10 WAYS TO BUY AN INVESTMENT PROPERTY WITH NO MONEY DOWN

[John Stevenson]

Many people would like to invest in real estate but either they do not have enough money for a down payment or they do not want to lock their cash into a property purchase. It is possible to buy property with no money down.

1. Roll the down payment into the purchase price. Depending on your credit rating and lending history, some lenders will allow you to finance 100% of the purchase price. This will cause the interest rate and your payments to much higher than if you put money down. But, if you intend to sell the property quickly, it shouldn’t have much of an effect on your profit margin.

2. Negotiate a separate installment plan for the down payment. Negotiate a separate installment plan for the down payment. Sometimes the seller will allow you to pay the down payment on a monthly basis.

3. Trade something other than cash. This could include land, a car, a boat, jewelry or valuable collectibles. Find out what they want and need. Maybe you have, or can get, just what they are looking for. You could also trade services such as carpentry, auto mechanics, painting, dental work and other services that you can do for the seller over time.

4. Trade houses with the seller. Many professional investors acquire homes with no money down by trading one property for another. In some cases, they trade one large property for several smaller rentals. Property trading is also a legal way to avoid the capital gains associated with selling a property.

5. Get the seller to transfer their mortgage to you. This is a common occurrence in foreclosures where the homeowner is eager to sell and is willing to work with the buyer. You can do the deal as an assignment of contract and efficiently close the sale.

6. Apply for a loan assistance program. Talk to your bank, many lending institutions offer programs that allow buyers to put little to no money down on real estate purchases.

7. Find an investment partner. Look for an investment partner who will put up some or all of the cash in an equity-sharing partnership. You make the monthly payments and the two of you split the eventual resale profits.

8. Find a property to rent-to-own or lease with an option to buy. If you have a lease-option for 5 years, at the end of that time, you will need to purchase the house and can get a bank loan then. Meanwhile, you can use the time to fix your credit and/or save for a down payment. Some contracts may put some or all of the rental amount towards the down payment.

9. Get owner financing or a land contract. Another option is to have the seller act as the bank. You make your payments, including interest, directly to the seller. Then after usually 3 to 5 years you make a lump sum payment to the seller. During this time, you should have enough equity to qualify for a standard bank loan.

10. Use a home equity line of credit from another property. If you have equity in another property, you could use that equity as a down payment on purchasing another investment property.

[Dale Osborn]

Here are some more compilations:

Deal Structures:
1. Delay the down payment.
2. Wholesale the deal
3. Pre-sell the property to a retail buyer
4. Joint Venture with the Seller.
5. Use a Hybrid Equity Split to make more on every deal.
6. Use Hard Money.
7. Use Private Money.
8. Use graduated payments to protect cash flow in the early years.
9. Use graduated prices to get a longer term.
10. Use a reverse credit for Seller to carry negative cash flow.
11. Turn the Seller into your Bank.
12. Combine subject to and Owner Carry financing.
13. Zero interest – zero payments loan.
14. If have to make payments – pay pure principal.
15. Call the payment a thank-you payment not an interest payment.
16. Let the interest accrue.
17. Ask for interest only payments.
18. Roll up monthly into quarterly, semi-annual or annual payments.
19. Pre-negotiate an extension or renewal of the loan.
20. Offer to cross collateralize.
21. Ask for seller subordination – pay Seller with borrowed money.

Nothing Down Techniques:
1. Seller as a Partner: Partners is a very last resort!
a. Raise the price – lower the terms.
b. Using talents (sweat equity), not money.
2. Realtor as a Partner: Raise the commission, reduce the cash.
3. Creditor as a Partner: Assume the Seller’s Obligations.
4. Renter as a Partner:
a. Use the rents and deposits.
b. Lease/Option:
5. Hard Money Lenders as a Partner: At all costs.
6. Mortgage Holder as a Partner: Discount yourself rich.
7. Property as a Partner: Split yourself rich using hidden assets.
8. Private Individual Partner: Pool their strengths with yours.
9. Buyers as a Partner: Flip yourself rich.

1. Have Realtor take commission over time.
2. Assume Seller’s obligations.
3. Prepaid rent as part of down payment.
4. Satisfaction of Seller’s needs.
5. First, Second, Third, Fourth, etc loans = All Paper.
6. Balloon down pmnt = some now, some x 6 mos, & Bal in 12 mos.
7. Use your talents – not your cash.
8. High monthly down payment.
9. Raise the sale price, but lower the terms.
0. Split the property. Sell part.
1. Defer the down payment with no mortgage payments.