Are you considering purchasing a home, but don’t want to pay full price upfront? You may want to look into the two common methods of purchasing homes when traditional financing isn’t an option: Land Contracts and Rent To Own. These concepts are not incredibly difficult to comprehend, but they do each have their own unique pros and cons which should be taken into consideration before making any decisions. In this blog post, we will take an in-depth look at exactly what makes Land Contracts and Rent To Own so different from one another – covering everything from payment structures, ownership details, qualifications for obtaining either avenue of purchase, risks involved with both types of deals, and more!
What is Land Contract?
Land Contracts are often used to allow individuals to gain access to properties that do not meet the requirements of traditional mortgage lenders. Land Contracts are a particular type of seller-financed real estate transaction wherein the seller retains ownership of the property until the buyer has paid off their agreed purchase price.
Land Contract terms require buyers to either make monthly payments over an extended period of time or to pay off the full purchase price by a specific date, usually within two years. Land Contracts can be beneficial for buyers who lack traditional credit histories but are able to make regular payments and for sellers who wish to consider buyers with less-than-perfect creditworthiness.
What is Rent To Own?
Rent To Own is an arrangement that gives people the opportunity to purchase a home or other item that is otherwise financially out of reach. Under Rent To Own agreements, renters have the ability to live in the house and make monthly rent payments that also contribute to their down payment on the home.
Renters have the option to purchase at any time during the Rent To Own agreement and generally benefit from having a portion of their rent used as credit towards purchasing the home. Rent To Own agreements are an attractive alternative for those who are not ready to take on a traditional mortgage but are looking to establish a path for future homeownership.
Difference between Land Contract and Rent To Own
Land Contract and Rent To Own are similar terms that are often confused for each other.
- Land Contracts and Rent To Owns are both forms of non-traditional financing agreements in which buyers can purchase a home without traditional mortgage financing.
- Land Contracts differ from Rent To Own contracts in that Land Contracts require immediate payment of the entire home purchase price by the buyer while rent-to-owns provide an initial rental payment followed by later payments of predetermined amounts typically towards the loan’s principal.
- Land Contract payments may or may not include provisions for paying interest on the loan while Rent To Own payments do include interest.
Buyers should ensure they understand the terms and conditions of either option before entering into any sort of agreement.
Conclusion
Land contracts and rent to own agreements are two very popular methods that can be used when purchasing a home. Both have their pros and cons, so it is important to understand the difference between the two before making a decision on which one is right for you. We hope that this blog post has helped clear up some of the confusion surrounding these two methods of home buying.
