What Is A Lease Purchase Mortgage?

Definition of "What is a lease purchase mortgage?"

James "Jim" Maurno real estate agent

Written by

James "Jim" Maurnoelite badge icon

Weichert, Realtors

Wondering what is the best  lease purchase mortgage definition?

A lease purchase mortgage is a financing option that allows potential homebuyers to lease a property with the option to buy that very property at the end of the set term.

Rent-to-own properties come in two forms: a lease option and a lease purchase. While the former gives the Tenant the option but not the obligation to buy the home, a lease purchase mortgage can legally obligate you to buy the property at the end of the term, whether you have the money to do it or not.

With it, Tenants pay the monthly rent, which covers the owner's first mortgage payment plus an additional amount – typically deposited in an escrow account - as a savings deposit to accumulate cash for a down payment. Lease purchase mortgage typically last 2 to 3 years, after which the Tenant pays up the rest of the house and becomes the actual homeowner. Lease purchase mortgages are usually given to home buyers with poor credit score and/or to home buyers who are pending on the sale of their own home, so they need the time to collect the money and pass it forward.

The lease purchase mortgage is great for the home buyer but why would a home seller agree to a lease purchase mortgage?- you ask.

Well, if the housing market is saturated and they are having difficulty selling the property, this might be a way to attract home buyers that wouldn’t qualify for a regular mortgage. The home seller will still get the money in the end and in the meantime will, at least, have the rent income.

 

Real Estate Advice:

The legal terms can sometimes be tricky. Not to mention that certain aspects change from state to state. Have a local real estate agent review the contract when you sign your rent-to-own contract to make sure you are signing a lease option contract - if that’s the case - and not a purchase mortgage agreement.

image of a real estate dictionary page

Have a question or comment?

We're here to help.

*** Your email address will remain confidential.
 

 

Popular Mortgage Questions

Popular Mortgage Glossary Terms

Someone authorized by the original credit card holder to use the holder's card. While authorized users are not responsible for paying any charges, including their own, they are sometimes ...

The specific interest rate series to which the interest rate on an ARM is tied, such as 'Treasury Constant Maturities, One-Year,' or 'Eleventh District Cost of Funds.' ...

Fees collected by a loan officer from a borrower that are lower than the target fees specified by the lender or mortgage broker who employs the loan officer. An underage is the opposite ...

A condominium project with features that lenders view as favorable in terms of their risk exposure on loans secured by individual condo units. The requirements of warrantability include ...

A rate lock, plus an option to reduce the rate if market interest rates decline during the lock period. ...

On an ARM, the assumption that the value of the index to which the interest rate is tied does not change from its initial level. ...

The month in which a zero loan balance is reached. The payoff month may or may not be the loan term. ...

An option attached to a mortgage, which allows the borrower to pay only the interest for some period. A mortgage is 'interest only' if the monthly mortgage payment does not include any ...

A contribution to a borrower's down payment or settlement costs made by a home seller, as an alternative to a price reduction. ...