HELOC or HEA? powered by Honest Casa
We offer both products Compare My Options

Cash from your equity — with no monthly payment, or with a rate. Your call.

There are two very different ways to turn your home's equity into cash. A HELOC is a loan: a credit line with an interest rate and a new bill every month. A Home Equity Appreciation agreement (HEA) is not a loan and not a reverse mortgage: you get one lump sum of cash today, pay nothing monthly, and the company shares in a piece of your home's future growth instead. We offer both, so you'll get the honest answer on which one fits your life — not a pitch.

HEA: cash today with $0/month, no income paperwork, and credit scores as low as 500
HELOC: keep 100% of your home's growth, cost capped by a rate — via our 90+ lender network
One 60-second form → your actual numbers run through both, side by side
$0/month optionHEA — no payments, ever
No income docs optionHEA qualifies on equity, not W-2s
Both products, one teamThe honest side-by-side
Up to 30-year runwayOn the HEA we offer
Your side-by-side is 60 seconds away 0%

How much cash do you want access to?

HEAs run up to $500K as a lump sum; HELOCs up to $750K as a line. Check your rate as of .

$100,000

Lump sum (HEA) or credit line (HELOC)

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

Let's estimate your available equity

Your best guess is fine — both products are sized from your equity.

ESTIMATED AVAILABLE EQUITY$150,000

What's your credit score range?

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

Which sounds most like you?

This is the question that actually decides HEA vs HELOC.

What's the property address?

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

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Unit number is required for condos & townhomes
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Where should we send your side-by-side?

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

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

Congrats — you're a fit!

You've been matched. A licensed specialist will run it through our HEA program and our HELOC lenders and send you the actual side-by-side — real numbers for both.

Requested amount$100,000
Estimated equity$150,000
Property—
What happens next: Watch your email and phone — a licensed specialist at West Capital Lending will reach out within one business day with your HEA estimate and HELOC options, side by side. No documents needed until you've seen both.

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

What each product actually is

Both put cash in your account against your equity. They are completely different contracts — and different contracts fit different lives.

HEA — equity partner, zero payments

  • A lump sum today (up to $500K through our HEA program) in exchange for a share of your home's future value — settled when you sell, refinance, or buy out, up to 30 years later
  • $0/month. Not deferred payments — no payments. Your cash flow is untouched for up to three decades
  • Not a loan: no interest rate, no income or DTI requirements, and credit scores in the 500s can qualify
  • The honest cost: the company shares in your appreciation — the better your home performs, the more the cash cost you

HELOC — you borrow, you pay, you keep the upside

  • A revolving credit line (up to $750K) at a rate — draw what you need, pay interest monthly on what you use
  • Your home's appreciation stays 100% yours, and the cost is capped by the rate — usually cheaper over time if you qualify and can carry the payment
  • The honest cost: qualification. Income documentation, DTI limits, credit generally 620+, and a real monthly payment from day one
  • Best product on this page for borrowers with documentable cash flow who want the cheapest capital

The 60-second decision guide

After running hundreds of home equity scenarios, the fork in the road is almost always the same three questions.

Would a new $600–900/mo payment strain your budget?HEA territory
Is your income hard to document — retired, self-employed, in transition?HEA territory
Is your credit score below ~620?HEA territory
Documentable income, 640+ credit, payment fits easily?HELOC usually cheaper
Expect strong appreciation and want to keep every dollar of it?HELOC favors you
Need revolving access, not one lump sum?HELOC — that's its design

The cash-flow math most people miss: a $100,000 interest-only HELOC draw at ~9% costs about $750/month — roughly $90,000 paid from your monthly budget over 10 years. An HEA costs $0/month; its cost (a share of appreciation) comes out of your home's future value at settlement instead. Which is "cheaper" depends on your home's appreciation — but which is livable depends on your monthly budget, and that's the question that actually decides it for most homeowners. Illustrative figures, not a quote.

One form, both answers

You can't make this decision from marketing pages — ours included. You make it from your own numbers, run through both products.

01

Tell us your scenario

Sixty seconds: equity, credit range, and — most importantly — whether a monthly payment fits your life. No SSN, no income documents, no hard credit pull.

~60 seconds
02

We run both products

Your scenario goes through our HEA program's pricing and our HELOC lender network. Because we offer both, neither product gets a thumb on the scale.

