Homewise
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1986
- HeadquartersSanta Fe, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
Homewise firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Homewise
- Legal name
- Homewise, Inc.
- Website
- https://homewise.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1986
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Homewise industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Development Mortgage Lending
- NAICS
- New Single-Family Housing Construction (except For-Sale Builders) (236115), Services to Buildings and Dwellings (5617)
- SIC
- Savings Institution, Federally Chartered (6035)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Affordable Housing / Down Payment Assistance (DPA) Mortgage Origination (FSALAAAM), Down Payment Assistance (DPA) & Homebuyer Subsidy Programs (FSALAKAE), Renovation Mortgage Origination (FHA 203(k), HomeStyle, CHOICERenovation) (FSALAAAL)
Keywords
Where Homewise is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Santa Fe
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Homewise business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Mortgage Lending: Homewise originates and services mortgage loans for homebuyers, providing affordable fixed-rate mortgages with low down payment requirements. The organization eliminates mortgage insurance costs for borrowers.
- Real Estate Services: Homewise REALTORS facilitate home purchases and sales, operating as salaried team members focused on client needs rather than commission-based compensation.
- Home Improvement Lending: Affordable home improvement loans offered to New Mexico homeowners for repairs, upgrades, and energy efficiency improvements, with loans up to 95% of home equity
- Community Investment Notes: Socially responsible investment opportunities available to accredited and non-accredited investors, generating fixed rate returns (1% to 4% depending on term length) with minimum investment of $1,000
- Free Education Classes: Free financial literacy, homebuyer education, and post-purchase classes provided to clients and community members, creating pipeline for lending and real estate services
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | One time/ perpetual license | Free homebuyer and financial education classes |
| Subscription | Annual | Community Investment Note for socially responsible investors |
| One time/ perpetual license | Monthly | Home improvement loan financing |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
Homewise product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Homewise is a nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) that provides affordable fixed-rate mortgages with as little as 2% down and no private mortgage insurance, paired with in-house salaried real estate brokerage and free homebuyer/financial education classes. It complements these services by building and rehabilitating energy-efficient affordable homes, offering home improvement and refinance loans, providing ITIN-based (New American) lending, and accepting impact investments via Community Investment Notes. Target customers are low-to-moderate income New Mexicans seeking an integrated path to sustainable homeownership.
Product overview
Homewise is a nonprofit, one-stop-shop homeownership ecosystem founded in 1986, operating as a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) in New Mexico. The core platform centers on affordable mortgage lending (fixed-rate loans with low 2% down payments and no PMI), supplemented by in-house real estate services (salaried REALTORS), and financial coaching. Key modules include: Homewise Homes (new construction in Santa Fe and Albuquerque), down payment assistance, refinance, home improvement loans, Energywise, Commercial Lending, and the Community Catalyst Fund. Education products include free Homebuyer Education, Financial Fitness, and New Home Now What? classes. Specialized lending programs cover New American Lending (ITIN clients), energy-efficiency/solar, and special interest rate financing. Homewise also provides a Community Investment Note for impact investors, and an Employer Partnership Program. All services are accessible through Homewise's web platform and loan servicing portal.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Homewisdom: Research and public policy initiative established by Homewise to provide data, insights, and policy recommendations to help advance homeownership strategies, focused on closing the racial wealth gap through homeownership and developing potential policy solutions.
Products and services
- Homewise Mortgage Lending Affordable, fixed-rate mortgages for New Mexico homebuyers with down payments as low as 2% and no required private mortgage insurance (PMI), delivered alongside Homewise coaching, real estate, and homebuyer assistance services. Intended for low-to-moderate income individuals and families seeking an integrated path to homeownership.
- Down Payment Assistance Down payment assistance programs for low-to-moderate income families, including matched savings, that help clients overcome the financial barrier to homeownership; in FY24, $8.6 million in down payment assistance was received by 130 families.
- Homewise Community Investment Note Socially responsible impact investment offering for accredited and non-accredited investors that funds affordable housing, energy efficiency, financial literacy, and community revitalization, paying fixed rate returns of 1%–4% depending on a 1-to-10 year term, with a $1,000 minimum.
