sponholtz founded Unison upon observation of two problems: first, homeowners who wished to tap into their rapidly increasing home equity were forced to use products that only added to their debt with monthly payments and interest; investors, meanwhile, were struggling to obtain efficient, diversified access to the lucrative residential real estate asset class. His solution: the equity sharing agreement. 

A Unison equity sharing agreement enables homeowners to convert up to 15% of their equity into cash in exchange for a percentage of the home’s future change in value. With no interest or monthly payments, Unison does not add to a homeowner’s debt; instead, the agreement is the vehicle for financial agency. Homeowners can use the funds however they’d like: to start a small business, diversify their portfolio, renovate their home, or plan for retirement. With access to Unison’s Home Partnership Team, partnering homeowners have the resources they need to navigate their respective roads to financial wellbeing. 

Sponholtz responded to the award, “I am honored to be selected for Inman’s Best of Proptech Award for 2023. I built this company to empower homeowners to achieve their dreams without languishing in the shadow of debt, and look forward to more investors embracing the opportunities presented by owner-occupied real estate as a new asset category.”

As Inman expands its awards program recognizing the achievements of trailblazers throughout the real estate community, Sponholtz is selected as a winner in “Alternative Finance.”

Unison CEO Thomas Sponholtz Announced as One of Inman’s '2023 Best of Proptech' 

SAN FRANCISCO--(<a href="https://www.newswire.com/news/unison-announces-securitization-of-165-million-equity-sharing-22119974">BUSINESS WIRE</a>)--<a href="https://unison.com">Unison</a>, the pioneer of equity sharing agreements, closed a securitization of $165 million of assets, supporting such agreements nationwide and increasing access to institutional investors who want to participate in the novel, lucrative sector of the U.S. Home Equity Investments (HEI) asset class. This transaction, arriving on the heels of a turbulent market, reflects growing confidence in equity sharing agreements as a reliable, gainful asset. 
After a previous short-term decline, home prices have leveled off and sprung to life. Over the last three months, annualized HPA totaled 17.2%—triple the historical average. However, homeowners struggle to unlock trapped equity, as traditional solutions require them to take on additional debt. This transaction increases liquidity for homeowners seeking to consolidate their debt, renovate their homes, save for retirement, and practice financial wellness. Unison proudly offers this innovative option both for homeowners in need and investors pursuing efficient and scalable investment opportunities into the largest asset class in the world: owner-occupied residential real estate. 
The transaction closed June 9, 2023 and included Barclays and Performance Trust as the structuring agent and bookrunner, respectively. Mayer Brown, LLP served as the legal representative of the issuer, and Hunton Andrews Kirth, LLP as the legal representative of the initial purchasers.
Coupled with the news that DBRS Morningstar finalized the ratings criteria for the HEI asset class, the transaction further validates HEI as a mainstream asset for institutional and other investors. During the COVID era, the market became uncertain, even precarious; though it has been on the upswing since the pandemic’s peak, it remains shy of confident stability. This transaction demonstrates that Unison, who pioneered the equity sharing agreement and institutionalized the HEI asset class, is at the forefront of its formalization and recognition of its durability. 
“The fact that we are able to securitize in this environment speaks volumes to the validity of our asset class,” adds Unison Chief Investment Officer Matt O’Hara. “We look forward to the upcoming rating from DBRS Morningstar, which further confirms the potency and potential of home equity investments on a larger scale.” 
As a market leader, Unison Investment Management (UIM) helps homeowners access the accumulated value of their homes while enabling institutional investors to access U.S. residential home price appreciation. Investing in homes since 2006, UIM currently manages $1.69B in residential equity agreements, and has a 10+ year track record of 17.0% annualized net returns since 2010. Their portfolios provide low volatility and high risk-adjusted net returns relative to other major asset classes.

linkedin-sales-solutions-YDVdprpgHv4-unsplash

DBRS Morningstar’s finalized ratings criteria for the U.S. Home Equity Investments asset class and increased investor demand for access to owner-occupied residential real estate reflects confidence in Equity Sharing Agreements as reliable and gainful. 

Unison Announces Securitization of $165 Million Unison Home Equity Agreements

SAN FRANCISCO, September 5, 2023 (<a href="https://www.newswire.com/news/unison-investment-management-announces-sandra-taube-godard-former-22120032">NEWSWIRE</a>) - Today, <a href="https://unison.com">Unison</a>, an equity-sharing firm with approximately $1.69 billion in assets under management, announced that Sandra Taube Godard has joined the organization as its Managing Director for the Investment Management team in Canada. In this newly created role, Ms. Taube Godard will be responsible for bolstering the firm's investment strategy and client relationships across Canadian markets. 

Ms. Taube Godard brings over 30 years of experience in private capital investing. Before joining Unison Investment Management, LLC (UIM), Ms. Taube Godard was Co-Head of Wells Fargo Securities Canada Ltd., responsible for commercializing the firm's Private Credit, Equity, and Real Estate capabilities. Prior to Wells Fargo Securities, Ms. Taube Godard was a Managing Director at UBS and was responsible for building the Alternate Capital Solutions initiative within the Investment Bank, delivering unique investment opportunities to private capital investors. Throughout her career, Ms. Taube Godard has taken the lead on working with longer-horizon investors, including Canadian public pensions, insurance companies, sovereign wealth funds, and select family offices. 

"Sandra's exceptional background and pragmatic leadership are what we need as we continue to expand Unison's global footprint. She understands investors' strategic needs, and we look forward to working with her to further our investment capabilities and capital-raising endeavors while continuing to serve our clients in the most efficient way possible," said Matt O'Hara, Chief Investment Officer.

Untitled design

Ms. Taube Godard Brings 30 years of Expertise Working with Large Institutional Investors. Ms. Taube Godard Will Oversee Unison's Strategic Initiatives and Client Partnerships Across All Canadian Markets.

Unison Investment Management Announces Sandra Taube Godard, Former Wells Fargo and UBS Executive, as Managing Director for Investment Strategy in Canada

Innovate Finance and BBC Storyworks explore how fintech companies can help accelerate financial inclusion and wellness through a branded series that highlights Unison's equity sharing agreements and recognizes their groundbreaking work. 

Unison takes the global stage in “Wired Differently” | Unison

CHICAGO, June 20, 2023 (<a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/viu-by-hub-partners-with-unison-to-simplify-personal-insurance-for-homeowners-301854860.html">PR/NEWSWIRE</a>)-- <a href="https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=3897188-1&h=1637294667&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.viubyhub.com%2F&a=VIU+by+HUB">VIU by HUB</a> (VIU), a digital insurance brokerage platform, today announced a partnership with <a href="https://unison.com">Unison</a>, a home equity sharing company, to provide homeowners with the opportunity to compare insurance coverage quotes across carriers and receive trusted advice along the way.
 
"Too often we hear about homeowners who only look at their insurance policies when purchasing a new home. That's a miss as constantly changing dynamics in the housing market may impact the kind of coverage you need," said Bryan Davis, EVP and Head of VIU. "By merging technology and human expertise, VIU helps homeowners manage their insurance policies easily so they can be more aware of their needs and confident the right coverage is always in place."
 
VIU, which is powered by <a href="https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=3897188-1&h=4020048585&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hubinternational.com%2F&a=Hub+International+Limited">Hub International Limited</a>, a leading global insurance brokerage and financial services firm, combines a digital-first experience with live agent interactions to simplify the personal insurance process for all consumers. VIU consumers can shop for quotes, compare, purchase and manage policies across home, auto, condo, renters, life and pet while receiving trusted advice from experts.
 
