While REO properties could be rather cheap, they are not for everyone as they are not sold in the open market through auctions. By definition, REO properties lack equity and also come with some built-in risks especially when one is buying a Houston investment property in ‘as-is’ condition. Most lenders who are stuck with re-possessed property would be interested in getting rid of the property as soon as possible in order to recover part of the costs that remains sunk in the property. Similarly, lenders are not interested in paying management costs which means that they are willing to sell the properties at prices that are way below market rates.

REO properties could be foreclosed, but the key issue here is that they cannot be auctioned. These also lack essential disclosure purposes and liability releases as they were taken from the buyer to the bank. The only reason the lender does not have any liability on these properties is because they do not have a hold on the buyer which not only compels them to list it with local real estate agents but also sell it off at lower prices, given the fact that holding properties for long periods of time is quite counterproductive and costly too.

Holding an REO property is of no use and is a drain as its upkeep is the responsibility of the lender. One also has to look at the rehab costs in getting the house into a functioning, rentable condition, which is why people should take advantage of special software programs to print inspection forms and see as to how much it would cost. Holding REO property costs money for every day it remains vacant.

Lenders that have an REO property would like to sell it off as soon as they can. It is true that they would not like to hold on to it for long which is why they enlist the services of local estate agents to sell it off. They are also quite willing to hammer out some structured deals for those buyers who want to buy such properties in bulk.

Buying an REO property is not a walk in the park as a cheap Houston investment property could very well attract a lot of competition and interest from other investors. There will be quite a few bids and one could also have participation of institutional investors. REO is better than auctions per se, because of the fact that in auctions you have to pay up front in cash and do not get the chance to inspect the property before buying it. In some cases, people can take up loans under the rural housing plan towards these types of properties. In auctions, however, you will be able to ensure that you do not have to deal with the lender, but buy the property directly.

Owner financing can also be an option for more than just traditional homes. Property owners can potentially carry the note for commercial property, land, and most other types of real estate. Owner financing is not very common among homeowners and it is usually employed by investors buying investment property to rent out or flip. If a property is in a bad condition or the owner has a vacant home sitting on the market for a significant period of time, then he or she may consider owner financing. Owner financing or seller financing (also called “rent to own”) is a process by which the seller offers to hold the note for you. No banks or credit are needed for this type of Houston investment property purchasing.

Owner financing allows you to set the terms, including interest rate and payment terms for your Houston investment property purchase. You are helping the seller while generating steady cash flow; owner financing is creative deal structuring that is a win/win for all parties involved. Owner financing happens when the owner or seller of the property is the one financing the buyer so in this case the owner acts as the bank. The buyer in turn can pay the needed amount monthly or whatever may be the agreement instead of going to the bank for financing. Owner financing can be considered with large or small down payments, it all depends on the term of the contract.

Owner financing is common in a buyer’s market for Houston investment property. In order to protect his or her own interests, the seller may require a higher down payment than a mortgage lender would, but usually at lower interest rates than available from traditional lenders. In most cases, owner financing comes from the entrepreneur’s savings.

Interest rates on Houston investment property are variable, based upon the Prime rate, with spreads set by financial institutions. Typical spreads are 1.50% to 2.50% over prime, with lower rates to investors with stronger historic debt service coverage. Interest rates of these institutions vary. For getting lower rate, some research work becomes inevitable. Owner financing eliminates this research, as most sellers will agree to a percentage point or more below prime, with a few cases setting up zero interest financing.

Offering a prospective home buyer seller financing is a great way to sell a home. You typically get top dollar and sell the home much faster. Offering terms generates a lot more buyers looking at Houston investment property, and can sometimes make the difference of being the first to sell a property in particular neighborhoods.

Creative financing for investment property includes some of the best known forms of financing like government supported home loans and programs. These have been initiated by the government with the intent of helping to revive the home loan market which had seen a huge slump in the wake of the economic crisis that has enveloped the globe. The terms in this kind of financing are quite encouraging and easy so that you may not have to really go bust in the wake of the loan. 

Another form of creative financing for your Houston investment property is rent-to-own financing where you can own a home while you are renting out the prospective property. One has to be quite clear on these options in terms of legalities as well as the extra amount that you would have to pay over and above the rent in order to have a claim on owning the property in due course of time. 

The third kind of creative financing that can be considered is hard money lending where people get access to funds to purchase the Houston investment property through a hard money lender. The hard money lender could get funds from private lenders or financial institutions. The advantage is that the borrower can get access to funds that he/she cannot garner in an individual capacity. 

Another form of creative financing is fixer upper properties, which involves properties that have certain defects or flaws. These properties are available at prices much lower than the going market rate due to these defects. The wise Houston property investor can pick up these properties cheap, get them renovated and then sell them off at a profit.