real estate

Contract for Deed

[2019 UPDATES] Contract For Deed: The Ultimate Guide

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Contract for Deed Home Financing in 2019

Contract for deed home financing is a great option for those individuals struggling to get a traditional loan from the bank. Now, let’s get into the details.

Conventional financing, in 2019, as we all know, is the preferred home loan vehicle. This refers to a standard mortgage loan from a licensed lending institution, and typically can be a15 or 30 year loan with a down-payment that ranges from 3 percent to 20 percent. The higher your credit score, the better deal you will get.

Even before you find your dream home, you should obtain mortgage pre-approval from your lending institution. While pre-approval does not guarantee that everything will go smoothly, it does provide you with significant negotiating power when dealing with sellers.

Applying For Conventional Financing

Your parents probably had to spend an afternoon at a banker’s office when they applied for their first home loan. Now, you can do this by phone or online, although you will eventually have to sign closing documents in person. Some important things to do and factors to be aware of are:

  • Know your credit score.
  • You can easily see this number at Credit Karma, and the service is free.
  • Determine what factors make you less attractive.
  • High student loan balances, maxed out credit cards, judgments, liens, unpaid taxes and underreported income can hurt you.
  • Analyze your actual credit report and correct errors. The FTC reports that one of every five credit reports contains inaccuracies.
  • Optimize your credit status by paying down card balances to below 30 percent; do not make any large credit purchases while attempting to secure home financing.

Understanding What You Can Afford

Banks have certain debt to income ratios that they do strictly enforce. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) explains:

“Your debt-to-income ratio is all your monthly debt payments divided by your gross monthly income.  This number is one way lenders measure your ability to manage the payments you make every month to repay the money you have borrowed.”

To calculate your debt-to-income ratio, you add up all your monthly debt payments and divide them by your gross monthly income. Your gross monthly income is generally the amount of money you have earned before your taxes and other deductions are taken out.  For example, if you pay $1500 a month for your mortgage and another $100 a month for an auto loan and $400 a month for the rest of your debts, your monthly debt payments are $2000. ($1500 + $100 + $400 = $2,000.) If your gross monthly income is $6000, then your debt-to-income ratio is 33 percent. ($2000 is 33% of $6000.)

Evidence from studies of mortgage loans suggest that borrowers with a higher debt-to-income ratio are more likely to run into trouble making monthly payments. The 43 percent debt-to-income ratio is important because, in most cases, that is the highest ratio a borrower can have and still get a qualified mortgage.

Housing Affordability

Finding Your Home

You can spend all day trolling Trulia and Redfin, but many times you can be missing out on homes for sale that only Realtors can easily access. Remember, sellers pay real estate commissions—you don’t—so avail yourself of this free service and find a good Realtor.

Finding Your Home With Contract For Deed

Working With A Contract for Deed Realtor

The Realtor/client relationship is a two-way street. If you are a type A personality and want all of your texts answered within two minutes, make sure your Realtor is as hyper as you are. Conversely, don’t expect your Realtor to work miracles with incomplete or false information. For example, don’t inflate your income and/or minimize your debts at your first meeting. In the credit world, there are no secrets, so be upfront with you Realtor.

Turned Down For Traditional Financing?

Mortgage Rejection

Those that give up after being rejected for a home loan end up renting apartments while those savvy enough to understand that there are alternatives to conventional financing will look at the rejection as a bump in the road and move forward. Rent to own is one way to become a homeowner, but a preferred method is MN contract for deed. In a rent to own situation, you pay rent to a property owner that may put aside a portion of your monthly rent as a down payment for a future purchase.

If everything works out, either the seller provides financing or you obtain it at some later date. In a contract for deed sale, you sign a contract that states that you will be given the deed to the property you are occupying after you make all of your required payments. Contract for deed is seller financing, and while interest rates can be a bit higher than conventional financing, credit requirements are typically significantly more lenient.

Finding Contract For Deed Opportunities

There are a limited number of MLS contract for deed listings.  If you’re lucky, you might find the right opportunity in a nice location. At C4D, however, we give you an advantage that others that wish to utilize contract for deed just don’t have. Just bring the home you wish to purchase to us. If we can do the deal, we will purchase the home and sell it to you on a contract for deed basis. We have paved the home ownership road for many that were rejected for conventional financing. Application is easy—just go to our website. C4D has the financial power behind them to make these deals happen.

Contract For Deed Documentation

While C4D offers less stringent credit requirements, we still will need pay stubs and bank statements. We look, however, at your situation today, and we care a lot more about what you can do now than what bad things have happened to you in the past. At C4D even high student loan balances and recent bankruptcies are not necessarily the hindrances they would be at a large bank.

