Jubilee Homes Review

Not a mortgage at all. Jubilee buys the land under your house in cash and leases it back to you for 99 years.

By Michael Hewitt, Founder & Editor-in-Chief. Rates last checked September 11, 2026.

Our verdict

A 1% to 2% down payment gets you into an expensive market, but you're buying the house without the land, and on Jubilee's own $1,000,000 example the ground rent is $2,979 a month on top of the mortgage, rising 3% a year. You capture none of the land's appreciation, and falling behind on rent can cost you the home even with the mortgage current.

Skip it if you want to own the land under your home, or can't carry ground rent that rises 3% a year.

About Jubilee Homes

Not a mortgage at all. Jubilee buys the land under your house in cash and leases it back to you for 99 years. Jubilee Homes is offered by Jubilee Homes, Inc. Land held by Jubilee Leaseholds, Inc. (CA DRE #02217342). Mortgage arm Jubilee Home Loans, Inc. (NMLS #2719294, self-disclosed and not independently verified). We could not find a published customer rating for it on Trustpilot or the Better Business Bureau, so none is shown.

Best for: Buyers in expensive markets who understand they are buying a house without the land.

Editorial grade: D (composite score 38/100).

Highlights

Buy the house only; Jubilee owns the land and charges ground rent on a recorded 99-year lease
Down payment as low as 1% to 2% of the property price
Ground rent rises 3% every year for the life of the lease
Eligible homes roughly $300,000 to $4,000,000, minimum credit score 680

What we like

A 1% to 2% down payment genuinely lowers the entry barrier in expensive markets
The ground lease is recorded and runs 99 years, so occupancy is secure while rent is paid
The structure is disclosed clearly on its own site rather than buried

Where it falls short

You capture none of the land's appreciation. Jubilee's own FAQ prices the buyout at the greater of the original purchase price or market value at buyout, so it wins whichever way land moves
The ground rent is large, permanent and compounding. On Jubilee's own $1,000,000 example it is $2,979 a month, about $35,750 in year one, on top of the mortgage, and rising 3% a year roughly doubles it in 24 years
Defaulting on ground rent can cost you the home even if the mortgage is current, because the landowner can terminate the lease independently

Fees, minimums, and rates

Monthly fee: Ground rent, escalating 3% annually, plus a shared appreciation split set at purchase. Minimum to open: 1%-2% down payment. Rates and fees last checked on September 11, 2026.

How we reviewed it

This is a desk review: we have not opened an account with Jubilee Homes, Inc. Land held by Jubilee Leaseholds, Inc. (CA DRE #02217342). Mortgage arm Jubilee Home Loans, Inc. (NMLS #2719294, self-disclosed and not independently verified). It is built from Jubilee Homes, Inc. Land held by Jubilee Leaseholds, Inc. (CA DRE #02217342). Mortgage arm Jubilee Home Loans, Inc. (NMLS #2719294, self-disclosed and not independently verified)'s published rates, fee schedule and terms and from the public complaint record, and compared with the other products in the Purchase Mortgage shortlist. The rubric is the same for every brand.

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Read our full editorial methodology for how we review products.