Help me purchase my first commercial RE property

[Matt H.]

I have been leasing a commercial building for my business for five years.  It's time to renew the lease but the Owner has made overtures that he would consider selling the property to me if I allowed him to owner-finance the deal.  When I asked about traditional financing he simply said, "nope, not gonna take those gains all at once."  I didn't probe any further, but why wouldn't he want a check for the full amount up front?  Is it a tax thing?  Purchase price is somewhere in the neighborhood of $1M and he has mentioned 4-5% interest.  Down payment has not been discussed but I have enough saved to put down 15-20%.  

Here's my issue... for reasons unknown the owner is not willing to sell to me today.  I would have to wait another 2 years.  What type of Lease should I negotiate with the Owner?  A Lease-to-own?  A lease-option?  I've read up on a few things but it's a bit confusing.  I get the feeling the Owner would not want to sign anything that the IRS would characterize as a sale, and I don't want to pay rent for the next two years unless my rent payments are going toward the purchase price.  The Owner has been good to me and my business, and I believe his intentions are sincere and not a tactic.  There's something on his end preventing him from selling to me now, I just don't know what that could be.  

What's my play here?  What type of lease should I sign that sees me as the building owner in 2 years?  

Matt

[Austin Johnson]

yes, its a tax thing. would you like to pay taxes on $1m this calendar year? or would you rather pay taxes on $50k this year? I know it wont be the full $1m but I'm using it as an example. he's smart enough to know that.
as far as "why wont he sell to me now??" ask him. just point blank ask him. so many questions on these forums could be solved if they just asked the people involved point blank and got a direct answer. there's a reason and I'm sure if you ask correctly he'll tell you. maybe I'm too brash.