How to Find Legitimate Owner Finance Homes

by Brooke 15. January 2010

If you are looking at your buying options for a new home, then you may be considering alternative means to help you move quickly.  One of the current trends is owner finance homes.  This allows you to move into the property of your choice while paying the owner of the home until the house is yours.  If you are considering this option; however, you want to make sure that you find legitimate opportunities that won’t leave you searching for the right real estate investment.

Owner finance homes are often looked down upon because of several who have taken advantage of this system.  Through this specific set – up, the buyer will pay the owner a specific amount per month, similar to a rental property.  Over a period of time, the buyer will have the choice of buying out the home, which will then move to a mortgage company.  If you have bad credit or can’t get a mortgage, then this may seem like a good idea. 

The problem with owner finance homes are through illegitimate offers that don’t allow you to buy the home over a period of time.  The sellers that are financing the home will provide property to target individuals that know they can’t work with a mortgage company for their needs.  Bad credit and the inability to get a loan from a traditional bank then leaves potential buyers desperate to find the right place to live.  In return, contracts are set that have higher than normal interest rates.  At the end of a certain period of time, a balloon payment is set, which leads buyers into paying a large amount of money in one month.  For most, this leads to repossession, which then allows the owner to resell the home and to continue making profit. 

If you don’t want to fall into this scam, then you will want to make sure that you find owner finance homes that are legitimate.  Checking the contract and making sure that interest rates and end payments are exactly as expected ensures that you will be able to get the best options for your needs.  If you are not certain, then you may want to work with a company that can sell owner finance homes.  These have a quality assurance program so you aren’t scammed by those that are planning on making a substantial profit from the home being sold. 

Whether you have a bad credit rating or want to find an alternative system for moving in, owner finance homes are one of the considerations.  Before you jump into a contract, you want to make sure that you are able to receive the best options for contracts and final sales.  Knowing what to look for and making sure that you aren’t scammed by those who are selling the property is the first step to getting the most comfortable situation for living.  Working with companies and legitimate individuals ensures that you can begin to call your house a home.