Investors Using Option to Buy to Fix and Flip

Investors Using Option to Buy to Fix and Flip

Member since 2023 · 27 posts · 8 votes

While doing some research, I came across a concept for flipping houses called the Option to Buy, which I assume you're familiar with. Purchasing the property after leasing it. Through my research, it seems like an investor using this method would agree to say, 1 year lease. During this period, the renovations would take place and then the house would be relisted. All the while, the investor is making lease payments to the original seller. And after the house is fixed and sold (assuming it's sold in under 1 year from purchase), the investor would pay the original seller the remaining balance. Does this sound correct?

Does this sound like an option for a new investor (like myself) that has almost no/very limited funds to use?

The way it's working in my rather simple brain is this:

Figures:

Buy Price: $50,000

Rehab: $30,000

ARV: $150,000

Rent payments for 12 months + Rehab costs, funded by HML.

Have an agreement with a seller to purchase the property after a 1 year lease period.

In that year period, rehab takes 6 months, and another 6 months (hypothetically) for the house to sell. 

I make lease payments to the seller during the rehab and relisting period.

After the house sells, I pay the original seller the remaining balance of the purchase price after the lease payments are deducted from the original buy price.

I pay back the HML and keep the remaining profits.

I'm sure it's not that simple, but if I'm off on anything, I welcome any input about using this method as an investor to flip a house.  

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Real Estate Agent · Tipp City, OH · Member since 2018 · 65 posts · 35 votes
2y

I agree with @Kristi Kandel, it could be pretty risky to dump a bunch of money into a property that you are still technically leasing. Also, you may be hard to find a landlord that is willing to allow you to do a substantial amount of work on a property.

A similar strategy that may work better is finding a seller willing to seller finance with little to no money down and possibly interest only payments for the first year. You could then continue on with your original plan from there. 

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  • Kristi KandelPro Member
    Developer · Fort Myers Beach, FL · Member since 2018 · 383 posts · 195 votes
    2y
    Quote from @TJ Fries:

    While doing some research, I came across a concept for flipping houses called the Option to Buy, which I assume you're familiar with. Purchasing the property after leasing it. Through my research, it seems like an investor using this method would agree to say, 1 year lease. During this period, the renovations would take place and then the house would be relisted. All the while, the investor is making lease payments to the original seller. And after the house is fixed and sold (assuming it's sold in under 1 year from purchase), the investor would pay the original seller the remaining balance. Does this sound correct?

    Does this sound like an option for a new investor (like myself) that has almost no/very limited funds to use?

    The way it's working in my rather simple brain is this:

    Figures:

    Buy Price: $50,000

    Rehab: $30,000

    ARV: $150,000

    Rent payments for 12 months + Rehab costs, funded by HML.

    Have an agreement with a seller to purchase the property after a 1 year lease period.

    In that year period, rehab takes 6 months, and another 6 months (hypothetically) for the house to sell. 

    I make lease payments to the seller during the rehab and relisting period.

    After the house sells, I pay the original seller the remaining balance of the purchase price after the lease payments are deducted from the original buy price.

    I pay back the HML and keep the remaining profits.

    I'm sure it's not that simple, but if I'm off on anything, I welcome any input about using this method as an investor to flip a house.  


    If you intend on putting 30K into a property you don't own you'll need to make sure you have an ironclad lease agreement that does not allow the seller to back out of the sale to you. Also that your lease allows you to make improvements to the property. 

    Typically the lease to own/rent to purchase scenarios are a way to allow a buyer without enough funds to purchase outright apply monthly rent towards a future downpayment/purchase. Then after you own the property you'd start making substantial improvements. 

  • Real Estate Agent · Tipp City, OH · Member since 2018 · 65 posts · 35 votes
    2y

    I agree with @Kristi Kandel, it could be pretty risky to dump a bunch of money into a property that you are still technically leasing. Also, you may be hard to find a landlord that is willing to allow you to do a substantial amount of work on a property.

    A similar strategy that may work better is finding a seller willing to seller finance with little to no money down and possibly interest only payments for the first year. You could then continue on with your original plan from there. 

  • Investor · Fort Lauderdale, FL · Member since 2013 · 917 posts · 607 votes
    2y

    As has already been said, it's not advisable to make improvements on a property if you're not the owner.  That said, I have broken that rule a few times in my career, but always with what I believe is a foolproof strategy in place to protect my interest and position in the deal.
    For starters, record a memorandum of option with the county so the property can't be sold from underneath you.
    My agreement with the homeowner allows me to make the upgrades and they are stated in advance.  Homeowner was happy with this, probably hoping I wouldn't exercise my option. . .but I did. 
    My plan was to make the repairs and then flip the property for the forced appreciation the upgrades generated.  Should a buyer not be found I had financing in place to buy the property outright.  
    All went according to plan and I found a buyer in short order.  Put about $17K-$18K into the property, profit was about $25K.  So it can be done but do the deal correctly.  

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