"Making insurance simpler to understand, compare and shop for provides homeowners with more security and peace of mind as they navigate the changing housing market," said Thomas Sponholtz, CEO of Unison. "We look forward to bringing choice and added value to our customers."

 
In addition to working directly with consumers, VIU's technical capabilities allow the platform to be easily embedded within the workflows and systems of <a href="https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=3897188-1&h=3385196931&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.viubyhub.com%2Fpartnerships&a=partner+organizations">partner organizations</a>, enabling them to provide added value to their customers while supporting organizational growth goals.

 
About Hub International 
Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, <a href="https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=3897188-1&h=4020048585&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hubinternational.com%2F&a=Hub+International+Limited:">Hub International Limited</a> is a leading full-service global insurance broker and financial services firm providing risk management, insurance, employee benefits, retirement and wealth management products and services. With more than 16,000 employees in offices located throughout North America, Hub's vast network of specialists brings clarity to a changing world with tailored solutions and unrelenting advocacy, so clients are ready for tomorrow. For more information, visit <a href="https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=3897188-1&h=1208540841&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hubinternational.com%2Fmedia-center%2F&a=Hub+Media+Center">Hub Media Center</a>. 

 About Unison

 

Unison is a San Francisco and Omaha-based company that pioneers a smarter, better way to own your home. Until now, the only way to finance a home was by taking on debt. Through residential equity sharing agreements, we help homeowners access their equity flexibly with no monthly payments or interest. We enhance home affordability, reduce debt, and deliver a less risky way for homeowners, investors, and society to think about that important asset- the home. Unison follows the Homeowner Promise, which emphasizes the company's commitment to transparency, accessibility, empathy, and alignment with our customers. It confidently declares our guiding principle: that "Owning with Unison is better." Unison operates in 30 states and territories, including Washington, D.C., and has helped over 10,000 households, with a combined home value of more than $8 billion. More information at www.unison.com.

unnamed

VIU allows users to shop, compare, purchase and manage personal insurance while receiving trusted advice. 

VIU by HUB Partners with Unison to Simplify Personal Insurance for Homeowners | Unison

SAN FRANCISCO, March 1, 2023 (<a href="https://www.newswire.com/news/unison-celebrates-10-000th-homeowner-reaffirms-ongoing-commitment-with-21969235" target="_blank">NEWSWIRE</a>)-- <a href="https://unison.com">Unison</a> is thrilled to announce that they partnered with their 10,000th homeowner, crossing a significant milestone in their quest to empower homeowners to access their equity. The trailblazing fintech offers residential equity sharing agreements to homeowners in 30 states, in which they receive up to 17.5% of their home’s current value in exchange for a share in the home’s future change in value. The best part? Homeowners do not acquire debt–Unison neither demands monthly payments nor applies interest during the length of the agreement.

 
Unison's agreement provides homeowners a way to access their equity without taking on added debt, as well as delivers scalable investment opportunities for institutional investors into the largest asset class in the world: owner-occupied residential real estate. Unison seeks to optimize homeownership on a societal scale by creating a platform that connects the two groups.
 
Unison’s 10,000th customer will renovate his home; many also use their equity to start a business, eliminate debt, or supplement a fixed retirement income. Unison homeowners may use their funds however they wish, and enjoy a relationship with the Home Partnership Team. The Home Partnership team is a branch of the company whose main purpose is to serve Unison homeowners as a compassionate, knowledgeable resource for the unpredictable speed-bumps of homeownership. 
 
Unison’s “Homeowner Promise” encapsulates that ethos. A commitment and active reminder–”Owning with Unison is better”--underscores the company’s current actions and future plans. The core values of empathy, transparency, accessibility, and alignment infuse all operations, as Unison recognizes that a house is more than an asset with four walls and a roof, but rather a home, where life is lived and memories are made. 

 
Theo Haugen, the Vice President of Customer Experience at Unison, elaborates, “‘Owning with Unison is Better’ because Unison's equity sharing agreements mean we are successful when our homeowners are successful. We partner with them because there is so much to know; our homeowners get the benefit of our knowledge and resources to help with their journey.”

 
You can learn more about Unison's equity sharing agreements <a href="https://unison.com/">here</a>. 

 About Unison

 

Unison is a San Francisco and Omaha-based company that pioneers a smarter, better way to own your home. Until now, the only way to finance a home was by taking on debt. Through residential equity sharing agreements, we help homeowners access their equity flexibly with no monthly payments or interest. We enhance home affordability, reduce debt, and deliver a less risky way for homeowners, investors, and society to think about that important asset- the home. Unison operates in 30 states and territories, including Washington, D.C., and has helped over 10,000 households, with a combined home value of more than $6.5 billion.

Picture1 retouched

Unison has reached an exciting landmark: partnering with their 10,000th homeowner. This milestone coincides with the release of their “Homeowner Promise,” which reiterates Unison’s dedication to the interests of the homeowners with whom they partner.

Unison Celebrates 10,000th Homeowner & Reaffirms Ongoing Commitment to Homeowners with the “Homeowner Promise”

SAN FRANCISCO, December 15, 2022 (<a href="https://www.newswire.com/news/u-s-homeowners-sitting-on-enormous-untapped-equity-residential-equity-21903722" target="_blank">NEWSWIRE</a>) -- For the second consecutive year, <a href="http://unison.com">Unison</a>, the pioneer in residential equity sharing agreements, has released its Home Equity Report. The 2022 report highlights a steep increase in home equity in the past year, with U.S. households today sitting on over $29 trillion worth of home equity, growing 19.5% from a year ago and 80% from five years ago. 
 
The data in the report shows significant regional variations in home equity values; however, all 50 states saw positive growth in median home equity. While Hawaii and California have the highest median home equity values, Utah and Delaware have seen the strongest growth. The report features multiple other geo-specific data sets, including the metros with the lowest equity values and weakest equity growth.
 
Home equity tends to increase with the years of homeownership. The report demonstrates that this increase coincides with many homeowners' growing financial needs — healthcare, for example, or home renovations. With the additional nebulousness of the current market, the solution is clear. Winfield Xu, Director of Data Science, comments, "Instead of keeping the wealth locked up in their properties, homeowners may want to examine the roles of their homes as an accessible source of liquidity."
 
You can read the full 2022 Home Equity Report <a href="https://contentimages.o-prod.unison.com/images/press/2022_home_equity_report.pdf">here</a>.

 You can learn more about Unison and apply for an equity sharing agreement <a href="http://unison.com/2022-home-equity-report?utm_source=media&utm_medium=media&utm_campaign=2022-home-equity-report&utm_content=her2022">here</a>. 

 
About Unison
 
Unison is a San Francisco and Omaha-based company that is pioneering a smarter, better way to own your home. Until now, the only way to finance a home was by taking on debt. Through residential equity-sharing agreements, we help homeowners access their equity flexibly with no monthly payments or interest. We enhance home affordability, reduce debt, and deliver a less risky way for homeowners, investors, and society to think about their most important asset — the home. As of 2022, Unison operates in 30 states and territories, including Washington, D.C., and has proudly helped over 10,000 households, with a combined home value of more than $6.4 billion.

Cover Picture copia copysm

The report notes that U.S. households currently hold over $29 trillion in untapped equity and highlights how homeowners may want to consider putting their assets to use.

 U.S. Homeowners Sitting on Enormous Untapped Equity, Residential Equity-Sharing Leader Unison Highlights in 2022 Home Equity Report

SAN FRANCISCO, July 13, 2022 (<a href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220712005783/en/Unison-Announces-Expansion-into-Nebraska" target="_blank">BUSINESS WIRE</a>) -- <a href="https://www.unison.com/" target="_blank">Unison</a>, the leader in equity sharing agreements, today announced that its HomeOwner program is now available to consumers in Nebraska. The expansion announcement follows the grand opening of Unison’s Omaha office earlier this year and $6.4 billion in total value of U.S. equity sharing agreements as of June 2022. 

