The Freedom Investment Group’s Frequently Asked Questions
How long have you been in business?
We’ve been in the real estate business since 1993.
Are you going to put my property on the market & the MLS?
No we (or one of our affiliates) are the actual buyers to purchase the property/ real estate.
Will you pay fair market value for my property?
Yes, if you would consider selling your property with lease purchase terms we would give you fair market value.
*However, if it is a cash sale, No. It’s usually below market value so we can resell for profit.
What is a lease purchase?
A lease purchase is a lease with an intention of purchasing the property at a later set date for a set amount of money.
What does owner financing mean?
Owner financing is when a property seller finances the purchase directly with the person or entity seeking to buy it. This type of transaction can be advantageous for both the seller and the buyer since it eliminates the costs of a bank intermediary.
Can I owner finance my property even if I still have a mortgage on it or do I have to own my property free and clear?
Yes you can. Contrary to popular belief any seller can offer financing to a buyer. If you work with us, our company will handle all the legal aspects of structuring it properly as there is a lot of do’s and don’ts.
If I do a lease purchase option with your company what can I expect for a down payment?
Typically we will put up to a 2% of the purchase price of the property for a down payment, which will become non-refundable. So if for any reason we do not fulfill our end of the agreement you will be able to keep that as well as all the monthly payments paid during that term as liquidated damages.
How does doing a lease purchase agreement benefit me apposed to doing a traditional sale?
If you are struggling to sell your property, not getting any offers or buyer financing is falling through every time it goes under contract this will be the best option for you.
**However, doing a lease purchase does not benefit all sellers, it will depend on your market. For example; If you are in a sellers market where you are getting multiple cash offers at full price and no contingencies this would not be the best option for your situation.
What is the difference between a lease purchase option and owner financing?
With a Lease Purchase Option, Although you are renting the home, the lease agreement includes a clause that typically specifies the current sales price of the home, the amount of your rent that is applied toward that sales price each month and the amount of time you can rent before buying the home.
With Owner Financing, the owner acts like a bank, offering financing to the buyers. The buyer can refinance at any time and pay off your existing loan. Title may or may not transfer depending on what is agreed upon in the contract.
* Now you might be wondering… What happens if those potential buyers change their mind in and back out ?
If the buyer backs out, the same thing will happen as if a cash buyer backs out. The only difference is, you get to keep all the payments that were made on your property plus keep their down payment which is tax free (by the way) and you have the option to take the property back or allow us to place a new tenant/buyer and give you another non-refundable down payment to start the process over again.
Why do you buy property with terms and how do you make any money if you are offering to pay me fair market value?
Hopefully this will give you a better understanding and assurance of this purchase option being a great way to sell your property for top dollar.
We are an Investment group that obtains properties at retail prices through lease purchase or other creative terms. We already have buyers interested in moving in your area, but are working through some credit issues due to divorce, medical expense or student loans.
Our buyers are pre-screened along with a new credit report. We do extensive background on their job history, income ratios, and the debt to income. We then put them through our mandatory credit repair bootcamp. Our affiliate company helps them negotiate old debt as well as lower and pay off of outstanding debt.
Once their scores are high enough we send them over to one of our local mortgage lenders to get their financing approved.
We keep a track record of their consistent payment history which with 12 months of payments will allow the lender to treat it as a refinance rather than a new purchase. This cuts down on closing cost from the buyer as well as less stringent appraisal reviews.
We bear the risk while getting our buyers qualified.
If they miss a payment we will remove them from the property legally and place another tenant/buyer in place.
We get paid through the buyer’s funds since we will roll our fees onto the new loan amount.
The buyers are able to finance our fees over the life of the loan and works out to be only a few extra dollar difference on their mortgage payment each month.
Our goal is to get our buyer qualified and cashed out ASAP. With that goal in mind we have positioned the right people to make that happen successfully for more than 24 years.
We believe in creating win-win for both seller and buyers.
As you know any other investor will want to offer you only pennies on the dollar for your home and insult you. We on the other hand take a much nicer approach.
We offer the full price up front, but with a delay in closing to put all the pieces in place.
What if my mortgage company will not allow us to have two mortgages?
Just by providing your lender a copy of our contract agreement should be enough. Sometimes when buying another property while having one already in your name your debt to income racial is not in line.
By providing proof of additional income from our contract should take care of that issue. I have personally owned 27 properties with mortgages so I know you can overcome that problem should it arise.
Why would an Attorney advise us against selling our property through a Lease Purchase Term or Owner Financing?
Well first of all; we always encourage you to review our contracts with a Real Estate Attorney before signing anything.
Attorney’s are paid to find something wrong with a contract you want them to review. They do this to justify their worth. At the end of the day we always like to challenge them with their concerns or reasons behind their advisement not to move forward.
If they can provide a better way to sell for more money and less risk by all means go with that option, but we have never had an Attorney give us a better option.
Have more Questions? Feel free to Contact Us
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Better yet, call us in person
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