- Homewise Real Estate Services Full-service residential real estate brokerage staffed by salaried, non-commissioned Homewise REALTORS serving Albuquerque and Santa Fe, providing buying and selling representation with MLS access and specialization in affordable housing programs.
- Homewise Homes (New Construction) High-quality, energy-efficient affordable homes newly built by Homewise in New Mexico and sold at market value to qualified buyers meeting primary-residence and income requirements; developments include Miraflores and Oshara in Santa Fe and Sombra Del Oeste in Albuquerque.
- Refinance Mortgage refinancing for primary residences in New Mexico, allowing homeowners to lower interest rates, switch from adjustable- to fixed-rate loans, shorten loan terms, take cash out, or access home equity, with a minimum required credit score of 640.
- Home Improvement Loans Affordable fixed-rate home improvement loans for New Mexico homeowners covering up to 95% of home equity, with 15- or 30-year terms, no appraisal required for loans under $100,000, no hidden fees, and no prepayment penalties, supporting repairs and energy-efficient upgrades.
- Homebuyer Education Free homeownership preparation class offered in English and Spanish, online and in-person, covering the home buying process, mortgage qualification, financing, and closing; required for Homewise mortgage loan clients and open to the broader community.
- Financial Fitness Free personal finance class offered in-person and online covering debt reduction, credit understanding, budgeting, and savings building to help clients manage finances and prepare for homeownership.
- New Home, Now What? Free online, self-paced post-purchase course for new or existing homeowners covering basic home maintenance, DIY repairs, hiring contractors, mortgage payment understanding, and building long-term financial stability.
- Commercial Lending Commercial loan program that enables small businesses and non-profit organizations to own their own facilities in Homewise priority neighborhoods in Santa Fe and Albuquerque, offering lower down payments, single-close acquisition and improvement financing, and longer terms than typical commercial loans.
- Community Development Neighborhood strengthening program in Albuquerque and Santa Fe that delivers commercial development projects, commercial lending, property rehabilitation, and community advocacy initiatives including the Livability Speaker Series and Livability Fellowship.
- Home Renovation Program Program that purchases vacant or foreclosed homes, completes high-quality energy-efficient renovations, and resells them to low-to-moderate income clients, often paired with down payment assistance, in priority neighborhoods including Barelas, South Broadway, and the International District.
- Energywise Comprehensive home energy assessment and improvement program that helps New Mexico homeowners reduce energy bills, improve indoor air quality, and maximize utility rebates and incentives through contractor guidance, quality oversight, and connection to local, state, and federal subsidy programs.
Quantifiable outcome
- Clients with credit scores under 640 improved scores by average of +79 points upon purchasing a home
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Homewise
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Homewise technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Homewise partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- NeighborWorks AmericacoreNeighborWorks America is a national network supporting community development. Homewise received designation as a Green Organization and grants from NeighborWorks America for community hub projects including the Orpheum Community Hub.
- City of AlbuquerquecoreCity of Albuquerque partners on multiple initiatives including the Albuquerque Home Preservation Grant Program (with Prosperity Works), neighborhood surveys, and cultural services initiatives. Dr. Shelle Van Etten de Sanchez, Director of Cultural Services, serves on Homewise board.
- Santa Fe Public School DistrictminorPartnered with Homewise on the Teacherwise program, which was recognized with the John Gaw Meem Award for Civic Affairs. The program helped teachers achieve homeownership in Santa Fe.
- Common Ground New MexicocoreCoalition of schools, organizations, and businesses working together to improve lives of New Mexicans through advocacy for affordable housing, education data transparency, childcare expansion, and passage of the high-end excise tax for affordable housing in Santa Fe.
- Education Partners (Premier, Core, Supporting)coreCommunity partnerships between Homewise and organizations allowing free homebuyer education, financial fitness, and new homeowner classes to be offered. Classes are available to all community members regardless of Homewise client status.
- PresbyterianminorEmployer partnership program participant offering homeownership benefits to employees through Homewise services including free financial education, homebuyer workshops, and access to affordable mortgage loans.
- Insulation Service Heating and Cooling (ISHC)minorEmployer partnership where Homewise helped employee Joseph achieve homeownership. Vice President Ron Sisneros endorses the partnership for helping employees become homeowners.