"With our recent office expansion to Nebraska, this was the next logical step for us," said Unison founder and CEO Thomas Sponholtz. "Due to the current market conditions, many consumers are seeking affordable housing options and we are thrilled we can now offer greater origination capabilities in Nebraska. With this announcement, we are expanding the number of consumers we can partner with to offer an option that doesn’t require interest or monthly payments.” 

With investments in over 10,000 homes across 29 states and the District of Columbia, Unison empowers homeowners to access the existing equity in their homes without taking on additional debt. As home costs continue to fluctuate across the country, Unison is offering homeowners a way to utilize their home as a part of their larger investment portfolio. 

“Our presence in Nebraska has continued to grow since our office opening earlier this year,” said Unison President Ryan Downs, who is leading the Omaha office. “We are seeing greater interest in our solution and are thrilled to have boots on the ground where we can service our clients in person and remotely as well as tap Nebraska’s financial services and technology talent pool.” 

As Unison continues to build momentum throughout 2022, the team is focused on further expanding its presence in Nebraska. 

To learn more about Unison’s expansion in Nebraska, please visit <a href='https://www.unison.com/omaha-office/' target='_blank'>unison.com/omaha-office</a>. 

About Unison
Unison is a San Francisco-based company that is pioneering a smarter, better way to own your home. Until now, the only way to finance a home was by taking on debt. Through residential equity agreements, we help homeowners access their equity flexibly with no monthly payments or interest. We enhance home affordability, reduce debt, and deliver a less risky way for homeowners, investors, and society to think about their most important asset - the home. For additional information, visit <a href='https://www.unison.com/'>www.unison.com</a> or follow us on <a href='https://www.facebook.com/MyUnison/' target='_blank'>Facebook</a>, <a href='https://www.instagram.com/myunison/' target='_blank'>Instagram</a>, <a href='https://www.linkedin.com/company/19100900' target='_blank'>LinkedIn</a>, <a href='https://twitter.com/Unison' target='_blank'>Twitter</a> and <a href='https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCmPJzvS6KCqcg9GYI8PYUA' target='_blank'>YouTube</a>. 

Press Contact
<a href='mailto:mediadesk@unison.com'>mediadesk@unison.com</a>

omaha office (1)

Announcement follows latest office opening in Omaha, establishing greater presence and focus on Midwest

Unison Announces Expansion into Nebraska

SAN FRANCISCO — June 23, 2021 
 Unison, the leader in home co-investments, has raised an additional $210 million to help consumers access the record equity they’ve accumulated in their homes.
 
Home prices have been increasing rapidly over the past year, creating a record $7 trillion of new “tappable” equity as of 2020 year end, and Americans homebound during the pandemic are eager for expansion and improvement, from renovated kitchens and bathrooms to Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs). Tapping that equity, however, has gotten harder, as banks have tightened lending standards, and traditional channels tie a homeowner to additional debt and monthly payments, with interest. “Home prices have surged, and we enable people to smartly and prudently harvest a slice of the gain without adding more debt to pay for retirement, diversify investments, pay bills or pay off debt, or make home improvements. With many homeowners now owning too much home as a percentage of their net worth, using Unison for liquidity without having to sell the house in order to diversify and pay off debt is a really smart move,” said Unison CEO Thomas Sponholtz.
 
Home equity sharing agreements offer many benefits that debt cannot offer and can be superior to traditional cash-out refinances or home equity loans. Homeowners are offered a cash payment of up to 17.5 percent of their home’s current market value - up to $500,000. Because a Unison home equity sharing agreement is not debt, there are no monthly payments or interest attached. When the house is sold or 30 years pass, the owner pays Unison an amount equal to the initial co-investment, plus/minus a percentage of the home’s change in value since the transaction was initiated—in partnership with the homeowner. Homeowners are free to use the cash received for anything, but purchases of long-term value tend to be popular (e.g., retirement planning, debt payoff, medical expenses, home remodeling, or investing in diverse stocks and bonds).

Unison is backed by institutional investors who benefit from gaining exposure to the asset class of owner-occupied residential real estate (OOR), which is the world’s largest, with a value of over $160TN<a href="#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1">[1]</a>. In addition to its huge size, OOR offers substantial diversification benefits due to its low correlation with equity and fixed income indices<a href="#_ftn2" name="_ftnref2">[2]</a>. OOR is also a powerful long-term hedge against inflation, as housing is the largest component of CPI (42% of representative household basket of goods).

 
Unison Investment Management has invested in almost 8,000 homes across 30 states and the District of Columbia, with over $1 billion in assets under management.<a href="#_ftn3" name="_ftnref3">[3]</a>

“This is a win-win for institutional investors and homeowners alike as we’re creating new investment opportunities and helping homeowners tap their growing home equity to meet important financial needs without accumulating more debt,” said Thomas Sponholtz, Unison’s founder and CEO. “Access to a multiple of home price appreciation is one of the few investments that institutional investors can make at scale to seek to increase expected returns while lowering overall risk of their portfolios. Given the funding demands created by the current rate environment and longevity, it is a critical addition.” 
The company has also bolstered its Investment Management team with the recent addition of Matthew O’Hara, Head of Portfolio Management & Research, and Joe Celentano, Global Head of Markets. Previously Head of Investments for Blackrock’s multi-asset target date portfolios, O’Hara is now responsible for all investments at Unison across the investment lifecycle, working closely with both the origination and capital raising teams. Celentano is responsible for raising investment capital from institutional investors for Unison’s funds and structured products. He previously served as a Western Regional Manager for Wells Fargo Securities and was also a Managing Director and Senior Managing Director at JP Morgan and Bear Stearns. 

 <a href="#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1">[1]</a> "https://www.valuewalk.com/2016/01/global-real-estate-value/
</a>
<a href="#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1">[2]</a> https://www.unisonim.com/insights/asset-class-deserves-home
</a>
<a href="#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1">[3]</a> The amount of Unison’s assets under management (or AUM) is calculated on the basis of the latest available valuations of all portfolio investments for which Unison provides continuous and regular supervisory or management services.
</a>

062321 blog

Unison Secures Funding | Unison Home Equity Sharing | Blog

Unison Company Updates

The company finishes banner year of growth with largest securitization of its kind.

 

<ul class="list-disc">
 <li>Residential equity agreement (REA) securitization creates an unprecedented opportunity for institutional investors to participate in the residential equity market.</li> 
 <li>The securitization is intended to drive favorable financial benefits for consumers including increased efficiency and better leverage in the markets.</li>
 <li>Expands C-suite with two seasoned executives.</li>
</ul>

 
SAN FRANCISCO, February 07, 2022 (<a href="https://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/" target="_blank">BUSINESS WIRE</a>) -- <a href="https://www.unison.com/">Unison</a>, the leader in residential equity agreements (REAs), has closed a $443 million securitization, which supports residential equity agreements across the country and gives more access to institutional investors who want to participate in the sector. This milestone transaction is the largest securitization of REAs to date, rounding out a historical year of growth for the fintech company.

Home prices have been increasing rapidly over the past year, creating a record $24 trillion of wealth locked in the U.S. housing market according to the <a href="https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/OEHRENWBSHNO" target="_blank">Federal Reserve of St Louis.</a><a href="#ftn1">[1]</a> Unlocking trapped equity, however, has gotten harder as banks have tightened lending standards and traditional home equity solutions require a homeowner to take on additional debt and monthly payments. This transaction offers the opportunity for investors to access residential real estate equity and increases liquidity for homeowners across the country looking to monetize the equity in one of their most valuable assets—their homes.

