Category: Notes Investment Articles

Owner Financing doesn’t have to mean waiting years or decades to receive money. Sellers have the choice to sell all or just part of their future payments for cash today. Option 1 – When note buyers purchase all the remaining payments on a land contract, mortgage note, or trust deed it is considered a full purchase. Option 2 – When the note buyer purchases just a portion of the remaining payments it is considered a partial purchase. Here’s a closer look at two examples using the Full and Partial Purchase Options. The Full Purchase For example, a note has a balance of $90,000 at 9.0% interest payable in monthly installments of $1,140.08 with 120 months (or ten years) of payments remaining. When the seller sells all 120 remaining payments of…

Many sellers accept owner financing without any idea of how much the buyer can actually afford to pay. The last thing a seller wants is to stress over receiving monthly payments or worse, getting the property back through foreclosure. 3 Ways to Calculate Payment Affordability Before Accepting Seller Financing The amount a buyer can afford to spend on a house depends on their income, overall debt, cash they can put down, credit rating, and the mortgage terms. There are three different calculations that are traditionally used by mortgage companies to determine how much house a buyer can afford. These are known as the Income Rule, the Debt Rule, and the Cash Rule. While owner financing does not require the strict use of these rules, it makes sense to utilize the…

It’s a tough time to sell a house. Hoping to stand out from the crowd, sellers are advertising “Owner Will Finance!” Accepting payments over time provides buyers an alternative to bank financing. Of course sellers don’t want to trade a house that won’t sell for a buyer that won’t pay. Before you agree to “Be the Bank” read these 7 Tips For Safe Seller Financing! Tip #1 – Review the Buyer’s Credit How buyers have paid bills in the past is a good indicator of how timely they will make future payments. Always review the buyer’s credit prior to accepting a promise to pay. Sellers can obtain a signed authorization from the buyer to pull credit through a reporting agency, or simply ask the buyer to obtain a copy of…

A buyer failing to make payments on the mortgage note isn’t your only worry. Understandably, a buyer that stops making payments is a major concern when using owner financing. After all, a seller-financed note is a very valuable asset. Unfortunately many sellers fail to protect their asset when it comes to another area…verifying current property insurance and taxes. Next to delinquent payments, the most common default by buyers is failure to keep the property insured and the real estate taxes current. In fact many buyers will make their monthly note payments but fail to pay the insurance premium or real estate tax installment. Sadly, a lapse in insurance can be devastating to both the buyer and the seller. If the property burns down and is not insured, the seller will…

Can you easily locate the original mortgage note? This important legal document should be kept in a safe place, and here is why! The promissory note is a promise to pay or IOU from the property buyer. It spells out the amount due and terms of repayment. In legal jargon it is known as a negotiable instrument. Similar to a check, the original must be presented to collect or prove ownership. If the seller desires to sell and assign the payments to a note buyer, the investor will ask for the original note to be provided at closing. The promissory note is then endorsed over to the investor. Similar to endorsing a check, the holder signs on the back of the note. Sample Note Endorsement on Back of Original Mortgage…

The interest rate a seller agrees to accept when providing owner financing to the buyer has a large impact on the note’s value. Unfortunately, many sellers overlook this important decision. Why Private Mortgage Note Interest Rates Matter Inflation Fighter Each year it seems the cost to buy the basics just keeps going up. It’s not your imagination; it’s inflation. In fact in July 2008 that inflation rate was 5.6 percent higher than in July 2007 (based on the Consumer Price Index reported by the U.S. Department of Labor on August 14, 2008). Worse yet, some basic items like energy increased 29.3% over that same time frame. So what does inflation have to do with seller-financed notes? Well a seller would need to at least charge an interest rate equivalent to…

Wondering just how much your mortgage note is worth? The value of a note or contract is affected by many factors including the: Down Payment Terms of the Note Buyer’s Credit Rating and Payment History Type of Property Sold and Its Current Value Since each transaction is unique, we offer a free note analysis based on your individual situation. Fortunately it is easy to obtain a free evaluation in 3 easy steps: Step 1 – Gather Copies of Documents The first step is to gather copies of the documents. The primary documents utilized in the quoting process are: Settlement Statement Mortgage (Deed of Trust, Real Estate Contract etc) Promissory Note, and Payment Record Hopefully copies are easily accessible with the originals located in a safe deposit box or other secure…

Want top dollar when selling mortgage notes? Increase the value with payment histories! Keeping an accurate record of the payments received on a mortgage note is essential for knowing how much the buyer still owes.  This also establishes a record of their payment habits – with an added benefit. The value of a note can be improved by presenting note buyers a verifiable payment history! There are two main ways to keep track of payments on seller-financed mortgage notes: 1) outside serviced, or 2) seller direct. Professional Mortgage Note Servicing The first and easiest is to let a professional handle it. The payments are made to a third party servicing agent that keeps track of the balance and sends the money along to the seller. They will also send out…

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…

Accepting payments on the sale of real estate might have made sense at the time, but circumstances change. Many sellers discover they would now prefer cash today rather than the small amount that trickles in each month. Here are just a few reasons people have sold all or part of their seller financed mortgage notes for cash: Retirement Taxes Investment Opportunity Expensive Medical Care Vacation College Tuition Unexpected Financial Changes Peace of Mind – no more worrying if the buyer is going to make late payments or having to foreclose Accounting headaches, IRS regulations, paperwork hassles Discover Your Options – Request a Free Note Analysis The only way to decide what is best for your situation is to know the options available. When you request a free note analysis it…