EasyKnock’s model is not, however, a traditional investor purchase. The company gives the homeowner about 70 percent of the appraised value of the home. This protects EasyKnock from any depreciation in the home over the term of the lease and simultaneously gives the homeowner a future stake in any appreciation in the home’s value. That is because at the end of the lease term the former homeowner must either buy the home back or sell it to someone else. If they choose to have EasyKnock sell, they get the full value of the sale, including appreciation, minus the 70 percent EasyKnock paid and minus a 1.5 percent commission on the final sale price.
EasyKnock makes money through monthly rent, which is negotiated as part of the sale, and through the extra fees tied to the purchase and to the inevitable sale of the home to someone else at the end of the lease term. Since it is not a lender, it does not need to consider FICO credit scores. Kessler said once the lease is up, the tenant has to decide whether or not to sell to a third party or buy the home back