Contract For Deed: How It Works

Although the nightmare of waiting 60 days or more to close on even great credit deals is generally behind us, banks take longer than we do at C4D. We usually can close deals in as fast as two to three weeks.

MN Contract For Deed Costs

We’re upfront about all of this. We do require an origination fee and we do add a small initial property markup. And, the interest rate you pay will be higher than the prevailing conventional mortgage interest rate.

Contract for Deed: What Problems?

We have many satisfied former renters that are now homeowners. We are transparent and forthright. If we can help you, we do everything possible to get your deal done. We are MN contract for deed experts, and happy customers are our paramount concern.

If you deal with an individual that is offering a contract for deed, you have to do serious vetting to ensure that there will be no problems with your deal in the future. With C4D, this is not necessary.

Contract for Deed: True Disclosure

When we purchase your home, we get a loan from our bank. With the blessing and full knowledge of our bank, we then sell the property to you with a MN contract for deed. You make your monthly payments to us and we, in turn, make our payment to the bank. But check this out:

We’ve never missed a payment and don’t ever plan on it.  In addition, we’ve worked with our bank partner to have an assignment of contract included in your documents that basically says if we stop paying our lender, you can pay them directly and your contract remains intact.

You won’t find this protection with most individual contract for deed sales. In fact, many times the seller’s bank isn’t even made aware of the transaction, and this can throw the original mortgage into default because of the due on sale clause that is embedded in almost every mortgage note. Our agreements with our bank do not have due on sale clauses.

Everything is upfront and at closing the contract is recorded at the appropriate County.

Helping You Refinance

Our goal is to get you into a home and ultimately help you refinance with a traditional lender.  We have relationships and systems in place to help make this happen. Typically, we can help people refinance within three years of purchase.

For the Realtor: Turned Down? There Is Still Hope!

So you spent weeks trying to get your buyer and seller agree upon a price. Both were difficult at times, and when you finally got all sides to listen to reason, an old unpaid judgment appeared and derailed the financing. After you’re done binge watching House of Cards to ease your pain, give us a call. We have been able to resurrect many deals that have been turned down by others.

Realtor Contract for Deed

We are a reputable, experienced and recognized company that does MN contract for deed. You bring us the buyer and the property, we buy the property and sell it to your client on a contract for deed. Even if you have an iffy buyer with shaky credit and you have not yet found the perfect property, bring them to us; we will get many of them pre-approved and send them back to you.

Is My Commission Protected?

Realtor Commission

You betcha! 80% of our referrals come from realtors, and they wouldn’t keep coming back if we didn’t guarantee that their commissions would be protected.

The Deed

Contract for deed means exactly that.

  • We buy the property.
  • We hold the deed.
  • We sell the property to the buyer.
  • They occupy the home.
  • They make their monthly payments.
  • At the end of the contract period, we turn over the deed and they are homeowners!
  • They can also refinance early with a traditional lender, and this is something that we will facilitate.
  • In addition, the buyer actually has equitable title, and can sell the property at any time if they wish to move on.

What About Financing?

Yes, we use a bank.

  • Our bank gives us a mortgage.
  • Our bank knows what we are doing.
  • The buyer pays us and we pay the bank.
  • We are never late.
  • We never miss payments.
  • Our mortgage with our bank does NOT include a due on sale clause.
  • In fact, we have an assignment of contract put in place that basically says if we stop paying our lender, the buyer can pay them directly and the contract remains intact!

The Final Paperwork

We will hold your client’s hand from application to closing. We will assist with all documentation and paperwork.

When The Offer Is Accepted

At this point, Taylor and the C4D Crew take over.  We work directly with the lender and title company to schedule closing and work out all the paperwork.  The C4D Crew will also work directly with the C4D buyer on all the paperwork and logistics for the day of closing This will be one of the easier transactions you do this year!

Down-Payment

Contract For Deed MN Down Payment

A down-payment is of course necessary, but the down payment be gifted to the buyer in a C4D transaction. Just make sure your clients speak with their accountant for possible tax implications.

C4D Crew Reputation

We can provide you with client references. Just by looking at our website you can see that we provide tons of valuable and free information about MN contract for deed. Of course, we are in business to make money—so are you—but we are also dedicated to helping those with compromised credit become homeowners.

How Long Does It Take?

From the time you and your client find a home they’d like to buy, and an offer is accepted, we can close as quickly as two to three weeks.

Credit Score Minimum?

We don’t have one. We look at every deal individually. Prior BKs, student loans, judgments divorces and tax liens are all issues we can work around.

