Consumer Agency Cracks Down on Seller-Financed Home Sales

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A federal regulator signaled it would take a tougher stance with seller-financed home sales on Tuesday, saying that they were subject to many of the same consumer protections as a home bought with a more traditional mortgage. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau released an advisory opinion that put sellers on notice that it would not tolerate the predatory practices that have come to dominate the so-called contract for deed market. These seller-backed sales have become popular in poor neighborhoods with rundown single-family homes, where mortgages are hard to come by. Contract for deeds are multiyear installment contracts in which the seller retains the title to a home until the buyer makes a final payment. These risky deals often have above-market interest rates and put the burden of repairs on the would-be buyer. The regulator made clear that contract for deed sales were subject to federal truth and lending laws that required sellers to first assess a person’s ability to buy a home as well as provide full disclosure of the risks and hidden costs associated with these deals.