Private listings guide · Updated October 2026
Private listings skip the listing agent, and sometimes the bank. That can mean flexible terms and homes you won’t find anywhere else. It also means the paperwork checks are up to you. This guide covers them step by step.
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Look up the address on your county’s tax assessor or recorder website and make sure the owner’s name matches the seller’s ID. If more than one person owns the home, everyone on the title usually needs to sign.
Compare recent sales of similar homes nearby. If you’re borrowing, your lender will order an appraisal; if you’re paying cash or using owner financing, consider ordering one yourself.
Use a written purchase agreement with contingencies for the inspection, your financing, the appraisal and a clear title. Many buyers have a real estate attorney draft or review it.
Earnest money should go to a title company, escrow agent or attorney, never to the seller’s personal account. They hold the money and handle the closing.
A home inspection shows the condition. A title search shows liens, unpaid taxes and ownership claims. Owner’s title insurance protects you if someone later claims a debt or interest from before you bought.
At closing, the closing agent pays out the funds and the deed is recorded with the county. If you’re getting a mortgage, your lender must give you a Closing Disclosure at least three business days before closing, so you can check the final terms.
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Owner financing can help when a bank loan isn’t the right fit. But the terms are whatever you and the seller agree to, so they deserve the same care a lender would give them.
The deed usually transfers to you at closing. You sign a note promising to repay the seller, and the seller holds a mortgage or deed of trust on the home until it’s paid off, much as a bank would.
Also called a land contract, bond for deed or installment contract. The seller keeps the legal title until you’ve made every payment, and you usually pay the property taxes, insurance and repairs in the meantime. If you fall behind, the seller may try to cancel the contract and keep what you’ve paid. Even when every payment is made, trouble can come up if the seller has a lien on the home or won’t hand over the deed.
“Some contracts for deed can provide a path to homeownership, but most carry risks.”
What’s the price, the down payment and the interest rate?
How long is the loan, and is there a large balloon payment at the end?
Who collects and records the payments? A third-party loan servicer keeps an independent record.
Who pays property taxes and insurance, and is there an escrow account for them?
What happens if a payment is late, and how much time do you have to catch up?
Will the deed, the mortgage or the contract be recorded with the county?
Does the seller still have a mortgage on the home? Many mortgages must be paid in full when the home is sold, so ask how it will be handled.
Have a real estate attorney licensed in your state review the note, the contract and the title before you sign.
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These describe types of sale, not homes for sale. Real listings come in your alerts.
The seller acts as the lender, and you pay the seller in installments instead of getting a bank mortgage.
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Watch for: balloon payments and forfeiture clauses. Have an attorney review the documents before you sign.
Owner financing explained
Homes sold directly by the owner, or quietly offered without a public listing.
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Watch for: anyone who can’t prove they own the home, or who asks you to wire money before a closing agent is involved.
Buying from an owner05
Without a listing agent, nobody is routinely checking disclosures, contract terms or deadlines for you. Build that review in.
Liens, unpaid taxes, a co-owner who hasn’t agreed to sell, or an estate that isn’t settled can all stop a sale, or follow you after it.
Owners set their own prices. Some are fair, some are optimistic. Recent sales and an appraisal keep you grounded.
Plan for the inspection, title search, owner’s title insurance, escrow or closing fees, recording fees, and attorney fees if you use one.
Criminals send fake wiring instructions that look like they come from a closing agent. Before you wire money, call the closing agent at a phone number you looked up yourself, not one from the email.
Watch for balloon payments, interest rates above what a lender would charge, and forfeiture clauses that let the seller keep everything if you fall behind.
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Owners selling on their own appreciate clear, written offers and quick answers.
Many states require sellers to disclose known defects. For homes built before 1978, federal rules also require sellers to disclose known lead-based paint hazards and give buyers a chance to have the paint inspected.
Use the closing agent’s escrow account, checks or bank transfers you’ve verified, never cash, gift cards or cryptocurrency.
A good relationship with the seller is no substitute for an independent inspection.
It’s a one-time cost that protects you against claims from before you bought.
A real estate attorney or a HUD-approved housing counselor can explain what you’re agreeing to.
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Tell us your area and what you’re after. We’ll send by-owner, off-market and owner-financed listings that fit as they come up, by email and by text if you choose.
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The FTC’s rental-scam checks apply to private sales too: confirm who owns the home before you pay anyone.
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You don’t have to use an agent, but you’ll be handling the work a buyer’s agent normally helps with, and some states require an attorney for parts of the closing. Many buyers hire a real estate attorney to draft or review the contract.
Not quite. With owner financing you’re buying the home and paying the seller over time; with a lease-option you’re renting with the right to buy later. A contract for deed is sometimes marketed as rent-to-own, so read the contract to see which one you’re signing.
It’s a home that’s for sale but isn’t publicly advertised on the MLS or major listing sites. It may be shared by word of mouth, through agents’ contacts, or by the owner directly.
Check your county’s property records and compare the owner’s name with the seller’s ID. Before closing, a title search from a title company or attorney confirms ownership and shows any liens.
By-owner, off-market and owner-financed listings that fit your area and budget, sent by email, and by text if you choose.
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