Guides for selling and buying without the guesswork
19 in-depth guides on owner financing, rent to own, FSBO, and investor deals.
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Owner financing
How owner financing works — the full mechanics.
What owner financing actually is, who holds title, how the promissory note and deed of trust fit together, and what a typical deal looks like start to finish.
Read guideOwner financing vs. rent-to-own — which actually transfers ownership?
The single biggest difference between owner financing and rent-to-own is when you become the legal owner. Here is the full side-by-side, with the tradeoffs that matter.
Read guideOwner-finance down payment norms — what sellers actually accept.
The real numbers on owner-finance down payments in 2026: what sellers ask for, what they actually accept, and the levers that move the number up or down.
Read guideBalloon payments explained — how seller-carry loans actually end.
Why almost every owner-finance loan has a balloon, how to plan for it, refinance paths, and the red flags that turn a balloon into a forced sale.
Read guideSeller-financing tax treatment — what the IRS expects from both sides.
How owner-financed sales are taxed under the installment sale rules, the 1099 paperwork sellers send, mortgage interest deductibility for buyers, and common mistakes that trigger audits.
Read guideNegotiating owner-finance terms — practical scripts and tradeoffs.
How to negotiate interest rate, down payment, balloon length, and prepayment terms in an owner-financed deal — with real scripts you can adapt.
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Rent to own
How rent-to-own works — lease, option, and the exit path.
What a rent-to-own deal actually looks like: lease vs. lease-purchase, option fees, rent credits, the timeline to qualifying for a mortgage, and what happens if you do not exercise.
Read guideRed flags in lease-option contracts — what to walk away from.
Forfeiture clauses, maintenance dumping, inflated purchase prices, and the other contract traps that turn a rent-to-own into a money pit.
Read guideHow much rent credit is fair? — 2026 norms.
Industry norms for rent credits, option-fee size, and how to evaluate whether a rent-to-own offer actually works in your favor.
Read guideGetting mortgage-ready during your rent-to-own lease.
The 24-month plan to make sure you can actually qualify for a mortgage by the time your option period ends — credit, income, savings, and timing.
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For sale by owner
The 7-day FSBO listing checklist.
Day-by-day plan to go from 'I want to sell my house myself' to a fully live FSBO listing — photos, pricing, paperwork, and where to post.
Read guideHow to price your FSBO listing — comps, days-on-market, and the drift trap.
The pricing process FSBO sellers should actually follow, why 'list high and see' loses money, and how to think about price adjustments if the home does not sell.
Read guideFSBO paperwork by state — what every seller actually has to file.
Required disclosures, lead-paint forms, contract requirements, and where to find your state's promulgated forms when selling a home FSBO.
Read guideNegotiating without an agent — the FSBO offer playbook.
How to evaluate offers, write counters, review contingencies, and know when to call an attorney — without an agent in your corner.
Read guideClosing an FSBO sale — title, attorney, and the wire-fraud playbook.
What actually happens between accepted offer and the wire hitting your account: title company vs. attorney, who pays what, and how to avoid the wire-fraud scam.
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Investor deals
ARV, rehab, and the 70% rule — practical investor underwriting.
How real investors calculate maximum allowable offer using ARV and rehab, why the 70% rule needs adjustments in different markets, and the most common underwriting mistakes.
Read guideWholesale vs. direct buy — when to assign, double-close, or take title.
The three investor exit strategies on off-market deals — assignment, double-close, and direct buy — with the tax, legal, and market context that decides which one to use.
Read guideBuilding a cash-flow rental portfolio — DSCR math and scaling past 10 doors.
Market selection, DSCR loan math, the BRRRR cycle, and how experienced investors actually scale a rental portfolio past the wall most newcomers hit at 4–8 doors.
Read guideForeclosure and probate pipelines — building consistent off-market deal flow.
How investors source consistent off-market deals from public records — pre-foreclosure, auction, REO, probate, and tax-delinquent lists. With timing, costs, and approach.
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