Texas Note Buyer

Top 3 Owner Financing Myths

Owner financing has once again gained popularity as mortgage approvals prove hard to obtain. The installment sale is being pulled out of the toolbox as an alternative financing method to conventional loans.

As the owner financing method becomes a frequent topic among real estate agents, investors, and discussion boards there are inevitably some misconceptions being perpetuated. These three myths seem to continually reoccur:

MYTH #1 – The Seller Must Own Property Free and Clear to Offer Owner Financing

FACT: While zero existing debt on a property can be an advantage in seller financing it is NOT a requirement. In fact, the majority of owner-financed transactions have a prior debt incurred by the seller from when they bought the property. When the seller offers financing and this mortgage remains it is commonly known as a “Wraparound Mortgage” or “All Inclusive Trust Deed (AITD)”.

As the buyer makes payments to the seller on the new owner financing the seller must in turn continue to keep payments current with their lender. This type of arrangement comes with risk, including a senior mortgage holder calling their note all due and payable for violation of the due on sale clause. While many lenders are happy to receive timely payments it is important to consult with an attorney understand or minimize risk.

MYTH #2 – Seller Financing Just Involves FSBO Deals

FACT: – A portion of seller financed notes are created from For Sale By Owner (FSBO) transactions but there are equally as many sellers using the services of a Real Estate Agent. Experienced agents will often encourage sellers in slow markets to include “Owner Will Finance” in the MLS property listings.

These agents are still paid their commission at closing from proceeds, generally from the down payment funds. In the rare cases there are not sufficient proceeds to cover the commission at closing some agents have elected to take back a note themselves for a portion of their fee.

MYTH #3 – There Are Only Second Liens With Seller Carry Back Financing

FACT: The majority of seller financed notes sold to investors for cash on the secondary market are NOT second liens. If the seller wrapped an existing mortgage and still owes money the note investor will pay off the seller’s debt at closing from the note purchase proceeds. This puts the seller-financed note in first position.

There are also many second liens created from some version of the 80-10-10 transaction. This is where the buyer puts 10% down, obtains an 80% bank loan the seller carries back the 10% remaining balance as a second lien. The buyer’s new bank loan is in first position and the seller is in second position.

These small second position notes are highly risky transactions, especially in a falling real estate market. Many note investors decline to purchase a small second due to the high risk of default on a low equity high LTV subordinate lien.

Recognizing these common misconceptions and their myth busters will help sellers, investors, brokers, and buyers put seller financing to good use during the sub prime mortgage meltdown.

If you would like a free note analysis we invite you to contact us!

5 Reasons Owners Offer Seller Financing

Why would a seller allow a buyer to make payments over time for the purchase of property?

Wouldn’t the seller rather get paid now and require the buyer to obtain a bank loan?

Here are 5 reasons property owners offer seller financing:

1. Reduced Marketing Times

What is the first thing a real estate agent does when property is not moving and has been on the market for 60 to 90 days? They reduce the price and add the tagline “price reduced” to all advertising and signs. Rather than reduce the price, it might be beneficial for the seller to offer financing. Buyers provided with financing can certainly pay full price in exchange for the many benefits they receive with owner financing, including the money they save by not paying expensive loan fees, origination fees, and points.

2. Increased Inventory of Prospective Purchasers

By offering owner financing, the seller increases marketability with a wider group of available purchasers. Statistics show that almost 40 percent of the American population is unable to qualify for traditional bank financing. While not all of the “unqualified” group would be an acceptable risk for owner financing, it still widens the market of prospective buyers considerably. Anyone who has added the words “Owner Will Finance” or “Easy Terms” to a For Sale ad or Multiple Listing Service (MLS) listing knows the phone will ring off the hook with interested prospects.

3. Reduced Closing Times

Another advantage of offering owner financing is substantially lower closing times. A closing involving a third-party conventional lender can take six to eight weeks while closing a seller-financed transaction through a reputable title company can take as little as two to three weeks. This is due to the reduced paperwork and less restrictive due diligence process.

4. Investment Strategy for Hard to Finance Properties

There are many properties that encounter financing difficulties including mixed use property, land, mobile and land, non-conforming, low value, and others. Investors realize excellent returns by paying a reduced cash or wholesale price on a hard-to-finance property and then reselling at a higher retail price with easy financing terms.

5. Interest Income

Why let the banks earn all the interest? Sellers can keep the property-earning income even after they sell by offering owner financing. For example, a $100,000 mortgage at 9 percent with monthly payments of $804.62 will pay back $289,663.20 over 30 years. That additional $189,663.20 (over the $100,000 mortgage) is power of interest income!

Work with Owner Financing Specialists

If considering seller financing, be sure to consult with a qualified professional to properly document the transaction.

It also helps to speak with note investors to gain insight on appealing terms and structuring techniques. This assures top-dollar pricing should you ever want to convert the payments to cash by assigning your note, mortgage, deed of trust, or contract to an investor.

Avoid Three Seller Financing Mistakes

Would you rather have $97,000 to sell your $100,000 note or only $80,000? The difference in usually comes down to the big three. Here’s the three biggest mistakes note sellers make and how to avoid flushing money down the drain.

