When you think of Bed Bath & Beyond, you don't necessarily think mortgage or home equity. And I think that actually is a big testament to Figure and the way that we brought this concept of embedded mortgage and this broader notion of embedded finance. I think buy now, pay later is a great example of embedded finance, where you have finance companies that are specialists in what they do, and they kind of embed themselves inside of a retailer.
State of play: Many homeowners bought before prices surged in the early 2020s. As of October, the median home value had jumped roughly 67% since the property was last sold. Just 4% lost value in that time, around 8.5 years for the typical homeowner. Losses between sales are up slightly from a year ago (2%) but lower than pre-pandemic levels (11%).
Downsizing has become a dirty word. It conjures up stereotypes of older people "rambling around" sprawling suburban homes being "forced" into a bungalow or apartment far from everyone they know, or relegated into a timber cabin at the end of a garden they tended to for decades so their adult kids can take over the family home.
Advisers warn that retirees frequently spend too freely in their go-go years, when travel and leisure costs peak. The latest Consumer Expenditure Survey from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) found that average annual spending for adults ages 65 to 74 was $65,149, dropping nearly 20% by age 75. As a result, overspending early can strain savings meant to last decades, while excessive caution can lead to missing out on achievable goals.
Homeowners shouldn't have to borrow against themselves just to access the value they've already built, said Nick Liuzza, co-founder and CEO of Beeline. By putting home equity on blockchain rails, we're creating a smarter, more transparent financial alternative one that's free from interest rate swings and credit friction. BeelineEquity allows homeowners to access liquidity from their home equity without taking on debt, making monthly payments or undergoing credit underwriting.
Currently, 40% of homeowners don't have a mortgage loan at all and of those who do, 70.4% have fixed rate loans of 5% or less. This is why many homeowners in America have excellent FICO scores; their long-term debt costs remain fixed as their wages rise. One of the hallmarks of the housing bubble crash period was the significant number of foreclosures happening in America. With so many distressed homeowners and underwater mortgages, it was the biggest bust in American economic history.
When you buy a home, one of the biggest financial benefits comes from the opportunity to build equity over time. Building equity in a home means gradually increasing the portion of your property that you truly own. You can do this in two main ways: either by paying down your mortgage if you have one, or by increasing your home's market value.
Consumers burdened by high-interest credit card debt or collections often struggle to qualify for mortgages, secure favorable terms and are at higher risk of foreclosure. Here's how debt reduction solutions can help: 1. Expand the qualified buyer pool Programs like structured debt repayment plans can rehabilitate credit profiles, helping near-miss applicants meet underwriting standards. 2. Accelerate the path to homeownership By reducing debt-to-income ratios and improving credit scores, these tools shorten the timeline from financial distress to mortgage readiness.
The parents receive approximately $2,400 a month from Social Security, which is insufficient for living expenses as they are in their early 60s and have no other income.
