But I will fully admit I'm pretty risk averse.Can you recommend any alternative methods I should study instead of Lease Options?

Variable rate mortgages were then seen as an alternative strategy, as interest rates started coming down in the Reagan years, so people had an incentive to refinance.

The deed usually provides for the lender to insure and pay the premium and add the amounts to the note with interest, which then makes an alternative to be used and foreclosure is not the cure to the default.

Is there an alternate route to avoid the 10% down (41K)?

Thx Lynn,I have been analyzing the numbers all AM and looks like I am going to sell some securities and in the end will need about 50k to make this deal work for me.I am getting out of most of the risker holdings I have and leaving my solid blue chip dividend paying companies in place to hedge the risk.I just don't want to lose out on this opportunity.The scary thing is you do no have to make payments back to E-trade they just tack on the monthly interest as it accrues.....The alternative is to try and get a Mtg which I am pretty positive my Debt/income ratios will be too risker for the lender at this point.

A better alternative, if you can find it, is construction financing from a bank.

Now, she'd probably love it if I offered to buy my own home with a nice mother-in-law suite and let her sell and move in with me as an alternative -- might be an idea for you both to plan for in 2-3yrs.

BPO's are the quick, inexpensive alternative to appraisals (and often time are more accurate).

And you want to look at how your state's highest court interprets the clauses, too....Finally, despite the good hands and neighbor marketing, my experience trying to rebuild four units destroyed by fire, was that the insurer, while warm and fuzzy on the marketing sales side, will hand you some fairly rigid and tough adjusters, no matter the type, and you realize quickly what you have purchased is a right to argue for your claim, which beats the alternative I suppose..

But reporting huge repair expenses in relation to your rental income is an easily spotted red flag on your return.Reporting losses by aggressively taking lots of repair deductions (that you might have alternatively capitalized) will also lessen your chances of getting bank loans in the future, as banks like to just take the results off your tax returns, regarless of how much you say, "yeah, but..."