 This transaction closed December 22, 2021 and included Nomura Securities International, Inc. as the structuring agent and joint bookrunner with participation from Barclays Capital Inc. as joint bookrunner. Mayer Brown, LLP served as the legal representative of the issuer, and Sidley Austin, LLP served as the legal representative of the initial purchasers.

 "The Unison securitization allows a wider range of investors to participate in the space of residential equity agreements," said Matthew O’Hara, Head of Portfolio Management & Research, Unison Investment Management. "It also increases the efficiency of the market, which should lead to wider adoption amongst homeowners, ultimately leading to a larger, more liquid marketplace that benefits homeowners and investors alike."

 "We are doing something truly innovative in a market that is ripe for change," Unison founder and CEO Thomas Sponholtz said. "This securitization adds a new component to our investment management arm and adds an important source of capital to fund consumer REAs across the country; we have the opportunity to utilize this funding mechanism to help our current and future consumers harness the power of the equity in their homes. I’m proud of the work the Unison Investment Management team has accomplished, and this is another important milestone that is helping to make residential equity more accessible for both consumers and investors seeking exposure to the market."

 As a part of its growth, Unison has also <a href="https://www.unison.com/press/unison_president_cfo/">added new talent</a> to its executive team, naming PayPal/eBay veteran Ryan Downs as President, Silicon Valley Bank growth expert Scott Case as Chief Financial Officer and Wells Fargo Securities Joe Celentano as Global Head of Markets. 

 Unison Investment Management (UIM) delivers efficient and scalable investment opportunities into the largest asset class in the world: owner-occupied residential real estate. Unison Investment Management has been investing in homes since 2006, currently manages $1.3B in residential equity agreements, and has a 10+ year track record of 16.3% annualized net returns since 2010. Unison Investment Management’s portfolios provide low volatility and high risk-adjusted net returns relative to other major asset classes.

 
About Unison

 Unison is a San Francisco-based company that is pioneering a smarter, better way to own your home. Until now, the only way to finance a home was by taking on debt. Through Unison residential equity agreements, we help homeowners access their equity flexibly with no monthly payments or interest. We enhance home affordability, reduce debt, and deliver a less risky way for homeowners, investors, and society to think about their most important asset - the home. For additional information, visit <a href="https://www.unison.com/"> www.unison.com</a> or follow us on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MyUnison/" target="_blank"> Facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/myunison/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/Unison" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCmPJzvS6KCqcg9GYI8PYUA" target="_blank">YouTube</a>.

 

<div id="footnotes">
 [1]
Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (US), Households; Owners' Equity in Real Estate, Level [OEHRENWBSHNO], retrieved from FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis;<a href="https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/OEHRENWBSHNO" target="_blank"> https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/OEHRENWBSHNO</a>, January 13, 2022.</a>
 
 
</div>

 <a href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220207005168/en/" target="_blank">View source version on businesswire.com</a> 

 
Press Contact
 <a href="mailto:mediadesk@unison.com">mediadesk@unison.com</a>

 <style>
 article a { text-decoration: underline; }
 .list-disc {
 list-style-type: disc !important;
 padding-left: 20px;
 }
 .list-circle {
 list-style-type: circle !important;
 padding-left: 20px;
 }
 #footnotes span {
 padding-top: 96px;
 margin-top: -96px;
 }
</style>

Doors-two-tone

The company finishes banner year of growth with largest securitization of its kind.

Unison | Securitization

SAN FRANCISCO — March 16, 2022 - Unison, the leader in residential equity agreements, today announced the grand opening of a new office in Omaha, Nebraska. This new office expansion enables Unison to accelerate growth in sales, technology, financial services and customer experience. 

The pandemic has fundamentally changed how and where Americans work. As Unison continues to scale, expanding its US footprint remains an important part of its growth plans. In-person collaboration is core to Unison’s culture, while also offering the flexibility for remote and hybrid work, when needed. The new office capitalizes on Omaha’s diverse financial services and technology talent pool. 

“Omaha is the natural choice for Unison’s expansion,” said Unison President Ryan Downs, who will also be leading the Omaha office. ”The city has a highly skilled and educated workforce as a result of its world-class colleges and universities and numerous Fortune 500 and fintech headquartered companies.” 

To support its growth, Unison has hired Lynette Ryan as VP of Operations; she will be based in Omaha where she will oversee the growth of the office, which will ultimately have more than hundreds of employees as the company expands its team in the region. Her role also extends as the leader of the sales, acquisition and investment underwriting teams. 

"I am thrilled to bring meaningful employment opportunities to the dedicated and loyal employee,” shared Lynette Ryan. “ There is something to be said about the work ethic and loyalty of employees in the heartland. There is something really special about joining a company that is dedicated to grow in Omaha where you are one of the first couple employees that will help to create and build the future of our company literally from the ground up here in Omaha." 

Lynette Ryan is an Omaha/Council Bluffs native with nearly 15 years of experience overseeing operations and process improvement at PayPal. Additionally, as principal of LLR Operations Consulting, she helped businesses scale and launch new operations. 

“We are excited to launch our second office in a rapidly growing city that is frequently named one of the best places to live in America. Omaha is a top destination for young professionals and families, and the vibrant culture provides opportunities to advance our commitment to diversity and a healthy work/life balance,” said Holly Danko, Chief People Officer. 

“Nebraska is thrilled to welcome Unison, an outstanding innovator and industry leader, to our exciting and growing ecosystem of global fintech firms,” said Nebraska Department of Economic Development Director Anthony L. Goins. “Investments such as this one further prove that Nebraska is emerging as a national leader in the fintech sector. We are honored to be selected as Unison's number one choice for expanding its company's bright future. We look forward to the incredible contributions Unison will bring to the city of Omaha and Nebraska as a whole." 

To learn more about Unison’s expansion to Omaha or to apply for employment, please visit <a href='http://unison.com/omaha-office'>unison.com/omaha-office</a>. 

About Unison
Unison is a San Francisco-based company that is pioneering a smarter, better way to own your home. Until now, the only way to finance a home was by taking on debt. Through residential equity agreements, we help homeowners access their equity flexibly with no monthly payments or interest. We enhance home affordability, reduce debt, and deliver a less risky way for homeowners, investors, and society to think about their most important asset - the home. For additional information, visit <a href='https://www.unison.com/'>www.unison.com</a> or follow us on <a href='https://www.facebook.com/MyUnison/' target='_blank'>Facebook</a>, <a href='https://www.instagram.com/myunison/' target='_blank'>Instagram</a>, <a href='https://www.linkedin.com/company/19100900' target='_blank'>LinkedIn</a>, <a href='https://twitter.com/Unison' target='_blank'>Twitter</a> and <a href='https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCmPJzvS6KCqcg9GYI8PYUA' target='_blank'>YouTube</a>. 

Press Contact
<a href='mailto:mediadesk@unison.com'>mediadesk@unison.com</a>

Growing fintech hires new VP of Operations to join President at second location

Unison expands with a new office in Omaha, Nebraska

SAN FRANCISCO — March 07, 2022 - Unison, the leader in residential equity agreements, has been named to the <a href='https://www.housingwire.com/articles/2022-housingwire-tech100-real-estate-honorees/?utm_campaign=2022%20Tech100&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=205488864&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9ojT1K8CZtx6K4UuVHelLc5u1x540vyCKOVwpIzkle-vQ7wz-REgTeW67fa87Re505EoSQCNFluSg8xWwtxr-nPQS7ZA&utm_content=205488864&utm_source=hs_email' target='_blank'>2022 HousingWire Tech100 Real Estate</a>, which honors the most innovative companies in the housing economy. 

