A recent survey reported that 2.9 times more first time home buyers than repeat buyers expect a home purchase delay due to their current lease terms. My first reaction to this statement is “No duh!” I would expect most repeat buyers do not have a lease but own their home. Lease terms definitely can affect a first time buyers’ purchase timeframe. A lease is a written legal contract between the landlord and the lessee. Note that I am not an attorney, but here are some common sense thoughts about leases and home purchases.
Firstly, plan ahead. If you know your lease terminates in 6 months and you want to buy a house, go ahead and start planning now. Submit a mortgage application and get prequalified. Build a relationship with a Realtor. Set aside more money for a down payment and closing. Planning ahead may help you win loan approval and buy your dream home. Waiting until the last minute will likely cause you stress and frustration.
Secondly, know your lease terms. What is the penalty for terminating your lease early? Do you forfeit your security deposit? Is there a different penalty? Then evaluate the contractual penalty versus the home you want. If you find and can buy your dream home, and the lease termination penalty is not too steep, you may want to go ahead and buy now. The key here is to know the penalty so you can evaluate your opportunities. Is missing the opportunity to buy the perfect home worth saving the security deposit you paid a few years ago? Only you can make that choice.
Thirdly, talk with your landlord. If your lease expires in 30 days and you still haven’t found the perfect house, perhaps you can negotiate a month to month lease or a 90 day lease continuation instead of signing a longer term lease. Perhaps you could offer a slightly higher monthly rent to compensate the landlord for the shorter term lease, thus “buying more time” to search for and find the right home for you.
In short, planning ahead, knowing your lease details, and making an effort to negotiate with your landlord may give you the flexibility you need to find the perfect first home, without the stress of having a “deadline” hanging over you. When you are ready to do your home purchase planning, call me. I will give you as much time as you need to coach and counsel you, making sure you are truly ready to buy your first home.
