No Standard Terms In theory, “rent-to-own” is a tailor-made strategy for today’s housing market, where lots of would-be Buyers have good cash flow but lousy credit, and lots of Sellers are, well, eager to sell. In practice, however, I’ve seen relatively few of these deals. My guess is that the following factors are responsible: –Although it’s...Read More
Upper Bracket No Longer Immune The rich are different than you and me. –F. Scott Fitzgerald When it comes to escaping the scourge of foreclosure, the rich have three singular advantages — and one distinct disadvantage — relative to mere financial mortals. First, the advantages: One. Bigger financial cushion. More affluent home buyers frequently put down...Read More
Why Aren’t Contracts for Deed More Popular? With interest rates in the toilet and the stock market having already almost doubled from its 2009 low, you’d think that there’d be more takers for contracts for deed. An alternative to bank-financed mortgages, they allow Buyers with tarnished (or too-brief) credit histories to buy, and Sellers to sell...Read More
