A basic real estate contract stipulates that on or before a specified date the buyer agrees to bring cash for the purchase and the seller agrees to deliver clear title to prove that they have the right to sell the property.

Originally posted by "gainesvillej":As long as you are buying the houses for far less than what they are worth....it's always a good time.This is basically what I was going to say.

So while I'm not going to say whether or not you should go through with it, I'll try to provide you with some things to consider when making your decision.Pros:You can get the payment off your booksYou can sell the property for full price, when it doesn't appear that there is much interest right nowAssuming you are requiring an option payment (which I would suggest), you will get some additional cash nowSo basically the Pros can be summed up in that you have the potential to do pretty well financiallyCons:Lease options typically require less landlord hassle, but at the end of the day you are still a landlordThey could trash the house and then not buy itThey could stop paying and make you evict them, costing you time and money (there is also the possibility with lease options if they aren't structured properly that the courts could deem them to be a sale rather than a leasing arrangement in which case you would have to foreclose instead of the less painful eviction).

Also you might want to consult with someone; I was advised by a real estate attorny in my area, not owner finance but instead lease to own which is basically the same thing but for legal issues there would be no foreclosure process.

Jeff88, while that is a good call, it is important to understand that many people see Real Estate as a much higher risk investment and simply don't have the knowledge or the cash flow to feel comfortable with it.Some of these business models are in realy excellent for cash flow while also allowing people the time to then get into real estate.In any event, I would suggest that people don't have to 'choose' between such a business model and property investing - I've chosen to do both, as well as running my construction business.So while the point you make is valid, the broader concept is that we use our cashflow (whereever it comes from) to invest in property, to build our long term wealth.

I know we're missing information here but it just doesn't seem like much of a deal unless you have very deep pockets and plan to live in it for a very long time.Since you're a first home buyer, look for homes that need basic cosmetic work such as paint and carpeting.

Basically his target was retiring baby boomers on fixed annuities, pensions, etc...

.:) I stick to the basics just to keep the house from looking completely bare.By the way, I'm mostly reselling your basic Middle Income Bread & Butter houses.

So many of the calls were just basic "How much?"

Hi I'm just getting into this and trying to clarify the basic cash flow patterns of the foreclosure and short sale market.