Lease With Option to Buy - Advantages and Disadvantages

A lease with option to buy is typically for people whoThere are two disadvantages associated with a lease
want to buy a home but cannot meet the traditionalwith option to buy. First is the financial risk.  When a
guidelines set forth by banks and other lendingdecision is made not to exercise the option to buy, the
institutions.  If you recently filed for bankruptcy,down payment (or security deposit) is forfeited along
foreclosed on your last home, sold your last homewith any portion of the lease amount that was set
through a short sale, have bad credit, or have tooaside for the option.
much debt then you may want to consider a leaseIn the following example, the buyer decided against the
with option to buy. option and did not purchase the property. In total, the
This article assumes you know what a lease withbuyer 'gave' $7,800 to the seller.
option to buy is. If not you may want to read "LeaseTerm of Lease: 24 months
Option To Buy - What Exactly Does This Mean?"Total Monthly Lease $2,000 ($1,800 for the lease and
Before you decide that a lease with option to buy is$200 for the purchase option)
right for you it's important to know the advantages andSecurity Deposit/Down payment/Escrow Money:
disadvantages from the consumer point of view.$3,000
ADVANTAGES OF A LEASE WITH OPTION TOTwo hundred dollars a month for 24 months is
BUY$4,800.  Add this to the security deposit for a total of
The number one advantage is the ability to secure a$7,800.  Forfeiting this kind of money is a huge
home today with bad credit, recent bankruptcy,disadvantage.
foreclosure, etc., while working to improve yourThe other disadvantage is the lack of inventory
financial situation over the next year or two when you'llavailable to the buyer.  Most people who are looking
be able to qualify for regular financing.  Since hometo sell do not want to get involved in lease with option
sellers do not have to follow the same qualifyingto purchase agreements as they need to sell in order
guidelines that lending institutions must follow they canto purchase their next home.
make their own decisions and this usually benefits theOverall, it's not unusual to find a buyer who looked at
buyer.over 100 homes before they found a seller who was
A second advantage is you have a higher chance ofwilling to do a lease option.  The good news is there
negotiating better terms because you're dealing with aare plenty of sites on the Internet who specialize in this
human being, not a bank.  As a general rule landlordsniche market.  A little research and persistence pays
and home sellers make more decisions based onoff.
emotion as compared to a lending institution.  WhenIn summary, a lease with option to purchase
things look bad on paper there's always the ability toagreement allows certain buyers the advantage of a
talk your way into a more favorable position.second chance at home ownership, negotiating better
The third advantage is you are not obligated toterms through emotion and not being obligated to carry
purchase the home after the lease period ends.  Thisthrough with the purchase.  The disadvantages are
is especially advantageous in a declining market. financial risk and lack of inventory. Now Pay Close
After all, what could be worse than having to purchaseAttention --
a home when its value is substantially lower than whatDo you have an Ugly house you want to sell? On the
you're paying?next page you will find someone who will put cash into
By far, though, the biggest advantage is securing ayour pocket for that broken down wreck of a house.
home when the bank won't give you money.  On the==> I Pay Cash For Broken Down Ugly Houses
flip side, though, there are definitely someNationwide
disadvantages to a lease with option to buySo if you own a broken down house you can sell it to
DISADVANTAGES OF A LEASE WITH OPTION TOPayton Lowe for cash. I strongly sudgest you contact
BUYPayton Lowe on the next page before it's too late.