There are situations in which the seller will serve in the capacity of a lender and provide the buyer with the financing necessary for the acquisition of a home. Although not as prevalent as it once was, this arrangement was more typical in the past, particularly in rural and farming regions where the transactions were known as "land contracts." Today, however, this kind of arrangement is somewhat uncommon. When all of the conditions of the sale that had been agreed upon had been followed, the deed would then be transferred to the buyer, but the seller would continue to hold the note on the property in exchange for regular payments. The introduction of rent-to-own and shared-equity forms of house purchase has breathed fresh energy into these agreements and given them a new lease on life.

The Benefits of Seller Financing for Homebuyers

When both parties are familiar with and trustworthy of one another, as well as when the terms of the sale and the agreement to repay are laid out clearly and in the contract, seller financing is an effective method. When compared to conventional lending arrangements, these can be adapted to the specifics of the situation at hand, modified over the course of time, and may result in cost savings.

Seller financing disadvantages for homebuyers

There are certain consumer protections built into conventional mortgage lending that are not included in the practice of seller financing. There has been exploitation of land contracts and seller finance agreements, to the detriment of purchasers. In certain situations, the seller might insist that the buyer make repairs to the property or else refuse to count the buyer's monthly payments against the principal balance of the debt. Even worse, it has been known for sellers to hurry buyers into foreclosure for missing payments while also failing to credit the buyers with any accumulated equity, maintenance costs, or improvements made to the property while the buyers were under contract to purchase the property.

It is critical for real estate agents to have a solid understanding of the licensing requirements and rules that govern seller financing.