Credit Score

Can You Approve Any Deal?

In short, no. We are not going to lie and tell you that we can do anything, but you would be amazed at what we can accomplish.

Call Us About Contract For Deed

MN Contract For Deed

Again, just because the loan officer rejected your client’s loan, your deal is not necessarily dead. Contact us and we’ll quickly get started on a contract for deed program that can make your client’s home ownership dream a reality.

first time home buyer with bad credit

First Home with Terrible Credit: Is It Possible?

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Getting your first apartment, whether that’s a studio in Milwaukee, Wisconsin or a 2-bedroom place in Minneapolis, and moving out of your parents’ house is great, but when you get married and start a family, you’ll want your own home. If you have a great job and a stellar credit history, you might sail right through the loan process but what if you have terrible credit? Bad credit does happen to good people and here a few reasons why, if you are a first time home buyer with bad credit that you may be having difficulties getting loan approval:

  • Divorce
  • Job loss
  • Over use of credit cards
  • High student loan balances
  • Judgments
  • Liens
  • Arrests
  • Tax warrants
  • Bankruptcy

Miss a payment here and there and your credit rating can take a huge hit, and if you have to declare bankruptcy, your credit score can instantly drop 100 – 150 points or more. If something bad has occurred, does that mean you can never buy a home? The simple answer is that no, you may be able to purchase a home, but it will take some work.

Check Your Scores

Credit score

First, don’t enter the battle without ammunition. Make sure you know what your credit score is, and also examine your credit report for errors. The Federal Trade Commission reported that “One of every five American consumers has an error on his or her credit report and 5 percent of us endure errors so serious that we likely are being overcharged for credit card debts, auto loans, insurance policies and other financial obligations, according to a comprehensive study issued … by federal regulators.” A simple late payment error can take your score down by 30 points so if you see errors, dispute them.

Raise Your Limits

A large portion of your credit score consists of your credit usage ratio. If you have $10,000 in various credit lines and have balances that equal $4500, your usage rate will be 45 percent. Your credit score will be higher if you can keep the ratio below 33 percent. One easy way to lower that ratio without paying down your cards is to get a credit line increase. Increase your $10,000 lines to $15,000,you’re your $4500 usage will yield a 30 percent rate, and that will raise your score.

Trouble as a First Time Home Buyer with Bad Credit

If your score is still ugly, and you are having problems get approved for a loan, look to government programs. If you are a veteran, you can get a VA guaranteed loan for your first-time home purchase. This is a great way for a first-time homeowner with bad credit to get a loan even with a credit score in the mid-500s. FHA loans are another avenue to pursue if you have credit issues.

Rising Interest Rates Loan Rejection

Contract for Deed

Many persons, however, just can’t qualify for conventional financing, and this is where a contract for deed might work for you. Find a reputable company like C4D. They will but the home you are interested in and then sell it to you with a MN contract for deed. You can live in the home, and after you have made all of your payments, you will own your home.

It sounds simple, and while you still have to qualify, companies like C4D look at more than your credit score. If you are a first-time home buyer with bad credit, check all of your options, but be sure to add contract for deed to the list.

Home Buying in 2019

Buy in 2019? 7 Must-Do’s Before Homeownership

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Buying your first home can be an exhilarating but exhausting experience. Before you even worry about the ins and outs of finding a great plumber, you not only have to find the place you want, but you must get your financial life in order in a hurry if you haven’t done that already. Here are seven important things to do before you purchase your first home:

Get A Realtor to Represent You

buying your first home

Important technical point #1: Sellers pay all real estate commissions, including those of a buyer’s agent. You should find the best and most knowledgeable real estate professional in your area and sign them up to represent you. They will flood your inbox with listings, they will help you negotiate, and they will draft purchase offers. And you won’t have to pay a penny, so there is no reason to purchase a home without the help of a buyer’s agent.

Look at Your Budget

Understand what you can afford and what you can’t. Principal and interest aren’t the only components of a monthly payment. You have to add real estate taxes, property insurance and maybe even private mortgage insurance (PMI) to the equation. You can’t start the process of buying your first home without understanding exactly where to draw the affordability line as there is no sense in wasting time looking at properties you can’t afford.

Credit score

Buying Your First Home: Get Your Credit Score

A few years ago, you had to pay for your credit score, but not anymore. Today, there are many vendors and credit card companies that will provide your score in seconds. If you have a low score, research what you can do to improve it, as your credit score is the first thing lenders look at.

