Charlotte Property Management Weekly: The Options Available to Owners of Vacant Homes

As a Charlotte property manager specializing in lease options (rent-to-own and rent-to-sell), we get many calls from home sellers "exploring their options" about their vacant properties (unlike Obama, my puns are typically not intended). So, as a public service, I'll run through the available options:

1. Strategic default (I think this is what it is being called): Stop paying the mortgage and taking the credit score beating like a man
2. Put the property on the market for sale: If the home is special and priced well, it will sell in some period of time. If not, eat the mortgage every month until the banks start lending again.
3. Rent the property out: Get most of the mortgage paid every month by the tenant. Keep a tenant in the property until the market comes back and then place the home up for sale.
4. Rent-to-sell the property: Put a rent-to-own tenant into the property who will pay the mortgage and potentially buy the home during their lease period.
5. Rent out the property and then put it on the market: In my experience, this leads to disappointed sellers and upset tenants.
6. Arson: Not recommended. And, no, this is not a service we offer!

All of these approaches obviously have pros and cons (like jail time). Depending on each respective person's needs and tolerance for risk, each approach could be the appropriate one.

And to conclude the public service announcement, please contact your local property manager for further details.

Brett Furniss is the President & Owner of BDF Realty ("Charlotte's Most Innovative Property Management & Investment Company"), and Rent-To-Sell Realty ("When You Need a New Solution to Sell Your Home") which specialize in rent-to-own (lease options) and rent-to-sell homes. His newest book, A Real Estate Agent's Complete Guide to Representing Rent-To-Own (Lease Option) Tenants (Delight Clients, Fill Vacant Homes, and Earn $2,250* Upfront! (*Minimum!)