- ExploraminorBoard membership connection - Rathi Casey, Homewise Deputy CEO, serves on Explora's board.
- ULI New MexicominorRathi Casey served as President of ULI New Mexico and currently serves on ULI Global Governing Trustees Board, supporting urban land institute initiatives in New Mexico.
Scale indicators17 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Homewise competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Mercy Housing: National nonprofit affordable housing developer and service provider combining real estate development with resident services. Comparable to Homewise's integration of new construction, financing, and resident/community support programming.
- Capital Impact Partners: National CDFI providing financing for affordable housing, community development, and underserved communities. Comparable to Homewise's CDFI lending, community development, and impact investment (Community Investment Note) activities.
- Reinvestment Fund: Philadelphia-based CDFI financing affordable housing, community development, and health/education facilities. Overlaps with Homewise's commercial lending and community development lending verticals at greater scale.
- Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC): National CDFI and community development intermediary funding affordable housing, economic development, and community revitalization across the U.S. Overlaps with Homewise's community development and commercial lending activities but at far greater scale and breadth.
- Enterprise Community Partners: National nonprofit that develops and finances affordable housing and community development projects. Comparable to Homewise's affordable housing development, lending, and policy advocacy work, but operating nationally through a far larger balance sheet.
Direct peers
- Habitat for Humanity International: Global nonprofit focused on affordable homeownership for low-income families through construction, mortgage financing, and homebuyer education. Directly comparable to Homewise's Homewise Homes new construction and financial education stack.
- Self-Help Credit Union / Self-Help Ventures Fund: One of the largest CDFI credit unions in the U.S., Self-Help operates an integrated model of affordable mortgage lending, in-house real estate brokerage, and financial education — closely mirroring Homewise's vertically integrated CDFI approach, though at much larger scale and in the Southeast.
- Neighborhood Housing Services of New York City: Local nonprofit providing homeownership counseling, affordable mortgage lending, and neighborhood revitalization — a close model analog to Homewise's Santa Fe/Albuquerque operations, though serving NYC neighborhoods.
Emerging players
- Grameen America: U.S. nonprofit microfinance organization providing small-dollar lending and credit-building to low-income women entrepreneurs, including immigrants without traditional credit. Comparable to Homewise's New American Lending Program and credit-building focus.
- ClearPoint Credit Counseling Solutions: National nonprofit credit counseling and financial education provider. Directly comparable to Homewise's free Homebuyer Education, Financial Fitness, and New Home, Now What? classes, though operating in a different distribution model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Homewise social profiles
Digital presenceHomewise financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Homewise leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Homewise funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds6 records
Investors3 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Homewise M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments1 record
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Homewise
What does Homewise do?
Homewise is a nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) that provides affordable fixed-rate mortgages with as little as 2% down and no private mortgage insurance, paired with in-house salaried real estate brokerage and free homebuyer/financial education classes. It complements these services by building and rehabilitating energy-efficient affordable homes, offering home improvement and refinance loans, providing ITIN-based (New American) lending, and accepting impact investments via Community Investment Notes. Target customers are low-to-moderate income New Mexicans seeking an integrated path to sustainable homeownership.
Is Homewise a public or private company?
Homewise is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Homewise founded?
Homewise was founded in 1986. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Homewise based?
Homewise is headquartered in Santa Fe, United States, in the North America region.
How does Homewise make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Mortgage Lending is the primary driver. The others are real Estate Services, home Improvement Lending, community Investment Notes and free Education Classes.
Who are Homewise's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Mercy Housing, Capital Impact Partners, Reinvestment Fund, Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) and Enterprise Community Partners. Direct peers are Habitat for Humanity International, Self-Help Credit Union / Self-Help Ventures Fund and Neighborhood Housing Services of New York City. Emerging players are Grameen America and ClearPoint Credit Counseling Solutions.
Does Homewise have an API?
No public API is recorded for Homewise.
What industry is Homewise in?
Homewise's product category is Community Development Mortgage Lending. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGALAC, Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts), with a secondary code of FSALAAAM, Affordable Housing / Down Payment Assistance (DPA) Mortgage Origination. Its NAICS code is 236115 and its SIC code is 6035.