Landlord wants me to sell his house

Landlord wants me to sell his house

knoxville, TN · Member since 2013 · 61 posts · 4 votes

Hi everyone

I rent a house in east TN that has been for sale on the market since about last July. Recently my landlord asked me if I would like to sell the house for him. He has had it listed with a realtor but it doesn't seem that the realtor has done much to promote the house. I had told my landlord that I have been looking into real estate and that I had recently done a deal. He said he figured that I would be able to do as much, if not more, than the realtor has done for him. I am assuming that his agreement with the realtor in expiring or he's planning on getting out of it somehow.

I'm trying to think of the best way to handle it for him if he does indeed get clear of his realtors agreement. I don't mind trying to sell it for him but I would like to make some money on it of course. The owner basically asked me to consider doing it for him and to let him know how much I would want to make.

He currently has it listed for 130,000 but pulling comps shows it to be worth about 120,000. He's not wanting to drop his asking price and he said that if it doesn't sell soon, that he's going to just "make it a rental". He said this because of the fact that he is renting it to us for about $150 below the market rent . I have thought before that this would be a good situation to get a tenant/buyer in there on a lease option. I did bring that up but he said he just wanted to make a "clean break". I suspect that this may be a scenario that he is more likely to consider after a duration of me pushing the house enough to get a decent amount of interest and he realizes that he's not going to get what he's asking on it.

My question has to do with the method by which I would endeavor to sell this house for him. I don't want to get nailed for practicing real estate without a license so I wonder if anybody has any suggestions on how I should do this. I thought of maybe becoming a principle by getting it under an option agreement that I could assign for however long the owner would like to try his hand at selling, and at the end of which I would suggest trying to get a tenant buyer since he's going to want to start getting market rent at that point.

any suggestions would greatly appreciated!

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  • Real Estate Broker · Cleveland Dayton Cincinnati Toledo Columbus & Akron, OH · Member since 2013 · 30k+ posts · 20k+ votes
    12y

    does not appear to be any money to be made here.

  • Investor · Vancouver, WA · Member since 2013 · 3k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    12y

    A bit of an odd situation. Too risky for you to take on that role.

    What is your exit strategy? Are you looking for another place to live or would you like to stay? If you would like to stay, would you like to buy the house? If yes, can you position yourself to get financing? If the house sells to someone else, what would it take for you to move? You have some options to explore. Your choice.

  • Investor · Sherman Oaks, CA · Member since 2008 · 6k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    12y

    Hi @Michael Campbell

    Here is my issue with your "greedy seller"

    If you care about the tenant buyer getting the mortgage, set the sales price at the current comps with 3% option fee.

    You can do a lease option assignment deal, use my letter of intent in my files.

    http://www.biggerpockets.com/files/user/REISkills

    Bring that to an attorney and make $3K by having the seller sign a lease and an option for $123K. You get three K.

    That is fair.

    @Bill Gulley may want to comment about your "maybe" deal.

  • Investor, Entrepreneur, Educator · Springfield, MO · Member since 2009 · 21k+ posts · 12k+ votes
    12y

    Okay, wait for the listing to expire, since the owner approached you the Realtor isn't the procuring cause of any future sale because if he had been he'd still be entitled to a commission for a number of days beyond expiration of the listing.

    Get an option, sell the option to your buyer, collect an option fee, do not pas GO! :)

  • Will BarnardPro Member
    Moderator
    Developer · Santa Clarita, CA · Member since 2008 · 15k+ posts · 10k+ votes
    12y
    Originally posted by @Bill Gulley:
    Okay, wait for the listing to expire, since the owner approached you the Realtor isn't the procuring cause of any future sale because if he had been he'd still be entitled to a commission for a number of days beyond expiration of the listing.

    Get an option, sell the option to your buyer, collect an option fee, do not pas GO! :)

    Actually, you do get to pass Go, and collect your option fee! :)

  • knoxville, TN · Member since 2013 · 61 posts · 4 votes
    12y

    Thanks alot guys

    @Bill Gulley How much do I need to be concerned about the ability of the end buyer to get financing? If their financing fell through for some reason, would we just be back to square one except for me being a few thousand dollars richer for the assignment? Do I convey the option agreement to the end buyer by means of a basic assignment?

  • Investor, Entrepreneur, Educator · Springfield, MO · Member since 2009 · 21k+ posts · 12k+ votes
    12y
    Originally posted by @Michael Campbell:
    Thanks alot guys

    @Bill Gulley How much do I need to be concerned about the ability of the end buyer to get financing? If their financing fell through for some reason, would we just be back to square one except for me being a few thousand dollars richer for the assignment? Do I convey the option agreement to the end buyer by means of a basic assignment?

    Today, the way things are now, how do you like the idea of getting sued for predatory dealing? :)

  • knoxville, TN · Member since 2013 · 61 posts · 4 votes
    12y

    @Bill Gulley definitely don't want to get sued and definitely want to do right by my landlord. I'm just wondering how I need to handle that aspect. Should I require a pre-approval of financing letter or something?

  • Investor, Entrepreneur, Educator · Springfield, MO · Member since 2009 · 21k+ posts · 12k+ votes
    12y

    I'd put an option or purchase contract on it with the seller and assign the contract to my buyer. Your buyer needs a financing contingency in a purchase contract, so if they don't qualify you find another buyer, if the are qualified the assignment fee is payable and retained as your profit. With an option, have the buyer get pre qualified, it too can have a financing contingency to the point of any loan commitment being made, at that point the option is granted.

    Just find qualified buyers.

    Your buyer could contract directly with the seller after you take an option and first right of refusal, if the seller ends up going to closing the seller can pay you to release the option and FRR to clear title to sell.

    Watch yourself with licensing laws. :)

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