“It’s an honor to be named in this year’s HousingWire Tech100,” said founder and CEO Thomas Sponholtz. “Unison is focused on providing forward-thinking solutions to help more homeowners finance their goals without taking on debt, and we’re incredibly proud for our work to be recognized through this award. We’re looking forward to taking this momentum into Q2 and the remainder of the year.” 

This award continues Unison’s exciting kickoff to 2022 as the company has also announced a groundbreaking $443 million securitization through its Investment Management arm. The deal enables the company to support more residential equity agreements across the country and provide greater access for institutional investors that want to sustainably invest in owner-occupied residential real estate. 

“This year’s list of Tech100 honorees proves once again that innovation within housing is vital in differentiating the organizations who will thrive and those who will be left behind,” said Clayton Collins, CEO of HW Media. “This list spotlights the innovators that are making the housing sector better and more sustainable by increasing efficiency, improving user and borrower experiences and bringing elasticity and improvements to age-old processes.” 

About Unison
Unison is a San Francisco-based company that is pioneering a smarter, better way to own your home. Until now, the only way to finance a home was by taking on debt. Through residential equity agreements, we help homeowners access their equity flexibly with no monthly payments or interest. We enhance home affordability, reduce debt, and deliver a less risky way for homeowners, investors, and society to think about their most important asset - the home. For additional information, visit <a href='https://www.unison.com/'>www.unison.com</a> or follow us on <a href='https://www.facebook.com/MyUnison/' target='_blank'>Facebook</a>, <a href='https://www.instagram.com/myunison/' target='_blank'>Instagram</a>, <a href='https://www.linkedin.com/company/19100900' target='_blank'>LinkedIn</a>, <a href='https://twitter.com/Unison' target='_blank'>Twitter</a> and <a href='https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCmPJzvS6KCqcg9GYI8PYUA' target='_blank'>YouTube</a>. 

Press Contact
<a href='mailto:mediadesk@unison.com'>mediadesk@unison.com</a> 

About HW Media
HW Media is the leading digital community for real estate, financial services and fintech professionals to engage, connect and gain knowledge. Founded in 2016 through the acquisition of HousingWire, HW Media is based in Dallas, TX with team members across the country. HW Media is owned by Riomar Capital. 

About HousingWire
HousingWire is the most influential source of news and information for the U.S. mortgage and housing markets. Built on a foundation of independent and original journalism, HousingWire reaches over 60,000 newsletter subscribers daily and over 1.0 million unique visitors each month. Our audience of mortgage, real estate and fintech professionals rely on us to Move Markets Forward. Visit <a href='http://www.housingwire.com' target='_blank'>www.housingwire.com</a> or <a href='http://www.solutions.housingwire.com' target='_blank'>www.solutions.housingwire.com</a> to learn more.

housing wire

Unison continues momentum through the first quarter of 2022

Unison named 2022 HousingWire Tech100 Real Estate Honoree

SAN FRANCISCO — December 16, 2021 

 <a href="https://www.unison.com/">Unison</a>, the leader in residential equity agreements, has added significant talent to its executive team, naming PayPal/eBay veteran Ryan Downs as President and Silicon Valley Bank growth expert Scott Case as Chief Financial Officer.

“With investments in almost 8,000 homes across 30 states and the District of Columbia, and over $1.2 billion in assets under management, Unison has clearly demonstrated both the value and viability of residential equity agreements to homeowners and institutional investors,” said Thomas Sponholtz, founder and CEO, Unison. “Now, Ryan and Scott will help us strategically scale this solution that will strengthen homeownership—enabling more people to benefit from the equity they’ve built up without taking on debt. Ryan and Scott’s experience and expertise will enable Unison to bring this solution to more homeowners across the country and we’re excited to have them on board.” 

 As President of Unison, Downs will be responsible for managing and scaling the company’s day-to-day operations. He joins Unison after a decade as President and CEO of Proxibid, a leading platform for buying and selling highly valued assets online. Proxibid experienced tremendous growth under his leadership, reaching $6B in annual transaction volume and resulting in an acquisition by a private equity group in 2020. Prior to Proxibid, Downs held a number of leadership roles on PayPal and eBay’s executive teams where he oversaw global operations. He was instrumental in the growth of both companies; his work included launching operations in Europe and Asia, as well as leading PayPal through the IPO and eBay acquisition. 

 “I’m thrilled to be joining Unison at such a pivotal time. Residential equity agreements are truly a gamechanger for homeowners in helping them achieve their financial goals—whether it's to reduce debt, plan for retirement, or even start their own business,” said Downs. “Unison is very much a mission-driven company, and I’m looking forward to working with Thomas and the team to help expand on that mission and bring this solution to more people.” 

 Case brings over 25 years of experience to the Unison executive team. He recently spent more than seven years at Silicon Valley Bank, where he launched and transformed several of the bank’s core businesses such as the Private Bank, Global Fund Banking, and Leverage Finance. His executive experience includes the CFO role at security software giant Actiance, and President of Silicon Motion, before the graphics semiconductor and memory technology firm became a public company. 

 “It’s an incredible time to be at Unison,” Case noted. “The residential equity agreement market hasn’t seen anything new in decades, and with home prices having surged, equity is at a record level. I think there’s a huge opportunity for Unison to expand and serve a much wider market and I’m excited to be part of that.” 

 About Unison

Unison is a San Francisco-based company that is pioneering a smarter, better way to own your home. Until now, the only way to finance a home was by taking on debt. Through residential equity agreements, we help homeowners access their equity flexibly with no monthly payments or interest. We enhance home affordability, reduce debt, and deliver a less risky way for homeowners, investors, and society to think about their most important asset - the home. For additional information, visit <a href="https://www.unison.com/">www.unison.com</a>,or follow us on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MyUnison/">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/myunison/">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/unison-home-ownership-investors">LinkedIn</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/Unison">Twitter</a>, and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCmPJzvS6KCqcg9GYI8PYUA">YouTube</a>.


Press Contact
mediadesk@unison.com

Unison-Leaders

Residential Equity Agreements Leader Unison Appoints President and CFO | Unison

SAN FRANCISCO, February 10, 2022 (<a href="https://www.insidemortgagefinance.com/">Inside Mortgage Finance</a>)

Having recently completed its first securitization of residential equity agreements, Unison is already working on a second deal, a hopeful sign for this nontraditional business. 

 Company portfolio manager Matthew O'Hara said the San Francisco-based Unison closed its first securitization – not exactly an MBS – in late December, an offering sized at $443.0 million.

 Nomura Securities acted as the structuring agent and joint bookrunner with Barclays Capital serving as joint bookrunner. Mayer Brown was the deal's legal adviser while Sidley Austin represented investors.

 The “A” bond on the securitization pays investors 4.5% while the subordinated bonds carry a yield of 6.5%. There are residual tranches as well. 

 O’Hara is careful to point out that residential equity agreements should not be confused with traditional mortgages. A lien is recorded, he said, but “it’s not considered a debt.” That’s good news for the consumer. 

 The borrower gets into a home with little in the way of a down payment but agrees to share the upside on the property’s appreciation with Unison. 

 Depending on how much money Unison brings to the table, the equity share can range from 40% to 70%. The company, licensed in 29 states and Washington, DC, originates and services the loans as well.

 Unlike some REAs, Unison caters to prime credit borrowers. “Our average FICO score on the ($443.0 million) securitization is 760,” O’Hara told Inside MBS & ABS.

 He is uncertain when exactly the second transaction will hit the market, though it is in the works. “We’d like to do more of these,” he noted.