Seek Pre-approval

While pre-approval from a lender does not necessarily guarantee that you will get a loan, it does give sellers assurance that you are creditworthy. When a seller accepts your offer, they are tying up their property until the deal closes, and if you are not a good risk, sellers will look at other offers.

Gather Your Down Payment Resources

Down Payment Resources

Substantial down payments can work magic because:

  • They lower your monthly payment amount.
  • They show the lender you are committed and serious.
  • They show the seller that you have resources.

Yes, you can but a home with no down payment—a VA loan is one example—but your financing options may be limited, and your interest rate could be higher.

Don’t Fear the Inspection

When buying your first home, you will want to have the property inspected by an impartial third party after your offer is accepted. Many persons worry that the inspector will find something bad and the deal will die. Some deals need to be killed, however, especially if an inspector finds glaring defects and problems. Your dream home can quickly become your nightmare if you don’t have it properly inspected while you still can void your purchase contract.

Have a Contingency Plan

If a deal falls through, or if you are turned down for a mortgage, it’s not the end of the world. There are other homes out there and other financing methods available. MN contract for deed is a great way for those with some credit issues to participate in home ownership. Be sure to contact us if you need an alternative to traditional financing.

The Major Tax Benefits of Homeownership in 2019

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Home ownership is still a great deal, and you can save substantial tax dollars because of it. In 2019, however, some of the benefits of home ownership have been curtailed, and those interested in exactly what a homeownership tax credit does should read on.

What is a Tax Deduction?

There is a difference between tax deductions and tax credits. A tax deduction is an amount that you can subtract from your gross income. In previous years, the IRS allowed what they call the standard deduction; that was $12,000 per year per married couple.

That meant if you earned $60,000 in 2018, and were filing jointly, you would be about to immediately deduct $12,000 from your income and pay taxes only on the remaining $48,000.

homeownership tax credit and deductions

An image of a Five Most Common Tax Deductions Chart.

For the tax year 2018, the standard deduction has been increased to $24,000. That means that on a combined income of $60,000, you and your spouse could deduct $24,000 and pay taxes only on $36,000.

The caveat here is that you can either take the standard deduction, or you can itemize expenses, add those up, and use that amount as your deduction. The purpose of doubling the standard deduction was to keep people from having to itemize and save receipts.

What Is a Tax Credit?

A tax credit is something that would actually reduce the amount of taxes that you owe, like the American Opportunity tax credit that applies to attending college.

Capital Gains Tax

There is not a national homeownership tax credit per se. Yes, you can deduct a certain amount of mortgage interest and property taxes, but it may be more advantageous to just take the new higher standard deduction. The mortgage deduction amount for the year 2019 has been capped, and so has the property tax deduction amount.

IRA Considerations

If you are considering the use of your IRA to fund a down payment, tax laws do allow you to forego paying IRA withdrawal taxes up to a certain amount. Be sure to check with your CPA regarding this.

Home Equity Interest Loan Deduction

Again, this is not a homeownership tax credit, but you can deduct a certain amount of home equity loan interest if you have taken out a home equity loan.

Capital Gains Exclusion

Capital Gains Exclusion

Our friends at NOLO tell us:

“Married taxpayers who file jointly get to keep, tax free, up to $500,000 in profit on the sale of a home used as a principal residence for two of the prior five years. Single folks (including home co-owners if they separately qualify) and married taxpayers who file separately get to keep up to $250,000 each, tax free.”

The Comparison

Remember, if you are renting, there are no possibilities for mortgage or property tax interest deductions, and you can’t take out a home equity loan so that deduction will be unavailable also. There are certain states that offer a homeownership tax credit, and renters from Bloomington, Indiana to Eugene, Oregon are out of luck here also.

As you can see, home ownership still provides a lot of tax incentives, and states provide worthwhile homeownership tax credit. If you are unable to get traditional financing, these tax breaks can still be yours through the use of MN contract for deed.

MN Real Estate

Minnesota Real Estate: C4D’s 2019 Outlook

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Minnesota real estate has been strong in 2018.