1 business day
03

Pick with real numbers

You get the actual side-by-side: lump sum vs credit line, $0/month vs interest payments, share-of-appreciation vs rate. Choose the one that fits — we handle either.

Your call

HEA vs HELOC vs cash-out refi

The honest grid. Neither product wins every row — that's the point.

HEA · $0/monthNO PAYMENTSHELOCCash-out refi
Monthly payment None — $0/month Interest, monthly Full P&I, monthly
Income documentation None required Required (bank stmts OK) Full documentation
Credit flexibility Scores in the 500s OK Generally 620–640+ Strict
DTI limits None — it's not a loan Yes Yes
You keep 100% of appreciation No — a share is the cost Yes Yes
Cost known in advance Depends on home value Yes — it's a rate Yes
Keeps your current mortgage rate Yes Yes No — full reset
Term / runway Up to 30 years 10-yr draw typical New 30-yr loan
Settle early without penalty Yes — buy out anytime Usually Varies

Frequently asked questions

What is a home equity agreement (HEA)?
An HEA gives you a lump sum of cash today in exchange for a share of your home's future value, settled when you sell, refinance, or buy the position out — up to 30 years later with the program we offer. It is not a loan: there's no interest rate, no monthly payment, and no income requirement. We offer HEAs alongside traditional HELOCs.
When is an HEA better than a HELOC?
Three situations cover most of it: (1) a monthly payment doesn't fit — fixed income, variable income, or a budget that's already tight; (2) your income is hard to document — HELOCs require income verification, an HEA doesn't; (3) your credit is below the ~620 floor most HELOC lenders enforce — HEAs work with scores in the 500s. If any of those is you, the HEA usually isn't just better, it's the one that's actually available.
When is a HELOC better than an HEA?
When you comfortably qualify and can carry the payment. If you have documentable income, 640+ credit, and room in the budget, a HELOC is usually the cheaper capital in an appreciating market — its cost is capped by the rate, and every dollar of appreciation stays yours. We'll tell you when that's your answer, because we offer HELOCs too.
What does an HEA really cost?
A share of your home's change in value, paid at settlement. If your home appreciates strongly, the HEA costs more than a HELOC would have; if it appreciates slowly or stays flat, it can cost dramatically less — and either way you paid $0/month along the way. Your side-by-side will show the actual HEA terms for your home so you can see the numbers, not adjectives.
Do I make any payments on an HEA?
No. No monthly payments, no interest accruing, no payment ever until settlement — which happens when you sell, refinance, or choose to buy out the agreement, up to 30 years out with the program we offer. There's no prepayment penalty for settling early.
Is an HEA a loan? Does it go on my credit?
It's not a loan — it's an investment in your property's future value. There's no debt payment, so it doesn't add to your debt-to-income ratio the way a HELOC payment does. It is secured by a lien on your home (like a mortgage), and you remain the owner and occupant.
What credit score and income do I need?
For the HEA: no income documentation at all, and credit scores in the 500s can qualify — the qualification is your equity, not your paycheck. For our HELOC options: income verification (bank statements can work) and generally 620+ credit. This asymmetry is exactly why we offer both.
How much cash can I get?
HEAs through our program: lump sums up to $500,000, sized by your equity. HELOCs through our network: lines up to $750,000. The form above runs your equity math instantly, and your specialist confirms actual amounts for both products.
What happens at the end of an HEA?
You settle: the original amount plus the provider's share of the value change, paid from sale proceeds, a refinance, or cash — whenever you choose within the term. With a 30-year runway there's no near-term balloon forcing your hand, and buying out early is allowed without penalty. Your specialist will walk through the exact settlement mechanics in your HEA terms before you sign anything.
Who are you in all this?
This site is operated by the team at Honest Casa (NMLS #1566096, Equal Housing Lender, Irvine, CA), offering home equity agreements through a leading HEA provider we partner with and HELOCs across a 90+ lender network. We may receive compensation in connection with either product, which is disclosed — and it's exactly why this site shows you both honestly: we have no reason to push the wrong one. Verify licensing at NMLS Consumer Access.

Stop guessing. Run your numbers through both.

One 60-second form — your HEA estimate and HELOC options, side by side, within one business day.

Compare My Options
Run My HEA vs HELOC Numbers