# Home Equity Financial Services 'Point' Prevents People from Taking on Debt when Purchasing a Home By Joey Haar | Published 2016-09-13 | Lifestyle Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/point References: [techcrunch](https://techcrunch.com/2016/09/13/point-raises-8-4-million-to-buy-a-stake-in-your-home/?ncid=rss) & [point](https://point.com/) 'Point' is a unique financial service that helps people interested in purchasing a home to stay financially responsible in the process. One of the biggest problems that people face when purchasing a home is the prospect of taking on inordinate amounts of debt. For [homeowners](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/homeowner-protection), their house is the most expensive thing that they own, and few people have enough to purchase an entire property in one payment. But taking out a [home loan](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/aster-key) means interest rates and monthly payments, which are not only tedious but can be financially crippling as well. Point changes the financial game by offering to simply purchase a percentage of a home's equity. Rather than acting as a loan, this payment is an exchange: consumers forfeit the value of that equity so that they can purchase the rest of their home. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 3.9/10 - Popularity: 35% | Activity: 74% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Gen X - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Lifestyle](https://www.trendhunter.com/lifestyle) > [Credit Crunch](https://www.trendhunter.com/creditcrunch) ## Key Themes ### Why This Trend Is Growing - **Equity-based Real Estate Financing:** Point's innovative service provides an equity-based alternative to traditional home loans, disrupting the real estate financing industry. - **Debt-free Home Ownership:** By allowing buyers to avoid taking on significant debt, Point is disrupting the traditional financial constraints of home ownership. - **Fractional Home Ownership:** Point's equity-based approach allows fractional ownership of a home which disrupts the traditional model of full ownership. ### Industries Being Reshaped - **Real Estate Financing:** Point's innovative approach to equity-based financing in real estate creates opportunities for disruption in the real estate financing industry. - **Personal Finance:** Point's debt-free home ownership solution may disrupt traditional personal finance and lending institutions. - **Fractional Ownership:** Point's model may disrupt the traditional real estate industry by offering opportunities for fractional ownership. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Mortgage Rewards Platforms](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mortgage-reward.md) - [Accessibility-Focused Homeownership Programs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sun-west-mortgage-company.md) - [Home Savings-Focused Partnerships](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/save-for-a-home.md) - [Supportive Property Purchase Applications](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/property-purchase.md) - [Housing Finance Platforms](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/trusset.md) - [Accessible Home Improvement Services](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/accessible-home-improvement.md) - [Innovative Home Buying Platforms](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/canadian-real-estate.md) - [Unique Home Showcases](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/placeof.md) - [BNPL-Enabled Home Retailers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/at-home1.md)