Bigger metropolitan areas like Minneapolis-St. Paul have seen months where the median number of days on the market for typical homes was only 47. And check out these stats from the Minneapolis Area Realtor’s Association:

Minnesota Real Estate

  • New Listings increased 9.5% to 702
  • Pending Sales decreased 6.7% to 723
  • Inventory increased 1.0% to 9,487
  • Median Sales Price increased 8.2% to $265,000
  • Days on Market decreased 7.1% to 52
  • Percent of Original List Price Received decreased 0.1% to 97.3%
  • Months’ Supply of Homes for Sale increased 10.5% to 2.1

Median Sales Price Prior Year Percent Change

The trend is neatly summarized by this simple report about Minnesota real estate:

  • December 2017: $248,000 – $226,000 (+9.7%)
  • January 2018: $244,000 – $222,500 (+9.7%)
  • February 2018: $250,000 – $221,650 (+12.8%)
  • March 2018: $258,100 – $235,000 (+9.8%)
  • April 2018: $267,000 – $245,000 (+9.0%)
  • May 2018: $271,000 – $250,000 (+8.4%)
  • June 2018: $270,500 – $257,250 (+5.2%)
  • July 2018: $268,000 – $251,500 (+6.6%)
  • August 2018: $268,000 – $252,000 (+6.3%)
  • September 2018: $262,000 – $247,000 (+6.1%)
  • October 2018: $265,000 – $244,000 (+8.6%)
  • November 2018: $265,150 – $245,000 (+8.2%)
  • 12-Month Median: $264,100 – $245,000 (+7.8%)

As you can see, Minnesota real estate prices have climbed steadily, and are continuing to do so.

Positive 2019 Factors in Minnesota Real Estate

First, let’s look at the 2019 factors that may keep this real estate train running. The price of oil took a serious tumble in late 2018 to a present-day value of only approximately $45 per barrel; oil prices ripple through the U.S. economy and affect many sectors.

Minnesota Real Estate Factors

  • Jet fuel prices will be cheap and that will help airlines make more money without ticket price increases.
  • Gasoline and winter heating oil prices have declined with gas falling below $2.00 per gallon in many parts of the country.
  • Anything made with petroleum like plastics will be cheaper to produce.

These trends mean stable prices and more money in the pockets of Americans. This is turn strengthens the economy as a healthy consumer sector makes the chance of a recession less likely in 2019.

Employment

The unemployment rate is nationally at record lows, and at what is considered full employment, wages start to increase, and that also leads to greater consumer spending power.

All of these factors mean consumers will be in better shape, will have better credit scores (you can still buy with bad credit!), and will be ready to buy more homes.

Minnesota Real Estate Negatives

Two main problem areas are rising interest rates and stock market volatility. The Fed, concerned that the strong economy will overheat has been steadily raising interest rates from zero to a more “normal” level. This has caused mortgage rates to cross the psychologically perilous fiver percent mark, and higher mortgage rates may cause some potential buyers to sit on the sidelines.

Also, the recent stock market volatility has many wondering is a recession is indeed on the horizon as stock market declines usually predict a near-term downturn. As you know, a weaker economy will impact housing prices, and at the very least would flatten the market for a while.

Stock Market Chart 2018

So, our prognostication for 2019? We feel that if the economy even chugs along at a slower pace, housing prices will continue their increase. If a recession occurs, we really don’t see homes losing much value, but instead feel that things may just level off for a while.

Homeowner's Insurance Cost

Homeowner’s Insurance: A Guide to Your First Policy

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While homeowner’s insurance cost is always a major factor, there are other important things to look at as you purchase your first policy. In fact, many insurance and real estate professionals state that focusing only on homeowner’s insurance cost can cause trouble if a major disaster strikes and property insurance is to be relied upon for reimbursement. Let’s look at steps you can take to avoid future issues.

Get Enough Homeowners Insurance

homeowner's insurance costs

Being underinsured is a big problem. If you insure your home for $200,000 but it costs more than that amount to restore everything to pre-disaster status, you can find yourself with a costly problem. Work with your agent make sure that your home is totally covered for replacement cost. Sometimes the extra premium amount to do this is minimal, but if construction costs have risen since you first bought your insurance, a hurricane, tornado or fire can present you with a big bill to restore your premises, even after insurance has paid its share.

Deductibles: What Does That Really Mean?

Homeowners Insurance Deductibles

Your deductible is the amount of money you have to pay toward a claim before your insurance kicks in. Simply, if you have $5000 in roof damage due to a covered peril like hail, but you have a $1000 deductible, your insurance will pay only $4000 and you’re stuck with the rest of the bill.

Furthermore, deductibles used to be expressed in monetary terms like $250, $500, or $1000. Now, it is more common for deductible limits that are equal to a percentage of your home’s value. So, on a $300,000 home, a tiny-looking one percent deductible amount would actually be a whopping $3000.

Discounts on Homeowners Insurance Cost

Do check for discounts since the combination of auto and homeowner’s policies can get you a great break on homeowner’s insurance cost. There are also discounts available for fire protection, security systems, remote security solutions, and even wind-resistant shutters in some areas.

