Banks Want You in Debt, She Wanted Out

“I thought refinancing was my only choice. But every lender just wanted to saddle me with more debt… until I found this.”
– Jenna R., homeowner, 52

By Tommy Barnes ◦ June 12, 2025

Jenna had a problem, she had equity in her home, but no one wanted to help unless she took out another loan.

Her credit was decent. She had owned her home for over a decade. But when she tried to refinance she was rejected.

❌ “Too much debt already.” 

❌ “Not enough income.” 

❌ “We’d need a higher credit score.”

That’s when it hit her: Banks don’t want you debt-free… They want you hooked.

Why Your Bank Doesn’t Want You to Know About This

There’s a reason most banks don’t talk about Home Equity Agreements (HEAs) like Unlock.

They don’t make money off them.

Unlike a HELOC or refinance, an Unlock has no monthly payments, no need to refinance, and no risk of foreclosure.

It’s a partnership. You get a lump sum of cash in exchange for sharing a portion of your home’s future value.

And for people like Jenna, it was exactly what she needed.

“Unlock gave me $52,000 to finally pay off my high-interest credit cards and fix the plumbing. No new debt. No stress.”

Greedy Banks Offer Debt, Unlock Offers Flexibility

Let’s compare and HEA (like Unlock’s) and a HELOC:

Refinancing Was a Dead End—Until She Found This

“The bank made me feel like a number. Unlock made me feel like I had options.”

Jenna’s story isn’t unique.

Millions of homeowners are stuck in this silent squeeze:
Too much equity to ignore
Not enough “perfect paperwork” for the banks
Watching rising rates kill their refinancing dreams

Unlock changed the game. The Truth Is…

Banks profit from your payments.
Unlock profits when your home gains value.

Banks are betting on you going deeper into debt. Unlock is betting on your home going up in value.

That’s a very different relationship.

Unlock Isn’t for Everyone…

If you plan to sell your home in the next 1-2 years and your equity is low, a HEAs might not make sense. But if you’re planning to stay in your home for 3-10+ years and want access to YOUR equity, this could be your way out.

No monthly payments. No new debt. Just options.

Check if you qualify in 2 minutes →

Terms and conditions apply. Some applicants will not qualify. Not available in all states.

Unlock Agreements are provided exclusively by Unlock Partnership Solutions Inc., Unlock Partnership Solutions AO1 Inc., Unlock Partnership Solutions AO2 Inc., and Unlock Homeownership Solutions Inc., all of which are wholly-owned subsidiaries of Unlock Technologies, Inc. (collectively, “Unlock”).

Unlock holds the following Real Estate Broker licenses: Arizona – CO698434000; California – 02141737; Colorado – IC100092644; D.C. – REO40000074; Florida – CQ1062618; Hawaii – RB-23715; Illinois – 478027520; Massachusetts – 423954; Michigan – 6505431174; Minnesota – 40797638; Nevada – B.1002613; New Jersey – 2185646; North Carolina – C33769; Oregon – 201243836; Pennsylvania – RB069442; South Carolina – 25463; Tennessee – 265329; Utah – 12139955-CN00; Virginia – 0226033193; and Washington – 21010143.

The applicable Unlock entity enters into the Unlock Agreement directly with consumers and does not act as an agent or broker on behalf of any third-party. No agency relationship shall be formed between any Unlock entity and a consumer pursuant to or in connection with an Unlock Agreement. All Rights Reserved. Other terms and restrictions apply.

Each home equity agreement (HEA) is subject to additional individual underwriting review.
All transactions are subject to verification of your credit (with a soft credit pull), identity, property value, home insurance, title, and outstanding property liens. Other verifications may be required.
Unlock may also require HEA proceeds to be used to clear any pre-existing liens as a condition to close.
The following limitations shall apply in all cases: no bankruptcy, foreclosure action, short sale, or deed in lieu within the previous five years; no 90-day delinquencies on any mortgage within the prior 24 months.
In most cases, Unlock must be in no greater than 2nd lien position and the property must be clear of any liens deemed unacceptable by Unlock in its discretion.
A minimum HEA amount of $15,000 is required on all transactions.
Property condition rating, as described in the Uniform Appraisal Dataset (UAD), must be at least C4 or better and properties for which comparable valuations, in the discretion of Unlock, do not exist may be ineligible.
Not available in all states.
To secure the performance of your obligations under HEA, Unlock will place a lien on your property in the form of either a “performance deed of trust” or a “performance mortgage” depending upon which state the property is located. The lien is terminated when you settle your HEA.
Unlock charges up to a 4.9% origination fee and other third party paid closing costs such as appraisal, title, and government fees.
The home equity agreement term is 10 years.
The timeline to funding of approved HEAs may vary depending on when the homeowner submits a completed application and all supplemental documents are received and verified.
An affiliate of Unlock Technologies, Inc., Unlock Home Equity Solutions Inc. d/b/a Unlock and/or Unlock Technologies (“UHES”) has applied for certain licenses which may be pending. UHES does not presently offer home equity agreements in any state where such products must be offered as a licensed mortgage product or any other type of licensed financial product.
Please contact us for more information at hello@unlock.com.
For additional information please review the Unlock Product Guide.