The Seller Finance Solution
Seller financing can be a great way to get a house sold without slashing the price. By recognizing the millions of people who can't get traditional financing as potential buyers, resourceful property sellers (and their real estate agents) can minimize their time investment in getting a property sold. Even better, sellers who offer financing can usually get a higher asking price for their property, even in the slowest markets. Clearly this is a win-win situation.
Most home sellers never consider financing the buyer directly because they are not aware of the benefits or don't fully understand how creating a note works. Let's take a closer look at the advantages of owner finance.
Three Advantages
Advantage #1 is MORE BUYERS
Seller financing is very powerful when the market is slow or when there are many similar houses on the market. Just listing the house as "OWC" - Owner Will Carry - will make the house stand out and attract more buyers. Because many individuals cannot get funding from a bank, offering financing will open the doors to these prospective customers as well, essentially significantly increasing the pool of potential buyers.
Advantage #2: MORE MONEY
Seller financing also brings the property seller another critical advantage . the likelihood of selling for a higher price. Offering to carry back a note will not only greatly increase the number of potential buyers, but also bring a unique demographic of buyers who are willing to pay more for a given property than the general population.
Advantage #3: LONG TERM PROFIT
Additionally, when the property seller finances the buyer, they get to act as "the bank". That means they could structure the deal to collect interest. Over time, if the seller holds on to their note, this can add up to tens of thousands of dollars in additional income.
The Seller's Strategy
Even when these benefits to "carryback" lending are made clear, many sellers are still hesitant to offer financing because they are entering unfamiliar territory. It's a natural, human response -- everyone is uncomfortable with new things.
For many property sellers, considering owner financing when they've only dealt with buyers via traditional funding is definitely "thinking outside the box". But once sellers understand the process, they are likely to choose seller financing instead of the unattractive option of cutting the listed price or waiting indefinitely for the "right buyer".
A seller-financed real estate sale is simply a real estate transaction where the seller acts as "the bank" or lending institution. The seller sets the sales price, determines and accepts a down payment, and then finances the remaining balance. The final step is the part that may scare some sellers, but in actuality, it can be very simple. Here is an example.
If the sales price is $100,000.00, and the buyer gives the seller $10,000.00 cash (the agent.s fee will be deducted from this down payment), the seller will finance the balance of $90,000.00. The buyer and seller would then agree to the terms, such as the interest rate and the total term, and use an attorney to create the mortgage document and close the deal. From that point on, the buyer sends the seller monthly payments for the house he/she has just purchased.
© 2007 Hard Cash Note Buyers