Better Launches “Equity Unlocker” For Amazon Employees

Better.com has launched a new product for employees with vested equity in their companies. The program, Equity Unlocker, is designed for potential buyers who work and have vested equity they cannot access. It is currently just available for Amazon employees in Florida, New York, and Washington state, but Better is planning to extend it to 26 more states in Q2 2023. Equity Unlockers allows these buyers to finance their homes without selling their shares. Instead, they can pledge their shares rather than sell them in order to afford a home. Amazon shares will be valued at the same time as a home appraisal. The rate and term will then be locked on Better.com. It is non-mark-to-market and non-recourse, so the…

Amazon Invests $2B On Affordable Housing

Amazon on Wednesday announced a $2 billion investment in affordable housing in communities where it has a significant business presence. The online retail giant created the Housing Equity Fund, which is designed to “preserve and create over 20,000 affordable housing units” in the Puget Sound region in Washington state, as well as Nashville and Arlington, Virginia. Amazon has or expects to have at least 5,000 employees in each of these areas in the near future. “Amazon has a long-standing commitment to helping people in need, including the Mary’s Place family shelter we built inside our Puget Sound headquarters. The shelter now supports over 200 women and children experiencing homelessness every night,” said Jeff Bezos, Amazon founder and CEO. “This new…