How to Get More Than The Asking Price For Your Property

Part 2 of 4

Equity attracts Note Buyers
One key to liquidating a seller-financed mortgage is found in the property’s equity. The equity in the private note essentially acts as a “safety net” for the Note Buyer, in case there is a problem collecting the payments. So note buyers find deals with strong equity more attractive.
Remember, a Note Buyer is purchasing monthly payments secured by property. If the property is worth more than the remaining balance of the note, the buyer could seize the extra value in a foreclosure situation by reselling the property. This allows the new Note Holder to recoup his initial outlay and receive the additional equity.
Most Note Buyers will do a quick equity check before looking at any other information. By first determining the note’s Loan-To-Value (LTV), buyers can decide whether to dig deeper or move on. The LTV is calculated by comparing the balance of all of the loans to the value of the property.
Two equity examples
To illustrate, let’s consider two houses, each valued at $100,000. One home has loans of $95,000 and the second home has loans of $70,000.
The first home has an LTV of 95 percent (95k/100k = 95), indicating only 5 percent equity (100 – 95 = 5).
The second home has an LTV of 70 percent (70k/100k = 70), showing 30 percent equity in the property (100 – 70 = 30).
Clearly, most buyers will not be as interested in the note on the first home because there is virtually no protective equity. In this situation, the buyer of the note would want to discount the note purchase a fair amount to make up for the fact that there is little equity.
The second note with 70 percent LTV will require less discounting, and the Note Holder will receive a larger portion of their note as compared to the note balance. This is because the Note Buyer stands to benefit from holding a substantial amount of equity in the property (30 percent) if the Payor were to default on their obligation.

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Sydney Griecci
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