 To date, there have not been many REA securitizations and Unison believes its late December transaction is the largest one ever. 

 In a statement, the company said the transaction “offers the opportunity for investors to access residential real estate equity and increases liquidity for homeowners across the country looking to monetize the equity in one of their most valuable assets – their homes.”

 The privately held Unison gets its cash from private investment funds and there’s a real estate investment trust component as well. 

 <a href="https://www.insidemortgagefinance.com/articles/223746-one-rea-securitization-done-unison-readies-another?v=preview">View source version on www.insidemortgagefinance.com</a> 

 
Press Contact
 <a href="mailto:mediadesk@unison.com">mediadesk@unison.com</a>

pexels-kampus-production-8815826 1

Unison | Inside Mortgage Finance

SAN FRANCISCO — February 22, 2017 — Unison HomeOwnership Investors, the leading provider of home ownership investments, announced today that it has secured a new investment mandate that increases total capital raised to over $300 million. In addition, the company announced new appointments to key leadership positions that will continue to support the strong growth of its home ownership investment programs and reinforce its dominance in the category. 

According to the <ahref="https://www.census.gov/housing/hvs/files/currenthvspress.pdf" target="_blank">U.S. Census Bureau</a>, the homeownership rate decreased to 63.7 percent in 2016, the lowest yearly average in over 50 years. By connecting institutional investors with homebuyers, Unison is changing home ownership in the U.S. Consumers who need capital to buy a home or homeowners seeking liquidity from their home without borrowing are able to leverage Unison's platform to receive funds from institutional investors. 
 "Unison built its platform to make home ownership feasible and accessible to more consumers," said Thomas Sponholtz, chairman and co-CEO, Unison. "Today, we move forward towards our long-term goals. The additional funding, organizational changes and new hires will help us continue to drive origination and the expansion of the Unison brand." 
"As we continue to develop the home ownership investment category, we are leveraging our relationships within the lending community and creating highly beneficial and compelling programs for the American homebuyer and homeowner," said Jim Riccitelli, co-CEO of Unison. "Today, what we invented is an innovative form of financing; tomorrow it will be a mainstream way to purchase and own a home." 
In addition to Prosper Marketplace President Ron Suber joining Unison as a strategic advisor and an investor, the company has also announced further organizational changes and hires. 
 
 Bill Walker has joined as managing director, Consumer Sales Operations. In this position, Walker is responsible for cultivating and developing the current consumer sales channel, and developing other direct-to-consumer channels. Additionally, Walker will work closely with marketing and other channel managers to develop best practices for lead generation. Walker comes to Unison with over 20 years of marketing and operations experience in the financial services sector. Walker has held executive level positions at Barclaycard, WWW Rental Group and most recently was the vice president of Customer Experience at Prosper Marketplace. 

 Brian Elbogen has been promoted to managing director and has assumed management responsibility for the partner channel. Elbogen's role will include channel strategy, buildout of channel infrastructure and process along with the day-to-day management of all channel activity. 
 
 Raj Dosaj has been promoted to managing director of Business Development. In his new role, Dosaj will focus on strategic initiatives to expand the lender channel. 
 
Tracy Adamo has joined as director of Direct Marketing. In her position, Adamo is responsible for cultivating and developing the direct-to-consumer channel to drive originations across Unison's HomeBuyer and HomeOwner Programs. Adamo has more than 15 years of experience in cross-channel direct marketing, and has held senior-level marketing roles in both technology and financial services companies including Autodesk, Washington Mutual, Providian Financial and PeopleSoft.

022217 blog

Unison | Capital Raise

SAN FRANCISCO — July 15, 2019 — American homes, traditionally the foundation for building wealth and the key anchor of many Americans’ financial portfolios and retirement plans, are in fact as volatile in value as a stock market index, according to the benchmark Unison Home Volatility Index released today. New homeowners are particularly vulnerable to housing market risk, as they typically have the highest proportion of net worth locked in their home and are also the people taking on the most mortgage debt. 
The index shows that the long run average annualized volatility of home price appreciation has been approximately 15% per year since 2000 - one percentage point higher than equity stock indices.* Home volatility spiked to more than 35% per year in the heat of the 2008 financial crisis, suggesting that, like equities and fixed-income securities, financial risk of residential real estate is amplified during a financial crisis. 
 Unison VP of Research Brodie Gay said, “Diversification is the core principle of modern portfolio theory. We spend a lot of time and diligence on portfolio allocations spanning equities, fixed income securities, and alternative investments, but for a typical household, home equity is typically 60% of the total financial portfolio. We believe homes have been left out of financial planning - even though for American homeowners the house is the bulk of their net worth - because we didn’t have a good way to measure risk for this asset. That’s why we set out to build this index. 
New home buyers are particularly vulnerable, the index shows, because they often cash out their entire liquid portfolios to make a downpayment — whether 5% or 20%. A new homebuyer who borrows 5 to 20 times their net worth is taking so much risk that they have a realistic chance of losing their entire net worth and becoming insolvent. 
“There’s a sharp contrast between the perception of a homeowner’s portfolio volatility and the actual risk when the home is included,” said Unison CEO Thomas Sponholtz. “In fact, when you include the home in the equation, which is what this index enables us to do, you see that the typical volatility is 21% - one point higher than the most aggressive portfolios offered by most financial advisors. The proliferation of very low down-payment, high-leverage mortgages has led to home price risk exposures that are far beyond levels that a homebuyer should be comfortable with. The home is more than a financial asset; it’s where you live with your family, and should not be where you take this level of excessive risk.” 
 
 <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2019/06/why-millennials-cant-afford-buy-house/591532/" target="_blank">Read the full article “Why Housing Policy Feels Like Generational Warfare” in The Atlantic which cites several key housing statistics provided by Unison’s Home Affordability report.</a> 
 
<a href="https://www.unisonim.com/2019/07/15/home-price-return-and-volatility-indices/" target="_blank">Read the full Unison Volatility Index Whitepaper.</a>
 
 

 
 *As shown in the <a href="https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/RU3000TR" target="_blank">Russell 3000 index.</a>

071319 blog

Unison | Benchmark Volatility Index

SAN FRANCISCO — November 18, 2019 — Unison, North America’s leading home co-investment partner, released its 2019 Responsible Investing Report last week, developing a framework to measure its investments made in 2018 against its ESG goals and policy.
 
The report outlines progress on sustainability goals and develops metrics to measure progress on these goals. Notably, the company reports that homeowners paid off $55M in other debts thanks to investments by Unison in 2018.
 
“This is why equity financing should have always been available to homeowners, as it has been for other asset classes,” said Thomas Sponholtz, CEO of Unison. “A combination of debt and equity enables homeowners to get back in control of their finances,” he said. The report notes that median FICO scores for Unison’s 2018 HomeOwner customers increased by 18 points on a sustained basis over a 3 to 6 month period. 
 
Due to lack of standardization in ESG reporting for its space, Unison leveraged research to develop metrics it believes are applicable for this industry. For example, one of the most significant factors in determining the environmental impacts of real estate is location, with urban housing reducing the fragmentation and development of greenfield areas. Accordingly, Unison cited the fact that its company made 100% of its investments in urban areas in 2018, discouraging suburban sprawl and its profound effects on environmental sustainability.
 
In addition, the report shows that 13% of Unison’s 2018 investments utilized a renewable energy source, compared with just 2.7% of US housing on which solar panels have been installed. Per the report, buyers in the US are willing to pay $15,000 more on average for homes with an average-size solar array. 
 
