So you’ve found someone who wants to get away from their house payments, you’ve walked them through their options, and they’ve decided a lease option is the approach they want to pursue. You get the property under contract and now it’s time to find a tenant buyer. Getting the right person in the property will set you up for success. Here are a couple things to consider:
Stability is huge. A good way to check this is to make sure the people have steady employment. Many of these folks have been through a life-changing event recently. Maybe they lost their job a few years ago or went through a divorce, but no matter what it was, their credit took a hit. You’re looking for people who have rebounded and now have found steady income again.
A large portion of the tenant’s commitment to the property comes from their down payment. They need to have set aside some funds to get into a property. Make sure the down payment is enough that they will be unlikely to walk away from the property. If they only put down 1% of the property value they probably won’t look at the property much differently than a typical rental. You want someone who will view the property as theirs, so they’ll take care of it like they own it.
