To be a successful wholesaler, you have to be prepared to work every deal you find, even when they aren’t ideal situations
A motivated seller is a motivated seller. If there is money to be made, don’t let a small glitch prevent you from considering a deal. Wholesaling houses with mortgages is part of that deal.One of the burdens of home ownership is the mortgage. Even homes in affluent neighborhoods go into foreclosure. Remember the crash of 2008? Millions of homeowners lost or were at risk for losing their home because they were underwater on their loans.
Equity Is King
Some wholesaling deals will involve houses with debt. What matters to you as a wholesaler is the amount of equity the seller has in their home. It’s much easier to close a deal if you can offer them more than what is owed. They’ll simply use the proceeds from the sale to pay off their loan.
Some homeowners are still hesitant because they aren’t motivated enough. When the seller needs some convincing, remind them of the cash they’ll have in their pocket when this is all over. Look, the seller wants two things from the sale of their home, 1) to get out from under their home debt, and 2) to walk from the deal with some cash in their pocket. If your offer price is higher than what they owe, then the latter is true, but that’s not always the case.
The Short Sale
A less desirable option is the short sale. This type of transaction occurs when a seller owes more on the house than it’s worth. Though this is not ideal, anything is possible. Many wholesalers would, instead, not get involved with short sales because of the extra hassle involved and find it not worth their time, so they move on. This presents you with an opportunity. The seller would already have to be in default on their loan, be willing to take a hit to their credit score AND be able to bring cash to the closing table.
It’s important to realize that there are many reasons why a seller might be eager to sell or why they are behind on their mortgage payments. They may have inherited the home or suffered a job loss. Just because they are underwater on their mortgage, doesn’t mean that they don’t have cash in the bank. They may be going through a divorce or being relocated for work. The takeaway here is, don’t presume anything, your goal is to make money. If the deal presents an opportunity to do so, don’t make assumptions about the seller’s motivation.
Wholesaling houses with mortgages is really no different than most real estate transactions. It is far more common to find a seller that still owes on their home than one who owns it outright. As a wholesaler, that is the leverage you want. Your only concern is, can you find a buyer? It doesn’t matter to you how much the seller owes if you can strike a deal that turns a profit.