Customization of Your Policy

Customized Homeowner's Insurance

The flood damage experts at BMS CAT told us that, “there are some policies in some areas that do not cover every peril like floods. In fact, true flood damage is usually not covered, so if you live in a flood-prone area, you may be able to purchase FEMA flood insurance, although this isn’t cheap.” Also, watch out for stingy insurance company history. Sometimes insurance companies fight about water entering a home. They may consider it an uninsured flood event, while you may maintain that the water was wind-driven rain. Check with your agent on this.

Video for Proof

Finally, take a video of all of your belongings and upload the files to a cloud-based server. That way, your record of exactly what you own will be preserved. Also, make sure you disclose special possessions like jewelry and musical instruments as these may have to be “scheduled,” or you may even have to buy a separate personal articles policy in order to ensure coverage.

Insurance Claims for Home

Image source: ValuePenguin

If you thought that your days of carefully vetting documents were over when your purchase offer was accepted, think again, personal finance is more complicated than that. Your homeowner’s insurance policy is your lifeline to security, so remember to spend time choosing the proper policy, and don’t base your decision totally on homeowner’s insurance cost. Also, be sure to read up on the best personal finance books, so that you know exactly what you’re reading!

As always, feel free to contact us with any questions!

Contract for Deed Homes: What Realtors NEED To Know

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There are a number of reasons Minnesota residents looking to buy contract for deed homes have had success. But you might ask: why not just buy your home with a traditional mortgage from the bank? Let’s talk about that.

We’ve all had it happen. 

Loan Rejection

After a difficult and protracted negotiation period, you finally got both your buyer and the seller to agree on price, contingencies, and before-closing repairs. At the end, everyone came to their senses, gave a up a little, and all parties were looking forward to closing.

Then the bank stepped in and killed the deal. Even though your buyer was pre-qualified, they made a mistake, didn’t follow your instructions and decided to finance an expensive vehicle. As the bank did a final credit check, the new car loan appeared and skewed the buyer’s debt to income ratio. The deal was dead, but you could have brought it back to life.

Contract for Deed Homes

Image result for home buying process

Contract for deed is a widely accepted Minnesota financing tool where a seller finances the property purchase on an installment basis, and they buyer receives the deed upon making the final payment. Many think that for this to work they need to find free and clear properties where a seller agrees to be the bank.

Why free and clear?

Because sellers can’t usually sell encumbered properties without breaching the lender’s mortgage contract. Therefore, those interested in contract for deed financing look specifically for contract for deed homes. There is another way, however.

Companies Like the Contract for Deed Crew (Yes, that’s us!)

There are quality companies out there like C4D, and it works like this: You bring a deal to C4D. Like a bank, C4D analyzes the deal to ensure that the seller can make the required monthly payments.

Unlike a bank, however, C4D can look past problems like the vehicle purchase mentioned above. With a good contract for deed homes company, you will be dealing with the company owner—not a bureaucratic bank loan officer. If C4D approves the deal, they will buy the property.

They do this with a bank loan, but the company’s bank does not include a due-upon-sale clause in its mortgage to C4D. Therefore, C4D legally and ethically buys the home, and with the bank’s blessing, C4D sells it on a contract for deed to the buyer.

Contract for Deed Homes

Benefits to the Realtor using Contract for Deed

  • You can explain difficult situations to C4D and they will understand. A debt to income ratio that has recently changed can be worked with if the buyers can legitimately afford the home.
  • Contract for deed revives dead deals. Banks can be arbitrary and unforgiving, but with a contract for deed transaction, the seller has more leeway to analyze what really makes the buyer worthy.
  • While a down payment is needed, the actual percentage is not necessarily set, and there are even ways the contract for deed companies can facilitate payment assistance.
  • Buyers can look at any home—not just contract for deed homes. With a MN contract for deed sale, the seller is unaffected since a company like C4D is the only purchaser they need to deal with.
  • All real estate commissions are protected.
  • Sellers can move their homes more expediently because companies like C4D have lots of buyers waiting for their dream homes.

Also, if you’re looking to understand property value event more, check out this presentation:

Presentation courtesy of LoseTheAgent, a listing platform for homes for sale by owner.

Don’t let loan officers and finicky banks get in your way. Consider using MN contract for deed for any deal where the lender is causing you trouble. It’s worth an email!

Real Estate Terminology Explained

26 Real Estate Terms Defined for New Buyers

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Buying real estate can be complicated, and some of the real estate terminology can be confusing. Be sure to refer to this comprehensive guide when you need some clarification.

Real Estate Terminology

1) Adjustable rate mortgage

As opposed to a fixed rate instrument, your actual interest rate can move up and down at pre-determined intervals according to whatever index it is associated with.

