Does it make sense to rent a property back to seller?

[David Nutakor]

Hi BP Team,

I am in the process of making an offer on a home, but the seller wants to rent it back for six months which doesn't make sense to me. Please note that l like the property and the rent the seller wants to pay is reasonable, based on comps in the area. However, l'm not sure if l'll be able to get a good tenant in January 2019 when he vacates the property. August seems to be great month for renting because it marks the beginning of the school year. One question l keep asking myself is"why can't the property owner sell the property in January 2019 when he is ready to get rid of it"? Please let me know if anybody has done this in the past. What are the pros and cons?

Thanks for your time,

David

[Tyler Mullen]

A rent back is also very common within 30 miles of Seattle.  If you market is tight and they want the rent back through Jan, I get your issue with the timing.  Seller is selling in summer for highest price and they wan to rent or buy in winter at lowest price of the season, crafty.

Ask for a higher rent, like 30-40% higher.  That will make the rent effectively through March - April, then figure you need a month or so to make repairs... you're right back in the think of rental season!