Every listing on OwnCarry is tagged with one of these eight financing structures. Here's what each one means, and who it actually suits.
You lease the home now with the exclusive right — not the obligation — to buy it at a price locked in today, usually within one to five years. The option fee typically credits toward the purchase.
Good fit: Buyers who need time to build credit or savings; sellers who want income now and a committed buyer later.
See lease option listings →The seller acts as the bank: you make a down payment and pay the seller monthly under a promissory note and deed of trust. No institutional lender is involved.
Good fit: Buyers who can't — or don't want to — qualify with a bank; sellers who own free and clear and want interest income instead of a lump sum.
See seller carry listings →A rental where part of each month's payment accrues as credit toward the purchase price, usually alongside an agreed future price.
Good fit: Renters working toward ownership who want their monthly payment to start counting for something.
See rent-to-own listings →You take title to the property while the seller's existing mortgage stays in place — you make the payments on their loan, often keeping a low legacy rate.
Good fit: Investors and buyers chasing below-market rates; sellers who need out quickly with little equity.
See subject-to listings →A new seller-financed loan 'wraps' the existing mortgage: you pay the seller one payment, and the seller keeps paying the underlying loan beneath it.
Good fit: Deals where the seller wants to earn a spread over their existing rate while financing the buyer.
See wraparound listings →Also called a contract for deed: you pay the seller in installments and receive full legal title only after the final payment, holding equitable title along the way.
Good fit: Lower-cost properties and rural markets where traditional financing is hard to place.
See land contract listings →You formally take over the seller's existing FHA, VA, or USDA mortgage — its balance, its remaining term, and crucially its original interest rate.
Good fit: Buyers who can qualify with the lender and want a rate from a lower-rate era; sellers using that rate as a selling point.
See assumable loan listings →A hybrid: a bank finances most of the price and the seller carries a second mortgage to shrink your cash to close.
Good fit: Buyers who qualify for most — but not all — of the price; sellers happy to bridge the gap for a full-price offer.
See seller second listings →Creative financing is legitimate and common, and it carries real risk that varies by state. A balloon payment comes due whether or not you can refinance. A subject-to purchase leaves a mortgage in someone else's name and may trigger a due-on-sale clause. A lease option expires. Several states — Texas among them — heavily regulate land contracts and long lease-purchase agreements.
OwnCarry is a venue, not a broker, lender, or party to any transaction. Engage a licensed real-estate attorney, and use a licensed mortgage loan originator and third-party escrow or servicing where required. See our disclosures for the federal rules that apply.