Ask a seller to give you owner financing to purchase the home he has for sale and most likely you will get a “No.” Sellers for the most part automatically reject the suggestion of owner financing because no one has explained that option to them as a way to sell their home. As a seller, should you consider financing or partly financing your buyer? Owner financing can be a valuable and lucrative tool in a seller’s toolbox, providing he understands exactly what he’s getting into.

Owner Financing

Traditionally, a buyer gets a loan from a third party lender i.e. a bank, credit union etc… in order to finance the purchase of a property. Owner financing (A.K.A. seller financing, owner carry-back, seller take-back) however, is an agreement in which the seller of a property agrees to provide (all or part of) the financing to the buyer for the purchase of that property.

When to Use it

Any time you want to! At any given time there are many buyers out there who are ready and willing to buy, but are unable to do so. They have money in the bank for their down payment but their credit score is not good enough to qualify for conventional financing. Offering seller financing is a good way to make your listing stand out of the crowd. In a buyer’s market, if your property is not selling, offering owner financing might just do the trick.

Types of Seller Financing

· Agreement for Deed: (or Land Contract or Contract for Deed). In an agreement for deed, the buyer only gets equitable title, and is permitted to take possession of the property. Legal title will only be conveyed when the loan is paid in full (hence, agreement for deed).

· Trust Deed or Deed of Trust: A trust deed is a written document used to secure a loan on real estate. Three parties are involved in the transaction: the trustor (the buyer/borrower), the beneficiary (the seller/lender), and a neutral third party called the trustee. The borrower transfers bare legal title of the property to the trustee to be held as security for the lender pending fulfillment of payment.

· Lease Option or Lease Purchase: Simply put, it’s a lease with an option to buy. This means that you are going to sign a lease agreement to lease the property, and you are going to sign an option agreement to sell the property (to be executed at the buyer’s option) at a particular time in the future, under specific terms and conditions spelled out in the agreement. A Lease Purchase is basically the same thing but the buyer has to purchase the property instead of it being an option. Both are considered Rent-to-Own programs. Typically, part of each rental payment is set aside for the purpose of accumulating funds toward the down payment and closing cost, or it can be applied against the purchase price.

Whole or Partial Financing

Sellers can finance the entire balance – or any part thereof – this may or may not include an underlying loan. If there is no underlying loan in place, the seller can finance the entire amount, or the buyer can get a loan from a lending institution for one part while the rest is carried by the seller.

If there is an underlying loan in place, the new loan will be wrapped around the existing one (or the existing loan can also be paid off with a new loan from an institutional lender). For example, a seller has an existing loan in the amount of $60,000.00 and he sells his home with owner financing for $100,000.00. The buyer puts $10,000.00 down and borrows $90,000.00 on a new mortgage, from the seller. This new mortgage will wrap around the existing $60,000.00 loan (hence a wrap-around mortgage).

Benefits to the Seller

The biggest benefit to the seller is that he can command a higher sales price, buyers are generally agreeable to a higher price in exchange for private financing. Other benefits would be 1) tax breaks, 2) potentially higher interest rates, 3) monthly income, 4) shorter marketing time, and 5) because you are willing to get paid in installments you will earn more money in the long run, beyond just the sale price. If you have never looked at an amortization schedule I encourage you do so – you will be amazed, remember that in this case you are the bank!

Benefits to the Buyer

For the buyer, the biggest benefit is simply being able to buy a house rather than not being able to. The reason for this is that the seller will have different, and hopefully, less stringent qualifying criteria than an institution. Some other benefits are 1) lower closing cost: buyers will not have to pay origination fees or loan discount fees, 2) faster move-in time, financial institutions will have a longer qualifying and underwriting process than an individual seller, 3) Flexible financing term: within the guidelines of applicable usury laws, buyer and seller are only limited by their imagination, as long as they both agree, they can pretty much do whatever they want.

