Owner Financing Offered to Rental Tenants
REM #LAW590
By Ilyce R. Glink and Samuel J. Tamkin
Summary: An investment property owner wants to sell their property to the tenants and offer owner financing. Ilyce and Sam suggest an installment purchase.
Q: I've got an investment property that the renter is interested in buying. They are not able to get a typical mortgage because they don’t have conventional credit. However, they pay their rent on time monthly.
I am considering offering them owner financing, but am not sure where to get the documents written up. Also, the house has a mortgage in my name. If I do sell them the house, what will my lender do? What do you recommend?
A: There are several important legal issues that you need to address before you actually go to the closing, and you’re going to need the help of a good real estate attorney. So find one now, even before you start talking about the sales price with your tenants.
Most likely you’re going to end up selling the property to these buyers on an installment basis. That means, they’re buying the house over time, almost like lay-a-way.
The buyers will start by paying you 5 to 10 percent of the sales price. The property remains in your name, and you – not your buyers – will make the monthly mortgage payments on your mortgage, insurance and real estate taxes. This ensures that the necessary payments are made.
The installment contract with your buyer will include certain provisions that will pay you “interest” on the amount owed by them along with payments for all of your costs associated with the ownership of the home.
When the time comes to transfer title to the home to the buyer, they will pay off whatever remains on the installment contract. You’ll use part of the cash they pay you to payoff your current mortgage.
Installment purchases sound easy, but there are some risks. Again, you need a good real estate attorney to draft up these contracts and make sure you’re protected, so find one with experience with installment sales contracts.
Samuel J. Tamkin is a Chicago-based real estate attorney. Ilyce R. Glink’s latest book is 50 Simple Steps You Can Take To Sell Your Home Faster and For More Money In Any Market. If you have questions for them, write: Real Estate Matters Syndicate, PO Box 366, Glencoe, IL 60022 or contact them through Ilyce’s website www.thinkglink.com
Capital Gains Tax Question
1031 Exchanges to Avoid Capital Gains Taxes
Quitclaim Deed Does Not Change Mortgage
New Fence Violates Building Code
Confused About Property Values
Link to This Article
Like what you've read? Spread the word! You can link to this article
from your website by copying the following code and adding it to
a page on your website:
Copyright ©2001-2007. ThinkGlink, Inc.
All rights reserved. Reproduction of material from any www.ThinkGlink.com pages without permission is strictly prohibited.
Site designed by Walker Sands Communications