The reporting developed for Unison investors shows the company’s aim to take a leadership role in transparency and responsibility within its industry, while acknowledging current limitations of these initiatives. “In the development of Unison's ESG reporting we recognize the infancy of sustainability as a finance subject matter,” Unison reports. “We look forward to continuing to analyze, assess, and improve upon our sustainability measures over time.”
 
The report can be found here: <a href="https://im-static-assets.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/esg/19UNIM-100221_ESG+Report_R1v10.pdf?utm_content" target="_blank">Corporate Responsibility Report</a>

121819 blog

Unison | Responsible Investing

SAN FRANCISCO — December 5, 2016 — FirstREX, the leader in home ownership investments is changing its name to Unison and introducing favorable new terms for its flagship home buying program Unison HomeBuyer. 
Unison pioneered the home ownership investment category over the last 10 years. Now, in combination with expanding national lending relationships the revolutionary Unison HomeBuyer program is available to more first time, Millennial and move up buyers across the country. "Our home ownership investments empower home buyers with unprecedented flexibility, choice and control" said Co-CEO Thomas Sponholtz. "Unison HomeBuyer solves a fundamental need by contributing up to half of the down payment on a home purchase. With our partnership, buyers putting down less than 20 percent can buy more home with less debt and a lower monthly payment." 

 New Unison HomeBuyer Terms 
 Unison provides up to half of the down payment required on a home. The cash provided is an investment, not a loan, so there are no monthly payments or interest. Instead, the company hopes to earn a return on its investment by sharing in the appreciation when the home owner eventually sells. If the home value decreases, Unison also shares in the loss. 

 New home buyers are particularly vulnerable, the index shows, because they often cash out their entire liquid portfolios to make a downpayment — whether 5% or 20%. A new homebuyer who borrows 5 to 20 times their net worth is taking so much risk that they have a realistic chance of losing their entire net worth and becoming insolvent.
 
Along with the name change, the terms of the Unison HomeBuyer Agreement have improved. Unison's share of the appreciation has been reduced at every investment level effective November 30th 2016.
 
 "We have matured as a company, and we are now making Unison HomeBuyer available to millions of Americans, and at a lower cost" said Co-CEO James Riccitelli. "Home buyers worried about affordability or committing every dollar of their savings towards a down payment no longer need to sit on the sidelines, because Unison HomeBuyer empowers them to buy the home they want today. We are cutting the time it takes to save for a down payment in half."
 
 New website features at www.myunison.com 
 The new website provides a comprehensive introduction to Unison HomeBuyer. Prospective homebuyers can see the power and flexibility of a home ownership investment. Success stories of Unison clients illustrate how home buyers have used a home ownership investment to get the home they really want.

 "Home ownership investments are the only new thing to happen to real estate in a long time," said Director of Marketing Sabin Speiser. "Prospective home buyers owe it to themselves to visit myunison.com before they go home shopping. They'll learn how a home ownership investment empowers them to dramatically increase their down payment so they can buy more home, lower their monthly payment or reserve cash – without taking on more debt."

121516 blog

FirstREX | Unison 

SAN FRANCISCO — Dec. 5, 2019 — Parents with adult children are tightly linked financially, new research from home co-investing company Unison shows. The connections run deep—and in some cases, their children threatening parents’ retirement plans.
 
 Unison CEO Thomas Sponholtz said, “Of course parents want to help their children, but it’s worrisome that so many are putting their own retirement security at risk by doing so, especially considering that most American baby boomers are already severely undersaved for their own retirement. These results are yet another example that we need to present consumers with new solutions that enable to buy and own homes while meeting their other financial goals, including a secure retirement.”
 
92% of American homeowners have supported their adult children financially
 
 Just 8 percent of American homeowners with adult children say they’ve never helped their adult children financially and more than half (53%) currently provide some form of financial support. 
 At 70%, tuition tops the list of things that American homeowners have helped or are helping their adult children with, but parents are helping their children with everything from transportation to student debt to groceries, and moms are helping more than dads:
 67% for other general expenses
 63% men vs. 71% women
 64% for transportation
 56% with groceries
 46% men vs. 63% women
 53% with car insurance
 47% men vs. 57% women
 52% with medical insurance
 48% men vs. 55% women
 41% with student debt


 In addition to providing financial help, parents are sharing resources with their kids.

 Almost 60% of homeowners (53% of men and 64% of women) have shared or are sharing their home and more than a third (36%) of homeowners with adult children have an adult child currently living with them; of those, more than half (53%) say that child has lived with them for 5 years or longer. 
 57% are helping by sharing their cellphone plan
 51% men vs. 62% women
 25% are helping by sharing their streaming plan
 20% men vs. 28% women

 Homeownership is a shared financial commitment 

 Parents want their child to own a home: 79% of parent homeowners say it’s important their child(ren) own their own home. And, they’ll pony up cash to help them do so, likely in part because they themselves received financial help.
 22% of American homeowners received financial help when purchasing a home (19% received help for the down payment and another 4% received help with monthly mortgage payments, mostly from their parents).
 22% of American homeowners have helped someone else (mostly their children) purchase a home (16% provided money for the down payment and another 6% helped with the monthly mortgage payment).
 18% of parents with a millennial child helped that child purchase a home. 
 11% of American homeowners said one of the top three things they value most about their home is that it’s something to leave to their kids. 

 That shared commitment is affecting parents’ finances, and it’s having a bigger impact on women 

Fully half of parents who help their adult child(ren) financially say doing so has adversely affected their own personal finances and retirement planning. Parents who help their adult children have drawn from a savings account/CD (41%), 401(k)/IRA/retirement fund (8%), taken out loans (8%), or tapped home equity (5%), but most (47%) say they just haven’t been able to save the way they need to. 		

 One in ten American homeowners who aren’t confident in their retirement savings say they haven’t been able to save enough because they’ve been supporting their adult child(ren) financially. Among boomers this climbs to 17% and for parents of millennials, it’s even worse, with nearly a quarter (23%) of those who aren’t confident in their retirement savings saying it’s because they’ve been supporting their adult kids. 			

The financial impact of parenthood is felt disproportionately by moms:
55 percent of women say helping their adult child has affected their personal finances, vs. 44 percent of men, and 10 percent of women say they’ve gone into debt to help their adult child, vs. 6 percent of men. 

 Yet, dads say they’re willing to go farther:
 23 percent of home-owning dads say they’d delay their retirement or dip into their retirement savings to help their child(ren) own a home vs. 17 percent and 16 percent of moms, respectively. 

“We need to develop more solutions that enable all generations to achieve their financial goals,” said Sponholtz. “Unison’s HomeOwner product can help parents access the equity they’ve accumulated in their homes, while our HomeBuyer product helps their kids buy with less down. We believe new ways of buying and owning homes can benefit everyone.” 

Methodology
From August 16 to 23, 2019 Unison conducted an online survey with data collection and sample provided by Dynata. The survey questioned 2,000 US adults from a national sample who are current homeowners. Respondents were required to have a household income of at least $50k or above, to have been a homeowner for at least 10 years, and to have not yet retired.

120519 blog

Unison | Bank of Mom & Dad

SAN FRANCISCO — November 18, 2019 — San Francisco based home co-investing company Unison today joined with Mayor London Breed, and the Port of San Francisco to unveil Welcome Tower at Pier 14 on the Embarcadero. Welcome Tower is a dynamic new public art installation by multi-disciplinary artist Sean Orlando. Welcome Tower will be on display at Pier 14 through October 2020. 

 “Welcome Tower is a great addition to the waterfront, said Elaine Forbes, Executive Director of the Port of San Francisco. “We are confident that this piece will inspire residents, visitors, and commuters alike to reflect on the unique character of our city in one of the most beautiful spots along the Embarcadero at Pier 14.”