Many educational institutions today provide the Masters in Finance as an alternative in the structure of the Master of business administration plan. Universities of business normally have many aspects of concentration to select from in the 2nd year of a 2 year, full time Master of business administration training program. In many schools the most used course for the Master of business administration is Finance. The number of schools listed below all include finance as an Master of business administration choice and in most cases provide extra graduate degree options for courses associated with finance, either in the context of business operations or as an analytical occupation. Several educational institutions provide a Masters in Financial Maths for individuals interested in the difficulties of statistics or in an Expert degree program that focuses on the technology of business finance. The universities listed below all have level programs created for career advancement in the commercial world.

New England University of Business and Finance was founded in 1909. Through the years it has advanced from a finance training organization to a total fledged degree allowing university certified by the New England Association of Colleges. The university provides a strong background in teaching future experts in the banking and finance sectors.

Baker College provides the online Master of business administration in Finance with a course that has 33 credit hours dedicated to business studies and an extra 20 credit hours for lessons in the finance expertise. Among the business main programs are lessons in Investigation & Stats for Managers, Accounting for the Modern Manager and Administration Data Systems, so the analytic instruments as well as IT needs for a Masters in Finance are included in the 1st part of the course.

University of Liverpool has entered in the worldwide online training area with its online Master of business administration course. Since the program was certified by the European Foundation for Administration Improvement it has created a student body utilized by more than 175 countries. The Master of business administration in Finance and Accounting is provided in modules, with every module composed of lessons that grow in difficulty. The University offers e-books or printed books for free. Finance modules contain Investment Techniques, Financial Reporting, Business Finance and also Advanced Managing Accounting.

Many startup companies believe that they do not need a lawyer to help them with their business dealings. In the early stages, this may be true. However, as time goes on and your company grows, you will find yourself in situations where it is necessary to hire a business lawyer and begin to understand all the many benefits that come with hiring a lawyer for your legal needs.

The most straightforward approach to avoid any future legal issues is to employ a startup lawyer who is well-versed in your state’s company regulations and best practices. In addition, working with an attorney can help you better understand small company law. So, how can a startup lawyer help you in ensuring that your company’s launch runs smoothly?

They Know What’s Best for You

Lawyers that have experience with startups usually have worked in prestigious law firms, and as general counsel for significant corporations.

Their strategy creates more efficient, responsive, and, ultimately, more successful solutions – relies heavily on this high degree of broad legal and commercial knowledge.

They prioritize learning about a clients’ businesses and interests and obtaining the necessary outcomes as quickly as feasible.

Also, they provide an insider’s viewpoint and an intelligent methodology to produce agile, creative solutions for their clients, based on their many years of expertise as attorneys and experience dealing with corporations.

They Contribute to the Increase in the Value of Your Business

Startup attorneys help represent a wide range of entrepreneurs, operating companies, venture capital firms, and financiers in the education, fashion, finance, health care, internet, social media, technology, real estate, and television sectors.

They specialize in mergers and acquisitions as well as working with companies that have newly entered a market. They also can manage real estate, securities offerings, and SEC compliance, technology transactions, financing, employment, entertainment and media, and commercial contracts, among other things.

Focusing on success must include delivering the highest levels of representation in resolving the legal and business difficulties confronting clients now, tomorrow, and in the future, based on an unwavering dedication to the firm’s fundamental principles of quality, responsiveness, and business-centric service.

Wrapping Up

All in all, introducing a startup business can be overwhelming. You’re already charged with a host of responsibilities in which you’re untrained as a business owner. Legal problems are notoriously difficult to solve, and interpreting “legalese” is sometimes required. Experienced business lawyers know these complexities and can help you navigate them to avoid stumbling blocks.

Although many company owners wait until the last minute to deal with legal issues, they would benefit or profit greatly from hiring an experienced startup lawyer even before they begin. Reputable startup lawyers can give essential legal guidance, assist entrepreneurs in avoiding legal hazards, and improve their prospects of becoming a successful company.