How to Sell Your Mortgage Note

Tired of receiving monthly payments?

Wishing for a lump sum of cash today?

If you sold property with seller financing chances are you’ve wondered about selling the real estate note. Here’s how to sell a mortgage note, trust deed, or contract in 7 easy steps.

Step #1 – Request Quote

Just complete a short informational worksheet to receive a free no obligation quote. This can be submitted online, by fax, or over the phone.

Click Here for a List of Note Buyers

Click Here to Download a Worksheet (PDF)

Step #2 – Provide Document Copies

To get started note buyers like to see copies of these three documents:

• Settlement Statement
• Promissory Note
• Mortgage, Trust Deed, or Contract

It is also a good time to be sure you know where the originals are located, especially the Promissory Note, as they will be requested at closing.

Step #3 – Accept Offer & Agreement

Once an offer is accepted it will be outlined in a written agreement. In addition to stating the price, the agreement will specify conditions of closing and who pays costs.

Step #4 – Note Buyer Review

The mortgage note buyer will perform a detailed review of the transaction, known as due diligence. This includes a review of the buyer’s credit, current tax and insurance status, payer interview, and other important items. They may also request copies of additional documents including a payment history, insurance policy, and existing title report.

Step #5 – Appraisal

The note investor will order an evaluation of the current property value. This usually takes the form of a BPO or drive-by appraisal. The investor wants to be sure the property value is still equal to or greater than the sales price. If the value comes in low, the note investor may present a revised offer for consideration.

Step #6 – Title Search

The title search verifies ownership of the property and the mortgage note. It saves time and money to work with any title report that might exist from the original sale date. If the title search shows money is still owed on a prior mortgage it will usually be paid from proceeds.

Step #7 – Closing

When all steps are complete the note buyer will send the final closing documents for signature. The title company is often used to handle the exchange of money for the original note and transfer documents. Funds are typically paid in the form of a wire transfer or cashier’s check. You are also encouraged to have your attorney review and advise with the closing process.

Selling your mortgage note can be a simple process when you work with an experienced note buyer. Just take a few minutes upfront to gather your information and documents and they will handle the rest for you!

Sometimes it is not only what you know, but who you know.

Knowing the right people can not only make things easier, in the case of the 2010 Directory of Owner Financed Note Buyers, it could also make you more money!

Gain access to our personal Rolodex of experienced note professionals that took years to develop.  Work direct with knowledgeable investors, educators, and master note brokers.

Foreclosures Create Owner Financing Demand

Over 2.8 million properties were slapped with foreclosure filings in 2009 – a staggering 120 percent increase in the past two years.

Discover why this bad mortgage crisis increases demand for seller financing and opportunity in the cash flow note business. Read more

Get Reliable Pricing When Selling a Mortgage Note!

Wondering whether to trust the pricing for the sell of a mortgage or land contract?

Here’s how to know if it’s a firm offer or just a soft quote when going to sell a private mortgage note. Read more

5 Owner Financing Tips for Sellers

It’s a tough time to sell a house.

In an effort to sell fast and stand out from the crowd, sellers are turning to the owner financed installment sale. By accepting payments over time from the buyer, the seller provides an alternative to bank financing. This attracts more buyers and helps the owner get attention in a market flooded by oversupply from foreclosures.

Of course sellers don’t want to jump from the frying pan into the fire by trading a house that won’t sell for a buyer that won’t pay.

Here are 5 safety tips for sellers considering an owner carry contract:

Tip #1 – Review the Buyer’s Credit

How buyers have paid bills in the past is a good indicator of how timely they will make future payments. Always review the buyer’s credit prior to accepting a promise to pay. Sellers can obtain a signed authorization from the buyer to pull credit through a reporting agency, or the seller could simply ask the buyer to obtain a copy of his or her report for the seller’s review.

Tip #2 – Get a Down Payment

The more money a buyer puts down, the more “skin” they have in the deal. The greater this equity, the lower the likelihood the buyer will stop paying.

When people have little to no equity, they are more likely to default or just walk away from the home. Few sellers want the hassle of taking back a property through foreclosure, so increase the odds in your favor by requiring a down payment.

Tip #3 – Set the Terms

The terms include interest rate, payment amount, frequency, and the due date for payment in full. There are also late fees, default clauses, requirements for insurance, and other standard provisions.

While the terms can be whatever the buyer and seller agree upon, it makes sense to set terms that are affordable to the buyer AND favorable to a note investor. This way a seller is more likely to own a note that is valuable to an investor in case they ever want to sell future payments for cash.

Tip #4 – Get Help with the Documents

In addition to putting the terms in writing, the documents evidence the lien. The obligation to pay (or IOU) usually takes the form of a promissory note, which is secured by an owner mortgage or trust deed recorded in the county records. A land contract or real estate contract are also used in some states. A qualified attorney or title company familiar with local laws should prepare the closing documents.

Tip #5 – Collect Payments Like a Pro

Tracking the payments, interest, and balance is often referred to as servicing the note. In addition to collecting payments, a servicer should verify the real estate taxes and insurance are kept current. The seller can perform servicing but it is a whole lot easier to hire a third party company to handle this process.

If you are looking for the complete system for safe owner financing be sure to read our how-to manual. It includes documents, examples, terms, credit reading tips, note investor criteria, and lessons learned from 20 years of real life experience.

Here is what one satisfied reader said:

“Your product is one of my go-to programs. I am glad you took the time to put it together. I think I paid more than 10x when it first came out and I think it was worth every penny!”  Greg G – Canyon Capital

Available today in our bookstore as an instant download for just $99.97

Article written and copyrighted by Tracy Z. Rewey at www.NoteInvestor.com.

UPDATE: First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit Extends to 2010 and Expands to Existing Homeowners!

The first time home buyer tax credit has been extended to April 30, 2010 and expanded to include existing homeowners.

Read the details and discover ways to use the credit for profitable real estate deals, including creative seller financing and short sales. Read more

Does Seller Financing Qualify for the $8,000 First Time Homebuyer Tax Credit?

Great news!  The IRS has specifically answered “YES” to this question.

It seemed pretty straight forward that owner financed transactions involving a deed to the buyer and a note and mortgage (or deed of trust) back to the seller would let qualified buyers take the First Time $8,000 Homebuyer Credit.  However, some wondered if Read more

Full or Partial Mortgage Sale? It’s All Dollars and “Sense”

Deciding whether or not to sell your mortgage note is easier when someone simply offers you a “Full” purchase. In addition to being a straightforward buyout of all the remaining payments, it also makes it easy to determine what you are receiving.

For example, if you are offered $85,316 for a $100,000 balance mortgage note, you are selling the note at a $14,684 discount. That may sound like a lot, but you now have $85,316 up front rather than waiting over time to collect payments.

The part that gets a little tricky is when you are offered partial purchase options. Read more

The Downside of Owner Financing – Disadvantages to Seller Financing

What’s old is new again and the credit crisis, struggling economy, and declining real estate market are making seller financing the come back kid of 2009.

Offering to owner finance a property can attract buyers and even save transactions as banks increasingly stamp “DECLINED” on mortgage applications.  Before you agree to “Be the Bank” carefully consider the downside to providing creative financing. Read more

Owner Financing – 10 Advantages to Using the Seller Carry Back

The word is out and seller financing is on the rise as buyers and sellers look for creative ways to finance property in the struggling market.

So what’s all the hype? Here are ten advantages to using the seller carry back to buy or sell real estate. Read more

UPDATE on HR 1728: How Congress Wants to Change Seller Financing

There is growing and legitimate concern over how Bill HR 1728 would severely restrict seller financing. Be sure to read this informative update. Read more

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