<img src="https://contentimages.o-prod.unison.com/images/blog/welcome-tower.jpg" alt="San Francisco's Welcome Tower" style="width: 80%">
 

 Welcome Tower is a 30-foot-tall reinterpretation of San Francisco’s iconic Coit Tower. The structure is made of reclaimed wooden front doors representing architectural styles across San Francisco’s historic neighborhoods, from Queen Anne to Art Deco to Craftsman, painted by world renowned decorative painter and architectural gilder Tania Seabock. In addition to doors, the first level features fish-eye peepholes that invite onlookers to gaze into 3-D shadow boxes created by eight individual local artists: Maurice Cavness, Ake Grunditz, Leslie Grunditz, Ubin Li, Olga Lopata, Jody Medich, Tania Seabock, and Imogen Speer. The structure occupies the same Pier 14 spot that Orlando’s Raygun Gothic Rocketship filled in 2010-2011. 

 “This collaborative work of art serves as a reminder of the importance of working together to build more affordable housing and ensuring that every San Franciscan has a safe place to call home,” said Mayor London N. Breed. “Public art, like the Welcome Tower, makes our city more vibrant and helps support local artists, and I’m glad to see its installation at the waterfront.”

 Artist Sean Orlando said, “So many artists are being forced to leave San Francisco — a creative class that has been a cultural foundation for many generations. Realizing a large-scale installation requires many hands, different perspectives, skill sets and techniques. It gives artists an opportunity to express themselves as part of a larger collaborative piece. We wanted to look at iconic landmarks in San Francisco and we wanted to use doors as a medium. We want people to think about what San Francisco means to them — to think about San Francisco as a home.”

 “Unison commissioned the Welcome Tower as a gift to the city and people of San Francisco to serve as a symbol of innovation and creativity coming together in order to pioneer new solutions for those who want to make this City home,” said Thomas Sponholtz, Unison CEO. “The growing challenge of housing affordability and home ownership continues to have an impact on us all whether you’re trying to buy a home or are an existing homeowner. It is a complex yet solvable problem and as a community of creative innovators and pioneers we can find new solutions together.”

 Addressing the City’s housing affordability crisis is a top priority for Mayor Breed. Mayor Breed has set a goal of creating or rehabilitating 10,000 units of affordable housing in San Francisco by 2020. To date over 8,100 units have been created or rehabilitated. At the Port of San Francisco hundreds of affordable units are also planned and/or in development, including 88 Broadway, which will be a 100% affordable housing site; Mission Rock, which will include 40% affordable housing units; and Pier 70, which will include 33% affordable units. On November 5, 2019 San Francisco voters passed Proposition A, the largest affordable housing bond in San Francisco’s history with 71.2% of the vote, bolstering the city’s efforts to address the housing crisis. Passage of Proposition A will dedicate $600 million for the creation and rehabilitation of affordable housing.

 Sponholtz added, “San Francisco has been a hub for culture, art and freedom of expression, not just for our nation but the world. However in the last several decades, skyrocketing property values have made homeownership in San Francisco a real challenge for the many people who have shaped this city. The miniature murals remind us how creativity, diversity and innovation have shaped the identity of the city that we love. We applaud those working on this problem and call on the other members of our community - both public and private - to face this issue by leaning into the San Francisco spirit of collective courage, ingenuity and creativity.”

 ### 

 About Unison
Unison is a San Francisco-based company that is pioneering a smarter, better way to buy and own your home. We are a team of professionals with an extensive background in finance and real estate who are committed to helping homebuyers get the home they want, and homeowners finance their life needs without adding debt. We believe in a world where buying and owning a home is not a zero-sum game, and that with the right partners, everyone can win.

 About Sean Orlando
Sean Orlando is a multi-disciplinary installation artist, museum professional, and community organizer and the founder of Engineered Artworks. His collaborative and immersionary large-scale sculptural installation projects have been shown at The Crucible, Chabot Space & Science Center, Maker Faire, Landor & Associates, The American Welding Society, The Port of San Francisco, Coachella, Dorkbots, Burning Man, The Worth Ryder Gallery, Warehouse 416, The Smithsonian, The Exploratorium, and more. He has been supporting and creating public art in the Bay Area for over two decades. 

 About Five Ton Crane
Five Ton Crane is a diverse group of artists, builders, makers and inventors from the San Francisco Bay Area. The name implies the intention: Five Ton Crane does the heavy lifting that the individual artist couldn’t do on their own; by pooling resources, interests and talent to create opportunities for bigger, better and bolder Art. From giant projects like the Raygun Gothic Rocketship to group shows locally and across the country.

111919 blog

Unison | San Francisco's Welcome Tower

<img src="https://contentimages.o-prod.unison.com/images/press/19UNMISC-100201_Unison+Press+Page+on+Website_Deloitte_Alt.jpg">

SAN FRANCISCO — November 7,2019 — Unison, North America's leading home co-investment partner, today announced it ranked third in the Bay Area and nineteenth overall nationwide on Deloitte's Technology Fast 500, a ranking of the 500 fastest growing technology, media, telecommunications, life sciences and energy tech companies in North America. Unison currently owns 85 percent of the home co-investing market and has had an exceptional year of growth. In February 2019, the company announced 370 percent year-over-year revenue growth, 308 percent year-over-year growth in customer transactions, and $2.42 billion in total value of co-invested U.S. residential real estate ending in Q4 2018. 
"Both the housing market and economy have transformed over the past decade, but the way Americans buy and own homes has not evolved with the times," said Thomas Sponholtz, CEO of Unison. "Being named to the Deloitte Fast 500 is a great recognition of the work we are doing to bring the American dream back within reach. Unison brings technology and a culture of innovation to an industry ripe for disruption."

 In order to scale investments in single family home equity, Unison has pioneered a robust quantitative approach that aligns the modern needs of both consumers and institutional investors. The company's patented Greenlight technology allows for instantaneous investment decisions based on a data-driven and backtested factor model for forecasting the price, return and volatility of most homes in America. In addition, its proprietary Equity Origination System (EOS) allows for expedited underwriting, approval and funding of deals. 

 Deloitte's Technology Fast 500 honors the cutting edge companies transforming the way we do business, combining innovation, entrepreneurship, and fast growth, and disrupting the technology industry.

 "This year marks the 25th anniversary of Deloitte's Technology Fast 500, so we are especially pleased to announce and congratulate the 2019 winners," said Sandra Shirai, vice chairman, Deloitte LLP, and U.S. technology, media and telecommunications leader. "It's always inspiring to see how the Fast 500 companies are transforming business and the world we live and work in."

 About Unison
 Unison is a San Francisco-based company that is pioneering a smarter, better way to buy and own your home. We are a team of professionals with an extensive background in finance and real estate who are committed to helping homebuyers get the home they want, and homeowners finance their life needs without adding debt. We believe in a world where buying and owning a home is not a zero-sum game, and that with the right partners, everyone can win.

 About Deloitte
 Deloitte provides industry-leading audit, consulting, tax and advisory services to many of the world's most admired brands, including nearly 90% of the Fortune 500® and more than 5,000 private and middle market companies. Our people work across the industry sectors that drive and shape today's marketplace — delivering measurable and lasting results that help reinforce public trust in our capital markets, inspire clients to see challenges as opportunities to transform and thrive, and help lead the way toward a stronger economy and a healthy society. Deloitte is proud to be part of the largest global professional services network serving our clients in the markets that are most important to them. Our network of member firms spans more than 150 countries and territories. Learn how Deloitte's more than 312,000 people worldwide make an impact that matters at www.deloitte.com..