![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.livabl.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/rent-to-own-landis.jpg\")
<\/a>Photo by Surface<\/a> on Unsplash<\/a> <\/em><\/p>\nRising rents, stagnating wages and student loan debt have made it exceedingly difficult for Americans to get a foot on the property ladder. The path to homeownership can be even more challenging for first-generation homebuyers, individuals with bad credit histories, and communities of color who have historically lacked access to generational wealth-building.<\/span><\/p>\n Landis<\/a>, a rent-to-own platform that aims to \u201cmake it easier to buy your dream home,\u201d announced today that it had raised $165 million in debt and Series A funding. The round was led by Sequoia Capital with participation from Arrive, a venture capital firm under rapper Jay-Z\u2019s Roc Nation entertainment label, and Dreamers VC, a venture capital firm co-founded by actor Will Smith and professional soccer player Keisuke Honda.<\/p>\n A number of tech founders joined the roster of celebrity investors, including those from Plaid, Cash App, Ethos, Instacart, Front, Flatiron Health and Tango. This latest round of financing raises Landis\u2019 combined debt and equity to $182 million. The startup\u2019s co-founder, Cyril Berdugo, <\/span>told <\/span>TechCrunch<\/span><\/i><\/a> that the capital will be used to expand into new markets, hire more employees and enhance user experience.<\/span><\/p>\n Landis improves on the traditional rent-to-own model by incorporating financial literacy coaching. The majority of clients are those who do not qualify for a mortgage due to credit or debt, or have not accrued enough savings for a sizeable downpayment. The company uses underwriting technology to project whether a client will be able to qualify for a mortgage within the next two years. If they\u2019re deemed a good fit, the client is given a budget to shop for a home, which Landis purchases on their behalf.<\/p>\n