Buying a House with No Down Payment

Chances are good that buying a house with no down payment isn't as difficult as you may think it is. There are some options to consider when coming up with a down payment is a major obstacle. Let's take a look at some of the options below.

Land Contract: One of the easiest methods for buying a house with no down payment is the method of land contract. A land contract is an agreement between the owner of the house and the buyer of the house. It does not involve any banks or finance companies at all. This is usually done when the owner just wants to get out from under the responsibility of the home. It may be that the payments are too high for them and the buyer just takes over payments. Another scenario is that the house was given to them as part of an inheritance and they simply have no need or want of it. Whatever the case may be, you may be able to get into a home with no down payment using this method.

Rent to Own: The rent to own method differs somewhat from a cut and dried land contract. The owner of the home may allow the purchaser to move into the home and lease it for a period of time. During this time the buyer pays rent which is sometimes used towards the purchase price of the house. When the allotted period of time is up, the buyer is expected to have the ability to purchase the home outright, extend the contract or possibly sign into a land contract. Either way, this is one simple way to get into a home when you don’t have the money or the credit to buy a home outright. There are usually some limitations though. As a renter you are not able to make major modifications on the home, but the homeowner is still responsible for the repairs to the house.

Financing: If one has bad credit but is still able to get a home loan, they should keep in mind that the bank is not as concerned with the price of the home as they are with the value of the home. What that means for the buyer is that they can get a loan on the home that may even cover the down payment. For example, if the home is worth $100,000 but is being sold for $80,000, there is the potential for $20,000 to be left after obtaining the loan. This can be used as the down payment. The process itself is a bit more complicated, but in the end, that’s what it boils down to.

Whatever you do when buying a house with no down payment, don’t jump into the first option offered to you. If there was one there will be more. You don’t want to be stuck in a home you don’t like just because you think it was your only option.