What Is A Real Estate Purchase Option?

By: Gregory Walding
Submitted: 2007-01-17 16:16:14
Print this article | Tell a friend | For publisher | Social Bookmarking
Rating:
 

A real estate purchase option is a document that gives someone the right to purchase a piece of property at a fixed price during the term that the real estate purchase option is in effect. During the option period, the owner can not sell the property to anyone else and must sell the property to the purchaser of the option if the purchaser desires the property. The purchaser has the right, but not the obligation, to purchase the property. The purchaser can let the option expire without purchasing the property. Your only lose, in this case, would be the price you paid for the real estate purchase option.

There are three things you must determine at the time that the option is created for the property.

1. How much will you pay for the property if you decide to purchase it? It does not matter if the value of the property goes up or down during the option term, you will be able to purchase the property for the price agreed upon in the option. If the value goes up, you win, but if the value goes down, you should let the option expire and just purchase it for the going value at the time. Your maximum loss is the amount you paid the owner for the real estate purchase option.

2. How long is the term of the option? The term is a fixed amount of time and depends on what you and the owner will agreed upon. Most option contracts have a one or two year term but it can be any amount of time that you agree.

3. How much are you willing to pay for the option? You must purchase the option from the owner of the property. This money belongs to the owner no matter if you decide to purchase the property or let the option expire.

To prevent the owner from selling the property while the option is in effect, you can record the real estate purchase option with the county courthouse. However, you may want to consider the consequences of this action as some mortgage companies will call the loan due if they see a purchase option for the property as they consider it a sale. You should use your judgment for this.

Once you own a real estate purchase option, you control the property. Also, the real estate purchase option is also an asset that may be sold, or assigned to another person if you wish. Look for the next article to see what you can do with your property now that you have secured the purchase option.

Greg Walding owns W & P Property Management and has a gained alot of knowledge in the area of securing property with very little money down. check out some of the information he has gathered at http://www.extremepersonalfinance.com

Article source: Expert Articles

Most Recent Articles in Real Estate category

  • The Silver Lining of the Foreclosure Crisis - By: Leslie Eskildsen
    They need capital to not only buy the home, but also to restore it. Foreclosure homes can range from an empty, abandoned building to a trashed house with garbage strewn all over the place, missing fixtures and a galloping case of mold or termites.
  • Why You Should Invest in Spanish Property - By: Craig Edmonds
    The reasons why people choose to invest in Spanish property are varied. Those wanting to spend their vacation in this beautiful country know all about its beautiful beaches and romantic culture. They want to experience its golden sunsets and warm nights with the sea air wafting through the curtains.
  • Additional Inspections to Get Before You Buy That Home - By: Greg Smith
    Hiring a licensed pest inspector to check the home for wood destroying organisms such as termites and mold is always a good idea. Termite infestation wreaks havoc on the wood structures in your home, while keeping their presence a well-kept secret. Often it isn't until a great deal of damage has been done that you discover that you have termites.
  • The Ins & Outs of Sale Contingencies - By: Greg Smith
    A sale contingency is a critical contract addition for a buyer who owns a house that he or she needs to sell before closing on a new one. If she doesn't add this provision to the contract, she faces the possibility of having to pay two mortgages. With a sale contingency in place, the contract for the new home becomes null and void if she is unable to sell her home.
  • Problems With Mineral Rights Leasing - By: Anna Poelo
    Problems and disputes cannot be wholly avoided in mineral rights leasing.
  • Milwood homes for those wanting to settle - By: Joe Cline
    It is your typical Austin community: landscaped lawns, tree-lined side-streets, kids playing, couples strolling, all awash in Texas sun on a summer's day, and you scout around for 'for sale' or 'for rent' signs.
  • Rosedale: An Austin Neighborhood By Any Other Name - By: Joe Cline
    Rosedale is simply enchanting. The small cottage-like homes offer a charming, homey, and exquisite appeal. The neighborhood offers a mix of the old and new Austin.
  • The 4 Parts of a Business Plan for Real Estate Agents - By: Cheri Alguire
    This model of business planning and goal setting for Real Estate Professionals breaks the process down to four parts and seventeen steps.
  • Tenant Screening - the first line of defense - By: Garret Lloyd
    Getting a tenant for an unoccupied apartment is definitely a good idea. But getting good tenants is of prime importance in order to ensure safety and peace of mind in the long run.
  • What is online reverse auction? - By: Ron Victor
    Reverse auction deals with internet auction and e-purchasing. This is also known by many names like procurement auction, sourcing event, e-sourcing, and e-auction. Generally in an auction, purchaser is allowed to place a bid on an item on the amount that he is willing to pay so that he can buy that item.