2) Amortization schedule

A chart that shows exactly how much of your monthly payment is applied to principal, and how much is applied to interest.

3) Appraisal

An independent accounting of what a property is worth. Lenders will require to this to make sure the home they are financing is worth the loan amount.

4) Assessed value

What taxing authorities say your home is worth. This can be changed annually.

5) Buyer’s Agent

A real estate professional that represents the prospective buyer and is therefore entitled to part of the sale commission.

6) Closing

The meeting where the deal is finalized. Money is usually transferred that day or the next day.

7) Closing costs

These are the loan processing and various other costs that can equal two to five percent of the home’s purchase price.

8) Contingencies

Contract clauses that can allow either party to exit from a deal. An example is contract section that explains if the buyer cannot get financing within a certain period of time, the deal is off.

9) Equity

The difference between the market value of your home and any loans you have against it.

10) Escrow

An account that certain monies like down payments are placed into pending closing a deal. After the loan is closed, banks often require insurance and tax payments to be escrowed also.

11) Fixed-rate mortgage

A mortgage rate that can’t change no matter what happens to subsequent mortgage rates.

12) Home warranty

Usually purchases from a third party, these instruments help pay for problems after the sale has been consummated.

13) Inspection

Done by an independent person, this process checks the house for problems that may have to be addressed before the sale.

14) Interest

The price you pay for money expressed as a yearly percentage. This is an important piece of real estate terminology that you must understand.

15) Listing Agent

In a transaction, the seller’s agent.

16) Mortgage broker

A third party that finds appropriate lenders for buyers.

17) Offer

The legal document that spells out the buyer’s proposed terms of purchase.

18) Pre-approval

Buyers can go to the lender, present financial information, and get pre-approved for a loan. Pre-approval is not usually binding, however.

19) Principal

The amount of money that needs to be financed after your down-payment has been subtracted. This seems like a simple, easy to understand piece of real estate terminology, but make sure you fully understand this concept before searching for a home.

20) Private mortgage insurance

Insurance that the buyer pays for in monthly payments. It protects the lender against default.

21) Real estate agent

Someone with a real estate license who has passed certain exams and who works with a real estate broker. This should be a very familiar term to many; because whether you’re buying a home in Minnesota or renting an apartment in affordable Eugene, Oregon, it’s likely that you’ve worked with an agent. 

22) Real estate broker

Someone that has met certain requirements and who hires agents to work for him or her.

23) Realtor

A real estate agent that is a member of the National Association of Realtors (NAR). NAR has ethical and business standards that members must follow.

24) Refinancing

Restructuring a home loan to get a more reasonable rate or pull equity money out.

25) Title insurance

A policy that both sellers and buyers must purchase that protects that parties in a transaction against title deficiencies.

26) Contract for Deed

A unique process widely used in Minnesota that, when used correctly, can allow those that have been denied credit a real chance at home ownership.

As you can see, real estate terminology can be tricky, but by becoming familiar with this list, you’ll have a better understanding of what’s going on during your deal.

Mortgage Loan Denial: Is This A Racial Problem?

 1000 500 Sam Radbil
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So, you need a down payment on a house, but you do not have handfuls and handfuls of cash to make it happen. A mortgage loan can help with that, but what if you can’t get one?

Well, many persons think that race and ethnicity are major factors in mortgage loan denials, and the following chart backs this up:

Down Payment on a House - Mortgage Denial

Others, however, feel that observed denial rates do not give the true picture, and that what is called “real” denial rates paint a truer picture:

Mortgage Denial Reporting

According to Urban Wire, “the real denial rate is still a blunt tool, because it requires the simplification of complex data and trends. It considers credit scores, loan-to-value ratios, debt-to-income ratios (DTI), and product and documentation types, but it does not consider income or income variability (we only have access to DTI; the lender will have more detailed financial information).”

Mortgage Loan Denial: Racial Profiling?

Statistics can be molded to show whatever authors want them to show, and both charts seem to portray that more minorities are denied mortgages than whites. Of course, there could be many reasons for this, and the raw data just does not tell us what that is.

Some think, however, that if a person of color walks into a mortgage lender’s office—even if they have a down payment on a house–the would-be borrower is automatically subjected to a higher level of scrutiny that then causes them to become credit denied. While this can be possible, these anomalies don’t guide the way we do business at C4D.

Down Payment on a House: We Can Help

Whether you are Asian, white, black, Hispanic or a Native American, we just don’t care. We know that good people can simply have bad credit problems. We understand that your credit rating may have been injured because:

  • You lost a job within the last year.
  • You have a lot of student loan debt.
  • Your credit cards are maxed out.
  • You got a divorce.
  • You owe taxes to the state.
  • You have legal judgments against you.
  • You declared Chapter 13 or Chapter 7 bankruptcy.
  • You defaulted on a personal loan.
  • You faced foreclosure.
  • You don’t have a large enough down payment on a house.

