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3 Strategies For Buying Property With No Money Down
Everyone has heard a story or read about someone who bought a property without paying a single dime as a down payment. But how does this work? There are several "classic" methods commonly used to purchase real estate with no money down. There are an infinite variety of situations in a real estate transaction that could lead to a deal with no down payment. But for the sake of reality, I will focus on those that are most commonly seen in the current market. 1. Seller second - The buyer obtains a new first mortgage for most but not all of the total purchase price. The seller finances the rest. Purchase price: $100,000 One thing that is not mentioned in most articles about this strategy is the requirement for lender approval. The lender who is making the 90% loan will have to agree to allow the seller to take back a second mortgage. In cases where the buyer has better credit, this is usually OK with the lender. But if the buyer has a lower credit score, the lender may not approve of this. If your credit score is on the lower side, but you have good documented income, you may still qualify. Herein lies the fundamental issue that makes it so difficult to write about your financing options and what to expect:The fact is that lenders who are making the first mortgages on a property can change the rules or make new rules in the middle of a deal. Therefore every deal is different. Every buyer's credit and income are different and lenders vary in their underwriting requirements. It is a moving target. So while it can be said that you can get a 100% loan to buy a property, there are usually specific credit requirements, income requirements, etc. It makes this game rather unpredictable. Talk to your lender ahead of time and find out if creative financing options such as a seller second would be allowed. Make sure you have a lender who is used to working on investment property loans. Some mortgage companies only have programs for owner occupants. You need to go to a lender who specializes in loans for investors. 2. Another common way to obtain a no down payment loan is to utilize one of the many low or no down payment programs that exist. Many of these are intended for owner occupants, but some are available for investors. Again, it is important to talk to the right lender. If you have an investment property that you want to sell, consider taking back a second mortgage for 5-10%. This is not a huge amount, and it can help you sell your property faster. When it comes to finding a seller who will help you create a no money down deal, consider buying from an investor who is willing to be flexible. Some investors are willing to do creative financing simply because they understand that it helps them sell houses. It never hurts to make an offer that includes a seller second. You never know until you ask. There are some points to remember when purchasing investment property with no money down. A key point is the comparison of monthly payments to expected rental income. When you are financing 100% of the purchase price, your payments will be higher. If you have a second mortgage payment to add to a first mortgage, your payment may be even higher. Be sure your rental income will cover the entire monthly payment. 3. More common among professional investors is buying wholesale properties, using hard money to purchase and rehab. When the rehab is done, you get a new mortgage that pays off the hard money loan. Since this is a refinance, you can take cash out of the property. You may have to bring some money to closing on the hard money loan, but you get it all back when you refinance, so you end up with no money out of pocket. This becomes not only a "no down payment" deal, but also a "cash back at closing" deal. It works like this: Purchase and repair, then get new loan to pay off hard money. 90% of $150,000 is $135,000. You keep the extra $20,000 in cash, tax free since it is a loan, rent your house out and let the tenant pay the loan back. Your gross profit is $20,000 cash and $15,000 equity. Total gross profit $35,000. Not too bad for a couple months work. Down payment by definition means specifically money that is used to "pay down" the total purchase price. This does not include money for closing costs, points, interest, and other items such as insurance. But if you are buying wholesale properties, fixing them and refinancing to pull cash out, you should be able to pay all your expenses and have a nice profit at the end of the day. (Just keep some of that cash in reserve for emergencies) If you do 3 houses per year, and you only net $25,000 total, after paying all expenses on each of the 3 houses, you are still netting $75,000 cash and equity in about 6 to 8 months. Plus, if you are renting these properties, you are also creating additional streams of income through monthly cash flow as well as accumulating equity in each property. This is a solid strategy to achieve a retirement nest egg and ongoing income for life in less than 10 years. If you look around at the real estate investors who are wealthy, the vast majority own rental property, be it residential or commercial. They understand the concept of buying at a discount, then holding their properties for years. They get to the point where their holdings are worth double or triple the price paid. This is free money that you can earn simply by buying and holding