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The main advantage of a land contract is that it's fairly easy to qualify for. As long as the seller is willing to go that route, there's little need for extensive credit checks.A land contract is often viewed as a way to "pay down the purchase price" before obtaining a regular mortgage to buy the property outright.

On the flip side, a land contract is the sale of a property, where the seller finances the deal.In addition, there is no obligation to buy the property in a lease-to-own arrangement. As such, depending on the specifics of the agreement, the lessor can walk away if they are unsatisfied with the property.

If the buyer defaults on the land contract, or fails to make the monthly payments to the seller as required, the seller can file a court action called land contract forfeiture.In other words, if the buyer fails to pay, the seller keeps all money received, plus the seller keeps the real estate.

Because there's no bank involved, land contract closings can happen in under a weekand without expensive closing costs. Buyers with poor or no credit can get a land contract because it's up to the seller to decide if they're creditworthy.

Larger Down Payments Land loans typically require a larger down payment than traditional mortgages, often as much as 20% to 30% of the asking price. If you are purchasing raw land, the preferred down payment can be as much as 30% to 50% of the total cost.

A land contract should spell out the purchase price, down payment, payment schedule, installment amount, interest rate, loan term and balloon payment amount, if applicable. Responsible party for home repairs. The buyer and seller agree upfront on who will make and pay for home repairs.

At a minimum, a land contract should list the address of the real estate and the full legal description of the property, the purchase price, down payment amount, the monthly payment amounts and term, number of payments to be made, and any balloon payment required.