Beese Properties

Is the ghost of repossession haunting you?

The sell and rent back scheme was born into the property market around 2006 in response to the fear of thousands of homeowners losing their homes. The idea of sell and rent back your home is basically a rescue from repossession. If the homeowner is struggling financially it is possible to turn to an investor and offer their home for a quick sale but with the benefit of being able to stay living in the property paying rent.

About 6-12 months later, the sell and rent back scheme evolved to help the homeowner even further. As many people had built up a lot of equity in their homes over the years, a new buy back option was introduced. This provided a huge benefit as it gave the struggling homeowner the option to buy back their home once they had sorted out their finances and therefore keep the vast majority of the equity for themselves.

However, once the homeowner has decided to take this path of sell and rent back, it is very important to be aware of some potential problems and the way in which they can be prevented:

Fee Payments

All fees in the sell and rent back scheme are paid for solely by the buyer. These include the survey and the solicitor costs. Be aware of any fees the homeowner is being asked to pay. The main reason for this is if the sale fell through, any fees paid will be lost.

Sudden increases in rent

It is very important the tenancy agreement is thoroughly read before completing on the sale. Make sure the agreement states that the increases are a maximum of twice a year and in line with inflation. Many unscrupulous companies offer a decent rent for the first six months and then on renewal of the agreement, hike the rent so high that the tenant has no choice but to move out.

Sale of the Property

Be aware that once the property has been sold the new owner can sell the property at any time forcing the tenants to leave with just two months notice. If the sell and rent back scheme was a part of the sale it is very important to ask for a restriction of sale agreement. This agreement prevents the buyer from selling the property without written authorization from the tenant.

Although there can be some pitfalls along the way, there are also many advantages in opting for the sell and rent back scheme. The first and most important is the homeowner will not be repossessed. There is always the option of selling the property on the open market; however this can take up to one year for the sale to happen in the present market. It is imperative that the homeowner write their finances down on paper and check if this solution is viable.

Another advantage is there is no cost involved for the homeowner who at this point cannot afford any extra expenditure. A third advantage would be total discretion. No one will know and the homeowner’s daily life will not be disturbed.

With home repossessions on the increase and at the highest level in years, the sell and rent back scheme definitely is an option to be considered at the first symptoms of a financial problem rather than leave it to the last minute.

Beese Properties is a well established property company which offers all of the above. They look for the best solution for the homeowner and if the sell and rent back scheme is the best option they will base the rent on the current rental market in the area. For more information, visit them online at www.beeseproperties.com.

The economy has been shaken to its foundations, repossession is at the highest level for 12 years and estate agents are selling on average just one home each month. All the doom and gloom surrounding us and the property market has hit homeowners on their most sensitive issue – their homes.

Facing the reality of having to sell their homes to avoid repossession is a heartbreaking decision for hundreds of thousands of families. Even through these difficult times there are remarkable people who found a solution to avoid losing their homes.

Sell and rent back was the solution for thousands of families. They opted for a new and very different route in order to keep their homes from being taken by their mortgage lenders or secured loan lenders and forcing them onto the streets. Selling their homes and renting it back was the financial solution they were looking for. With their financial problems being sorted they are now well on their way to buying their home back. 

But is the sell and rent back option the right solution? The homeowner must be careful and think ahead. First step is to put finances on paper and analyze very carefully all the expenses and income. If the expenses are higher than the income there is without doubt a hole in your finances that need sorting.

Next step is to check if the sale of the property would make any difference in the finances. Will the sell and rent back option provide a break in the negative cash flow? Will all the debts be paid off if the sell and rent back option is the chosen path?  The homeowner must keep in mind that there will be rent to be paid instead of a mortgage so another close check in the finances is strongly recommended to make sure the rent is affordable.

There is the risk that the homeowner after deciding to opt for the sell and rent back scheme cannot afford to pay the rent and this will subsequently lead to an eviction.

It can do no harm at all to negotiate with the buyer about how much rent is to be paid. There is no point in agreeing to pay a certain amount of rent if further down the road you know you won’t be able to afford it.

Although there is no regulation yet for the sell and rent back scheme it is in the home buyer’s best interest to keep the families in their home as long as possible. The main reason for that is landlords want the property to have low vacancy rates. If the property has many different tenants it will mean some months of vacancy which in turn means no income for the landlord. There is also the added risk of a break in meaning more cost to the buyer. The bottom line is that it is in the best interest of the home buyer to have families living in their properties for as long as possible.

For more information about the sell and rent back scheme and how this may work for you, visit Beese Properties online at www.beeseproperties.com.