A lease option is a type of contract that is used in residential real estate. In a lease-option contract, a property owner and tenant agree that, at the end of a rental period for a property, the renter has the option of purchasing the property. Basically, the seller will ask for a sizable non-refundable deposit at the beginning of the agreement. If the tenant cannot close by the time stated on the contract, then the property owner has the right to keep the deposit. A lease option is different from a lease purchase, in that a lease-purchase binds both parties to the sale, whereas in a lease option the buyer has the option but the seller does not.
Most of the time people will only enter into a lease option when they aren’t able to qualify for a loan. Typically, the rent amount will be a bit higher as well as the purchase price. Of course, the danger is that when the time comes to buy, you could change your mind or be denied financing, causing you to lose your money. It depends on how much risk the potential buyer is able stomach.
If you do enter into a lease option agreement, it’s important that the contract is looked at by a lawyer. Sometimes buyers are so desperate to get into a house and they don’t bother to read the fine print. Even though the seller is sitting in the driver’s seat, he can’t force you to sign an agreement that doesn’t benefit you. The number 1 rule in real estate is that “everything in real estate is negotiable”. This means that you don’t have to agree to the first offer put in front of you and you have the right to make a counteroffer.
As an Orlando real estate investor I’ve done several lease options over the years for people and they haven’t always turned out they were supposed to. I would say about half of the time, I ended up having to evict the tenant and keeping their deposit. On the positive side, for the other half of the people, it worked out great. They were able to buy the house that they wanted even after getting denied financing from the major lenders For these people the risk paid off to do a lease option because they were able to honor the contract.
So is a lease option good or bad? It depends on the situation, the most important thing to remember is to be realistic with yourself. If you’re not sure if you will be able to get financing at the end of your contract then I would say…Don’t do it! You’ll be risking losing your deposit.
If you still have questions about lease options call us at 407-902-7750 or visit us at OrlandoRealtyConsultants.com and schedule a free consultation with one of our real estate professionals.
