Point launches wholesale channel, taps Samuel Bjelac to lead HEI expansion. Managing Editor May 20, 2026 New TPO platform brings Point's home equity investment product to mortgage brokers as demand grows for non-debt equity solutions Point is moving into the wholesale space, announcing the launch of a third-party origination (TPO) channel that will allow mortgage brokers to offer its Home Equity Investment (HEI) product directly to clients. The new channel will be led by Samuel Bjelac, a longtime industry executive with experience building wholesale, correspondent and non-QM platforms. Bjelac most recently served as SVP of national sales and TPO at Foundation Mortgage Corporation, and previously held leadership roles at Carrington Mortgage Services, Sprout Mortgage, CoreVest Finance, and Flagstar Bank. The expansion opens Point's HEI product to broker networks, marking a shift from its prior direct-to-consumer and partner-focused distribution model. "Launching a third-party origination channel is a natural extension of Point's vision to make homeownership more valuable and accessible," said Eddie Lim, co-founder and CEO of Point. "Samuel's record of developing scalable sales organizations, opening new distribution channels, and accelerating adoption will ultimately make it possible for Point to help more homeowners access their equity when they need it most." Expanding equity access without monthly payments. Point's HEI product allows homeowners to access a portion of their home equity in exchange for a share of the home's future appreciation, rather than taking on traditional debt. Because the structure does not require monthly payments, it has gained traction among borrowers looking to tap equity without refinancing or adding a second lien. Get the NMP Daily Essential stories, every weekday. Since its founding in 2015, Point said it has funded more than $2.5 billion in HEIs, serving over 25,000 homeowners. The move into wholesale comes at a time when demand for alternative equity-access solutions continues to grow. With many borrowers locked into low first-lien mortgage rates, products like HEIs and HELOCs have become increasingly relevant for homeowners seeking liquidity without refinancing. What it means. The new channel introduces another non-debt option to present alongside traditional home equity products. By bringing HEIs into the broker channel, Point is positioning the product as a complementary solution for: * Borrowers hesitant to take on additional monthly obligations * Homeowners seeking to preserve low-rate first mortgages * Clients with nontraditional financial profiles or liquidity needs "I came to Point to help scale a better way for homeowners to access their equity, one that doesn't rely on traditional debt," Bjelac said. "Launching this product into the third-party origination market allows us to deliver that solution to more homeowners through trusted broker partners." Bjelac also framed the rollout as part of a broader push to give brokers more alternatives as traditional refinance activity remains limited. In a LinkedIn post announcing his move to Point, he said the market is changing and brokers "need more than traditional options," positioning HEIs as another tool for originators working with equity-rich homeowners reluctant to refinance into higher rates. Point's move into wholesale comes as lenders continue to expand product offerings in the broker channel, especially with origination volumes still under pressure and new production harder to come by. It also points to growing interest in shared-equity models, both as an alternative asset class for investors and as a flexible option for borrowers dealing with affordability and liquidity constraints. By adding a TPO channel, Point is looking to scale more quickly through established broker networks, a play more fintech lenders are making to grow distribution without building out full retail operations. For mortgage brokers, the move effectively adds a third option alongside HELOCs and cash-out refinances, particularly in a market where many borrowers are unwilling to give up low first-lien rates but still need access to liquidity. *This article was drafted with AI assistance and reviewed and edited by a human editor before publication.

Point, a home equity investment platform, has launched a third-party origination channel for mortgage brokers and hired Samuel Bjelac as head of wholesale. The new channel will allow mortgage professionals to broker Point's Home Equity Investment product, giving homeowners more options to access equity without monthly payments. Bjelac brings over 20 years of mortgage industry experience, having held senior roles at Carrington Mortgage Services, Sprout Mortgage, CoreVest Finance, Flagstar Bank, and most recently Foundation Mortgage Corporation as SVP of National Sales and TPO. Founded in 2015, Point has funded over $2.5 billion in home equity investments and supported more than 25,000 homeowners. The company is backed by investors including Westcap, Andreessen Horowitz, Ribbit Capital and Greylock Partners.

Subprime veteran Keri Findley builds MSR and HEI bet. Subprime mortgage expert Keri Findley has opened her residential real estate financing opportunities fund to outside investors seeking exposure to mortgage servicing rights (MSRs) and home equity loans, the firm said Wednesday. The fund, structured as a real estate investment trust (REIT), launched in 2025 but initially relied on internal capital and allocations from a limited number of institutional investors at Tacora Capital Management, Findley's $1.5 billion asset-based lender. In the home equity arena, Tacora has already struck a deal to buy up to $300 million of home equity investments from Point, a fintech company focused on the HEI product, Bloomberg reported. HEIs have drawn scrutiny from state regulators and face legal challenges from homeowners questioning whether the contracts should be treated more like reverse mortgages, with the same consumer protection and disclosure requirements. Findley has served on Point's board of directors since 2017. Findley previously built and ran the structured credit business at hedge fund Third Point LLC from 2009 to 2017, focusing on complex mortgage and asset-backed securities in the wake of the subprime crisis. Earlier in her career, she was an analyst at alternative investment firms EOS Partners and D.B. Zwirn & Co., giving her a background in special situations and nontraditional credit that Tacora is now applying to residential real estate. Tacora said it's targeting segments of the mortgage market that remain underserved by traditional bank and securitization channels. This gap has widened as nonbank lenders now originate the majority of U.S. mortgages, while banks have reduced balance-sheet exposure to housing-related assets. "The proliferation of new ways to structure and service mortgages have increased complexity, precipitating opportunities to identify and capture the mispricing of real estate-linked assets and meaningfully improve servicing," Findley said in a statement. "These conditions provide an enduring opportunity to apply our expertise in creative deal construction for innovative companies and hard-to-finance loans." The REIT seeks to deliver capital appreciation, stable cash flow and capital preservation in a variable rate environment by combining exposure to MSRs and home equity. MSRs typically benefit from higher rates and slower prepayments, while home equity is more sensitive to home prices and credit performance, giving managers room to balance rate and credit risks across cycles. Tacora plans to layer in opportunistic investments in bond and loan trading at distressed prices in the secondary market. The strategy targets net returns in the mid to high teens, depending on market conditions, according to the firm. Demand for the approach may come from university endowments, public pensions, large Registered Investment Advisers (RIAs), family offices and at least one sovereign wealth fund, the company said. These investors are searching for yield and diversification away from public markets and conventional core fixed income as rate volatility and regulatory capital requirements reshape bank and government-sponsored enterprise participation in the mortgage market. Tacora, founded in 2021, focuses on deals in the $10 million to $50 million range, targeting companies that do not yet qualify for traditional financing - what it describes as a "bridge to bankability." An early example was its 2013 financing of student loans to support SoFi's growth. Flávia Furlan Nunes reported and wrote this article with drafting assistance from HousingWire Automation, an editorial tool that helps transform announcements and industry data into HousingWire-style news coverage.