There can be many other reasons that you may not qualify for traditional financing, but we at C4D are here to help you. We utilize a very innovative program called MN contract for deed. It works like this:

  • You find a house.
  • We buy it.
  • We sell it to you on a MN contract for deed basis.
  • We keep the deed until you make all of your payments.

Yes, you still will need a down payment on a home, but we consider things that a bank does not.

Our Process to Help with Your Down Payment on a House

Down Payment Assistance

Fill out our online application, and we will evaluate your situation. If there is any way we can help you, we will first talk on the phone, and then we will get together personally. We do work with a local bank, and the bank respects our judgment. If we can make a good case that you have a down payment on a house and that you will be able to make the payments, we do everything possible to get the deal done.

We have said it before:  We love traditional financing and wish that everyone could get a standard mortgage. If you can’t, however, don’t give up. Talk to us today!

Signs of a bad realtor

7 Things Real Estate Agents Must Do For Sellers

 1000 500 Sam Radbil
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You need to be able to spot the signs of a bad Realtor when you see them. It’s a must!

Signs of a bad realtor

You can be paying big money to your listing broker when your home sells. If your property goes for $400,000, brokers could get $24,000. Sure, the listing broker will share commissions with the buyer’s agent, but still, that’s a lot of money. Because your Realtor is going to handsomely profit from his or her work, you can expect your agent to do the following.

Signs of a Bad Realtor #1: Doesn’t Correctly Price the Home

Your agent needs to have total local market knowledge and needs to know the price range where your home will sell. There is nothing worse than riding down the market as buyers wait for you to continually lower the listing amount of your over-priced home. Don’t think that Joe Smith—the guy that sold grandma’s condo in the suburbs—is automatically going to know how much your downtown unit is worth, unless he can prove that he understands your local market.

Signs of a Bad Realtor #2: Doesn’t Do A Great Marketing Job

Your expert should not be showing signs of a bad Realtor. Instead, they should use every available too to sell your home. Facebook, MLS of course, Craigslist, his or her network of brokers, Pinterest and any other Internet based platforms need to be used. Any postings and listings must be accompanied by great photos and excellent descriptions. If you have already moved, and your property is vacant, your agent needs to help you with staging. Signs of a bad realtor would include an agent that seems lazy and not Internet savvy.

Signs of a Bad Realtor #3: Does NOT Properly Communicate

Sellers are naturally hyper, and a good Realtor will inform them of his or her availability and communication preferences. If you aren’t presented with something like this right away, you maybe should look for another agent:

“I am available seven days a week by email, phone and/or text. If you contact me before 4:00 p.m., I promise to return your inquiry within four hours. If you contact me after 4:00 p.m., I will be in touch by noon the next day.”

Signs of a bad Realtor would be an agent that doesn’t return calls for days.

Signs of a Bad Realtor #4: Doesn’t Ensure That the Buyer is Qualified

DIY home sellers often make the rookie mistake of taking an offer without vetting the buyer. This can tie up a property for 30 days or more. Your agent needs to make sure that all offers to be considered are from bank pre-qualified buyers, or those that can show they have cash.

For Sale Sign

Signs of a Bad Realtor #5: Poor Negotiation Skills

Think about it — if you and the buyer are $5000 apart on a $400,000 transaction, that $5000 only means an additional $300 in commission for the brokers. The brokers, at that point, may just want to get the deal done and collect their $24,000 commission, and they would probably sacrifice $300 to be able to move on. You, on the other hand, may need that $5000, and a good broker will represent your interest, not his or hers.

Commission Breakdown

Signs of a bad Realtor would be an agent that puts pressure on you to quickly agree to a lower offer.

Signs of a Bad Realtor #6: Doesn’t Attend the Home Inspection

The home inspection carries a lot of weight, and you need to be represented at the inspection. That way, you’ll know what the inspector sees as problems before he sends his report to the buyer. It is better to be surprised early than at the last minute.

Signs of a Bad Realtor #7: Can’t Finalize Loose Ends for Closing

Hearing the words “clear to close” is a great thing, and your agent should be with you every step of the way to help make this happen. He or she needs to be in constant contact with the buyer’s broker, the title company, the bank, and the inspector.

Closing on your house

You’ve made a wise decision if you have hired a Realtor during the home buying process —just make sure you and your broker agree upon expectations.