From bird-dogging to seller financing, Carter Brown kicked off the Credit and Debt Summit with six strategies for buying a home with bad credit and no money down. Even if you have a bad credit score and no down payment, Brown explains the six strategies for buying home, or investing in real estate.
Buying a Home with Bad Credit and No Money Down
Carter Brown is a real estate coach for Prosper Learning who started investing in real estate while he was in college. He now coaches other people on out-of-the-box strategies for buying homes or investing in the real estate market. These strategies don’t require any money down, and they can be used by people with bad credit scores.
As part of the Credit and Debt Summit, Brown shared these strategies with registrants:
- Assigning contracts
- Double-escrow closing
- Subject to financing
- Seller financing
- Lease options
- Bird-dogging
Two of the highlights are “subject to financing” and “bird-dogging. “
Buying a Home with Bad Credit and No Money Down Strategy: Subject to Financing
Subject to financing is a perfect strategy for buyers with bad credit and no money down and sellers who are on the brink of foreclosure. It works like this:
The buyer takes over mortgage payments on a person’s house. In exchange, the seller transfers the title to the buyer, but—and here’s the kicker—the seller keeps the loan in his or her name. The buyer, however, starts making payments on the home.
Does this sound crazy? Why in the world would a seller transfer title but keep the loan in his or her name?
It isn’t crazy, and Brown explains why it works;
1. The homeowner (seller) is going to lose the home to foreclosure otherwise. Under “subject to financing,” the seller doesn’t have to go through foreclosure and preserves his or her credit score. Perhaps more importantly, the seller’s financial stresses are over. No longer do they have to worry about coming up with thousands of dollars, negotiating with banks, attempting—and failing—to get loan modifications. The buyer can take over payments immediately, leaving the seller with peace of mind.
2. The buyer and seller can always write a clause into the contract that forces the home to return to the original owner in the event that the buyer misses a payment. And because the loan is still in the original owner’s name, the seller can track the buyer’s payments.
3. Worst-case scenario, the buyer misses a payment and the home returns to the original owner. If this happens, the original owner can start making payments if his or her financial situation has improved. If the original owner’s financial situation has not improved, he or she is no worse for the wear.
Obviously, this strategy is a bit sophisticated. Want the transcripts of Brown’s Credit and Debt Summit webinar? Register for the free summit here and get more details, including information on where you can find qualified sellers.
Buying a Home with Bad Credit and No Money Down Strategy: Bird-Dogging
If “subject to financing” makes you nervous, but you still want to get your foot in the door and start learning advanced techniques for real estate investing, Brown suggests starting with a technique he calls “bird dogging.”
Under this strategy, you don’t actually buy a home, but it allows you to shadow someone who is using outside-the-box strategies, which means you can quickly move up the ladder and start learning about buying a home with bad credit and no money down.
Simple put, bird-dogging is another way of saying that you act as a scout, and you get paid for bringing a seller and an investor together. You also get to shadow the investor so that you learn more about real estate investments.
Let’s say that you are chatting with your neighbor, and you learn that she and her husband are in financial distress. Their house has been on the market for months, but no one is biting. If something doesn’t happen—and soon—the bank is going to foreclosure.
This is where you come in. Simply introduce your neighbor to a real estate investor. Tell the investor that you want to provide a referral for a finder’s fee. If the investor purchases the property, you will receive a fee of about $500.
This isn’t where it ends. Ask the investor if you can shadow the transaction. Let the investor know that you are interested in learning more about real estate strategies. The investor, thrilled that a hot deal has dropped onto his or her lap, will agree.
Brown goes on to describe four other strategies for buying a home with bad credit and no money down. His strategies offer something for everyone—from the seasoned investor to the newbie hoping to get his or her feet wet.
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