HEI Facts.com

State

Home equity investments in California

6 of the six major home equity investment providers operate in California. We found no HEI-specific law, rule, or enforcement action in California in our review of primary sources.

Providers operating in California

6 of the six major providers say they operate in California. Availability can vary by county.

  • Pointup to 30-year term · cost cap 18% a year · about 14.3% a year in our standard example
  • Hometap10-year term · cost cap 18.5% a year · about 14.1% a year in our standard example
  • Unlock10-year term · cost cap 19.9% a year · about 15.9% a year in our standard example
  • Unisonup to 30-year term · no published cost cap · about 14.7% a year in our standard example
  • Spliteroup to 30-year term · cost cap 17.99% a year · about 15.9% a year in our standard example
  • CHEIFSterm not published · cost cap 12.99% or 14.99% a year · about 13.7% a year in our standard example

Provider lists come from each provider's own availability page. All states.

See how these providers' costs change with home prices in the 2026 study.

Laws, rules, and reports

We found no HEI-specific law, regulation, or state report in California. General state lending and consumer protection laws still apply.

Enforcement and court cases

We found no enforcement action or court case involving home equity investments in California.

Bills

We found no pending HEI bill in California.

HELOC denials in California

In 2025, lenders denied 34.0% of the 158,600 HELOC applications they decided in California (national: 32.9%). Most common first reason: debt-to-income ratio. See the full HELOC denial data.

HELOCs by metro area in California

Los Angeles, CA (36% denied) · Riverside, CA (35% denied) · San Diego, CA (32% denied) · Anaheim, CA (29% denied) · Sacramento, CA (32% denied) · Oakland, CA (33% denied) · San Jose, CA (33% denied) · Fresno, CA (42% denied) · Oxnard, CA (30% denied) · San Francisco, CA (33% denied) · Stockton, CA (38% denied) · Bakersfield, CA (34% denied) · Santa Rosa, CA (28% denied) · Vallejo, CA (35% denied) · Modesto, CA (40% denied) · San Rafael, CA (31% denied) · San Luis Obispo, CA (35% denied) · Santa Maria, CA (33% denied) · Visalia, CA (42% denied) · Salinas, CA (38% denied) · Redding, CA (33% denied) · Santa Cruz, CA (31% denied) · Chico, CA (36% denied) · Yuba City, CA (37% denied) · Merced, CA (37% denied) · Napa, CA (33% denied) · Hanford, CA (38% denied)

See reasons and rates for each metro area.

Federal activity

2 federal items pending that would apply in every state: Home Equity Lending Integrity Act (S. 4803), Shared Home Appreciation for Residential Equity Act (H.R. 8116).

Before you sign in California

  1. Check the company's license at NMLS Consumer Access.
  2. Ask for the settlement amount at 0%, 4%, and 8% yearly appreciation, and for when you might settle.
  3. Convert each offer to an effective yearly cost and compare it with a HELOC or home equity loan.

Reference information, not legal advice. Know of something we're missing in California? Tell us.