Mistake #1 – Failing to Check Credit

The payer’s credit report lets you know how timely they have paid bills in the past. This is a good indicator of how they will pay on a seller-financed note. It also has a huge impact on how much an investor is willing to offer, should the seller ever decide to sell the note payments. Sadly, many sellers never check credit when offering owner financing.

The seller financing solution?

Have the buyer fill our a simple one page application that grants permission to pull their credit upfront or ask the buyer to pull their own credit and provide the report. Whenever possible, avoid accepting owner financing from any buyer with a credit score below 650 (above 700 is ideal).

Mistake #2 – Charging a Low Interest Rate

Money today is worth more than money tomorrow. A simple look at escalating food and gas costs will show a dollar today won’t buy as much next year or the year after! This concept, known as the time value of money, plays a large role in investor note pricing.

All factors being equal, an investor will pay more for a higher interest rate note. We’ve seen sellers charge 5% or less on notes. Imagine the discount when an investor wants a 10% yield!

The seller financing solution?

Charge at least two to four percent above the standard bank loan rate for a similar loan transaction. Be sure to take into consideration the credit, property type, and down payment, which may justify further increases in the interest rate.

Mistake #3 – Low or No Down Payment

The down payment determines how much equity the buyer has in the transaction. The greater the equity, the less likely a buyer will default. There is a reason banks require mortgage insurance whenever a buyer puts down less than 20%!

In desperation, some sellers will even accept a zero down payment. Unfortunately, these buyers have even less at stake than a renter. A renter at least has a security deposit along with the first and last months rent!

The seller financing solution?

Require a down payment of at least 10% to 20% at closing.

So these are the BIG three when it comes to valuing a seller financed note. Sure other things come into play (including property type, seasoning, terms, etc) but these are the three that impact pricing the most.

While a seller might not be able to find a buyer that meets the ideal in each category, they can attempt to compensate for any deficiencies. For example, a lower credit score might result in a higher down payment and interest rate. A great credit score might result in a more favorable interest rate.

Just remember that when the buyer receives a break, it’s coming out of your pocket as the seller!

What is Seller Financing?

When a seller allows a buyer to make payments over time for the purchase of property, it is known as owner financing or seller financing.

This private financing by the seller can take the place of a bank loan or be in addition to a conventional mortgage.

The payment amount, interest rate, and other terms are agreed upon between the buyer and seller. The amount financed by the seller will depend upon the buyer’s down payment and whether there are any bank loans.

Here’s an example of how seller financing works…
A property owner advertises his or her house for sale, either on her own or through an agent.
A buyer makes an offer, and they agree upon a sales price of $175,000 with a 10 percent down payment of $17,500.
Rather than requiring the buyer to obtain a bank loan, the seller carries back the balance of $157,500 in the form of a note and mortgage. It could also be a note and deed of trust or a real estate contract, depending on the customary documents for that state.
The note spells out the terms of repayment. In this case they agree upon 8.5 percent interest at $1,211.04 per month based on a 360-month amortization. The seller doesn’t really want to wait a full 30 years for payments, so the note requires payment in full, known as a balloon payment, within seven years.
A title company or real estate attorney is used for the closing to be sure all parties are protected and the documents are in compliance with and state laws.

Bank Loan Vs Seller Financed Mortgage Notes

Because the buyer is making payments to the seller rather than an institutional lender, the legal arrangement is called a private mortgage, seller carry-back, installment sale, or owner financing.

The seller has the same mortgage rights as a bank, so if the buyer does not make payments, the seller can foreclose and take the property back.

When the seller prefers cash today rather than payments over time, the rights to future payments can be sold or assigned to a note investor on the secondary market.

Sell Property Fast With Owner Financing

When a property isn’t selling most real estate agents are quick to suggest a reduction to the sales price. It is common to see the tag line “Price Reduced” added to for sale signs, listings and ads.

Rather than just reducing price…

consider offering owner financing to sell a property quickly!

In today’s real estate market obtaining a mortgage can be a large stumbling block to home ownership. In the midst of this sub prime mortgage meltdown it is difficult to obtain a loan, especially for anyone with less than A+ credit and a 20% down payment.

While there are many reduced priced properties for sale few are offering a solution to the financing challenges. By offering owner financing the seller can reduce marketing time and maximize price while providing the buyer an economical alternative to bank loans.

The buyer makes a down payment and the seller accepts payments over time from the buyer. In essence the seller becomes the bank and is able to collect interest on the balance financed at the agreed upon rate.

Rather than collect payments for 20 to 30 years most sellers will prefer a balloon payment provision that requires the buyer to refinance and payoff the seller in 3 to 5 years. The seller also has the option of selling all or part of the payments to a note investor for cash now.

Back in the 1980’s the use of owner financing increased when interest rates were in the teens and borrowers had troubles qualifying based on the high monthly payments. Seller financing is now offering a similar solution to the financing challenges caused by the mortgage crisis.

Offering owner financing can be a very effective way to reduce marketing times, provided a property is priced at fair market value using comparable sales. Simply add the words “Owner Will Finance” to the advertising and watch the inquiries increase.