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Is This a Good Idea or Not?

By
Real Estate Agent with Resource One Realty, LLC

I have been receiving a few calls from investors who feel housing prices have almost hit bottom and will begin to reboundin the spring so they are starting to seriously look at properties to buy.   I have one investor who is looking at lower end properties to buy to flip allowing the buyers to using a land contract or a rent to own program.  This would only work if the seller owned the property free and clear and work closely with a lender to pre-qualify buyers. 

We came up with the idea of using seller financing during a recent lunch and expanded it to flip properties.  This method would allow a renter to take pride in ownership and would still allow the seller to take back the property if the payments aren't being made.  The seller could make 6 - 8% on his money with little to no risk.  It would also help people who can't get conventional financing for whatever reason still be able to purchase a home.

At the end of the contract, if the renter couldn't get permanent financing, he or she could continue to rent without penalty or the seller could terminate the contract and sell the property to someone else.  The buyer could opt for permanent financing at any time.  There also would be minimal closing costs.

We still have a few kinks to work out and have to take a realistic look at the down side but it's an option my  investor may want to pursue.

Is anyone using this concept? 

South Austin Real Estate Blog
Sky Realty South Austin - Austin, TX

Sounds very close to a lease-to-purchase and my office has discouraged these due to the legalese it requires, essentially a contract written by attorneys on both sides, not Realtors.  This could be my brokages opinion only, I don't know.

Nov 11, 2008 08:32 AM
Ashley Berg
Realty Executives BRIO - Seattle, WA
Seattlenulls Green Real Estate Agent

Yep, it is called a lease option or lease to own here.  It can work and it can also fail.  Make sure it gets written up to cover everyone involved.  The buyer should come in with a decent down payment and a portion of each months rent should go towards the final downpayment.  Also, agree to a price and the time frame the buyer's would need to use their option to buy.  Good luck.  Just make sure your investor picks his own house and pays a decent price.  I just had a client who let his tenants choose their own home with the intent to purchase it from him in the future.  They chose an over-priced home and didn't put any real money down.  Needless to say, the quit paying rent and moved out.  Since they didn't have any money invested, they didn't lose anything.  The investor on the other hand is now stuck with an overpriced home and he won't be able to sell it in this market.

Nov 11, 2008 08:54 AM
Robert O'Haugherty
Fort Worth, TX

Hey Cindy,

I, as well, have a few real estate investors, and one in particular who is also starting to look again at purchase another property before spring.  Things are just beginning to look up.  But this one investor finances properties all by himself with hard money. 

 

Nov 11, 2008 08:56 AM
Lisa Peeler-Taylor
Watson Realty Corp. - Jacksonville, FL

Hey Cindy,

I think that is a great Idea.It is certainly thinkingoutside the box.And with so many people going into foreclosure,all those people need a place to live and probably have credit issues right now.They could use some seller financing.

 

Nov 11, 2008 09:07 AM