long term. There are wholesaling companies in every major city that specialize in selling fixer upper properties that fit with strategy number 3 in this article. Look for their signs on the side of the road, their ads in the paper, or ads in local thrifty nickel type shopping papers. Most deals do require some out of pocket cash, even if it is only temporary, until you refinance. True no down payment opportunities are pretty rare these days, with interest rates at historic lows. If interest rates go back up, (and they will), we will see more creative financing and more "no down payment" opportunities in the future. If you are in the Atlanta, GA area, or wish to buy property in the Atlanta area, you can contact me at service@realestatewholesaling.com I have properties, land, financing sources and property management services for Atlanta investors. Donna Robinson is a real estate investor, consultant, and author. Her articles are read by thousands of subscribers each month. You may read more of her articles on her website or subscribe to her free newsletter at http://www.RealEstateInvestorHelp.com
MORE RESOURCES: Blackstone's Wesley LePatner, a mentor to women and real estate investing leader, killed in NYC office shooting Business Insider The real estate market: 5 key themes to watch this week Real Estate News by RealEstateNews.com AI Is Transforming Real Estate Marketing | Florida Realtors 18 months later, Blackstone still sees real estate comeback ahead Private Equity Real Estate | PERE Real estate: Condo prices rise in Indian River County; fall in Martin, St. Lucie counties Treasure Coast News Troy Furbay has been appointed Managing Director, Hospitality at Crescent Real Estate LLC Hospitality Net ‘Walking beside him’: Daughter continues stepfather’s real estate dream Mountain Home Observer Richland County property transfers recorded July 21-24 Mansfield News Journal Double digit price increases for Putnam real estate Mid Hudson News Alex MacWilliam of Alex MacWilliam Real Estate in Vero GlobeNewswire Haag-Brown Commercial Real Estate to open Bentonville office Talk Business & Politics RE/MAX revenue continues to slip despite agent gains Real Estate News by RealEstateNews.com Executive Killed in Manhattan Shooting Was CEO of Blackstone's $53 Billion Real Estate Megafund Realtor.com Real estate transfers: 7/30 Toledo Blade Inside Zillow’s summer launch: 5 new tools built for agents Real Estate News by RealEstateNews.com Anywhere revenue inches up despite ‘weird’ housing market Real Estate News by RealEstateNews.com Unlock MLS calls new listing option ‘a win for seller choice’ Real Estate News by RealEstateNews.com Real Estate Transactions | July 14-18, 2025 Republic-Times Real estate office renovating former daycare The News-Enterprise Exclusive: Apple to buy another Silicon Valley campus for $365 million San Francisco Chronicle Ledge Road property in Newport sold for $3.3 million tops latest Newport County sales Newport Daily News What’s Rising Across the Upstate? Updates on 7 Real Estate Developments - upstate business journal What’s Rising Across the Upstate? Updates on 7 Real Estate Developments upstate business journal Santa Monica Ranks Second Most Expensive for Rentals as Real Estate Market Shows Mixed Signals Santa Monica Daily Press Christie’s Debuts Crypto Real Estate Division The New York Times Atlanta real estate tycoon Tom Cousins has died at 93 Rough Draft Atlanta Easton home on Sierra Drive that sold for over $1M 'epitomizes one-of-a-kind luxury' Enterprise News Population Growth in England and Wales: A Boon for Real Estate and Social Infrastructure Sectors AInvest Prospect Medical attorneys ask judge if company can abandon some of its Delaware County real estate CBS News Blackstone’s LePatner killed in NYC shooting Private Equity Real Estate | PERE With The Enolia, MCB Real Estate reinvents the residence hall for Morgan State University Baltimore Fishbowl Boardwalk Real Estate: Q2 Earnings Snapshot San Antonio Express-News RealPage buys Rexera, maker of 'AI agents' for real estate deals The Business Journals One of the world’s largest luxury real estate firms wants to help you buy a house — with crypto New York Post Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance, Inc. Reports Second Quarter 2025 Financial Results Quiver Quantitative Gold Key Real Estate lewistownsentinel.com Commercial Real Estate Still Has a Software Problem Commercial Observer Brixmor Property Group's Q2 2025 Earnings: A Strategic Playbook for Resilient Retail Real Estate AInvest Fed Interest Rate Predictions: No Cut Expected Tomorrow, July 30, 2025 Norada Real Estate Investments Judge sides with LGBTQ+ Alliance in battle with ex-CEO Real Estate News by RealEstateNews.com The Future of AI in Real Estate Valuations: Understanding Tomorrow’s Appraisal Standards Appraisal Buzz WeWork Wants You to Know It’s a Grown-Up Real-Estate Firm Now The Wall Street Journal Partners Real Estate names a new top executive in Austin The Business Journals NexPoint REIT Offers Shareholders Choice in $0.15 Distribution: Cash or Stock Payment Options Stock Titan Virgin Hotels Chicago Flagship Sold in Strategic Deal Amid Timeshare Real Estate Shift – What You Need to Know Travel And Tour World Real estate: Home prices climb in Martin, Indian River counties; fall in St. Lucie County Treasure Coast News Cohen & Steers: Real Estate Woes Continue To Weigh Seeking Alpha |
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