Rent-to-Buy Program Takes Off in South Africa

The National Credit Act has made it difficult for potential home owners to get the loans they need to finance the purchase of a new property. This inability to get a loan makes it more difficult for these people to enter the housing market. Both first time buyers and the self-employed are particularly affected by the Act. Reports show that close to 50 percent of employed bond applicants are declined each month. An even more startling statistic is the 58 percent of self-employed applicants who are denied home loans.

A new concept is revolutionizing the South African property market. The introduction of a new Rent2Buy program in the area will provide buyers and sellers with an alternative way to conduct transactions. Meyer de Wall is the founder of Rent2Buy as well as a practicing attorney. According to De Wall, “We negotiate agreements between potential buyers and sellers whereby the buyer concludes a rental agreement with a seller with an option to purchase the property by a certain date and at an agreed price.”

Rent2Buy works by assuring the seller a set price for the property in the future. The buyer of the property pays rent in an amount that is approximately equal to the buyer’s future bond repayment. A unique aspect of the rent to buy transaction is that buyers are able to take immediate ownership of the property. Because they are taking over responsibility for the property, they are able to treat the home like it is their own and make changes accordingly. They will also be responsible for any rates, taxes, levies and maintenance.

“The idea is that the buyer uses the option period of the contract to prove his affordability and creditworthiness to the bank,” De Wall explains. “This way the buyer can eventually secure a loan to purchase the property. In addition to using the time to save for a deposit, he also shows he can afford the property and be disciplined by paying rent regularly and on time.”

Rent2Buy launched a home owner education programme with the goal of training and mentoring bond applicants and helping them succeed at securing a home loan. The My Budget Fitness programme will improve an applicant’s credit rating and put him on the path to being financially fit for a loan.

The programme was developed in association with Solly Molefe of Setsmol Training. “The programme is unique as it assigns personal budget trainers to applicants and uses innovative software to help home loan applicants track their progress and reach a financially fit state,” Molefe says. “Through mentorship, education and month-by-month guidance, home loan applicants reach affordability and clear their credit record as required under the National Credit Act.”

The My Budget Fitness Programme is available to anyone looking to secure a home loan, not just Rent2Buy customers.  The hope is that allowing everyone access to this type of program will improve the ability of anyone seeking a home loan to achieve their goal of being financially fit to be approved for a bond.

Hong Kong Rent-to-Buy Initiative to Improve Housing Market

In Hong Kong, a two-tiered solution to the skyrocketing home prices experienced over the few years has been proposed. The country will stop offering residency to foreigners who buy property. The second part of the proposed changes to Hong Kong’s policy is the implementation of a rent-to-buy program.

The new rent-to-buy program will offer 5,000 units for first-time property buyers. Buyers will able to rent for up to five years before eventually purchasing.

Cusson Leung, a Hong Kong-based analyst at Credit Suisse Group AG, commented that “many of the policies announced today may have only limited impact on the property market in the near term.”

“Take the rent-to-buy scheme,” said Leung, “a lot can still happen over the next few years.”

The rent-to-buy program will let first-time property owners rent a house for up to five years at a fixed rental cost. Half of the total rent paid during the rental period will be put towards a down payment to buy the home.

According to Wong Leung-sing, a research director at Centaline, Hong Kong’s biggest privately-held property broker, “These are good measures..I think this whole policy address is a move in the right direction.”

The first stage of the project is scheduled to be completed by 2014, and will include 1,000 units in the Tsing Yi district. Officials hope the new rent-to-buy initiative, coupled with a cease in residency offers to foreigners buying property will cool home prices and allow the housing market to settle. Only time will tell.

To read the original article on Bloomberg,  click here.

Rent-To-Buy Model Could Boost Property Market

The rent-to-buy model is intended to afford more people the opportunity to own their own home. Research by CB Richard Ellis indicates that the rent-to-buy initiative does not just benefit potential homeowners. Their research indicates that rent-to-buy real estate has the potential to unlock the housing market.

Rent-to-buy uses the private rental sector as an intermediate stage in the process of purchasing a home. This intermediate step allows both homebuyers and seller to sidestep financial constraints. This is particularly helpful for first-time buyers, and also serves as a way to allow developers to exit a residential project.

In the real estate sector, the rent-to-buy process lets prospective home buyers move into a home as a private rental tenant. They then have the option to buy the property at a pre-agreed price at a future date. Rent on the property acts as a form of savings for the buyer, as it is used to offset against the deposit at the time of purchase. The rent paid to the seller during the rental period can be used to service debt until the sale is made.

According to Jennet Siebrits, head of residential research at CB Richard Ellis, “The transfer of new build homes to the private rented sector has become a more viable and obvious exit strategy for developers because of the subdued sales environment. Rent-to-buy is an innovative solution that uses private rental as a facilitator to unblock both ends of the development equation.

“The flexibility of the model is appealing as it can be adjusted to suit the individual circumstances of the developer or buyer. However, there is a trade-off between the length of the lease and the size of the deposit.

“A longer lease will enable the buyer to save a larger deposit, but the buyer must ensure the home has an extended appeal. Developers can reduce risk by considering an upfront, non-refundable deposit of one or two per cent in case the sale falls through.”

To read more, click here.

Rent2Buy Autos Search Result

The following image is what the search result will look like for Rent2Buy autos.

You can enter a make, model or zip code in the search bar and search the site this way. You have the option to search for rent to buy, rent to own, lease to buy, or make an offer autos. You have total control of your search, and can design your search based on the type or types of transaction you desire.

There is a section at the top of the page that lists the top offers from the main rental car companies. You have the option to choose the type of vehicle you are searching for from the drop down menu, and take a look at the top offers from the rental car companies listed in the chart.

After you have made your search and the search result is displayed, it will be shown just as it is in this slide. A list of autos will be displayed, along with a picture of each, specifications, pricing, and the rental agency with which each is associated.

The blue tabs listed across the screen above the auto search results break down your search into various categories. You can display all listings at once, just rent to buy listings, just rent to own listings, just lease to buy listings, just make an offer to dealer listings, or just make an offer to owner listings. Next to each type of listing, there will be a number in parentheses, indicating how many results this type of search yielded.

Users can check or uncheck the various boxes on the left side bar in order to tailor their search results to their specific needs. You have to option to choose between airport or non-airport locations, and select from different car classes, rental agencies, car makes, car options, and more.

Rent2Buy 2011 Automotive Marketplace: Virtual Auto Mall

Coming in 2011, rent2buy will be the online marketplace providing you with access to rental inventory in your area. On rent2buy, you will be able to compare and see available inventory in and around your zip code. The new rent2buy automotive section will enable you to make educated decisions about who you want to do business with by allowing you to choose which rental car company you want to rent to buy  from.

The rent2buy automotive platform will allow you to compare pricing between rental companies. You can then make an informed decision about which company you want to use to ‘try it before you buy it.’

The image below is what the rent2buy search result page will look like.  Please give us feedback.

The rent2buy automotive marketplace is in essence, a virtual auto mall. Auto malls come about when car companies set up stores near each other so that they can defer the cost of getting you, the customer, to visit their location. The same goes for the online marketplace. The rent2buy automotive section will showcase various rental car companies. These companies want to have their inventory searchable on the rent2buy platform so that they can best reach you; it benefits rental car companies to be listed amongst all competing companies. You, the customer, also benefit from the comprehensive online listing of all rental car companies; all of the information and inventory you need to make the best possible decision about which car to try before you buy is right at your fingertips.

For rental car companies, having their company listed on the rent2buy site means less money spent on advertising and driving customers to their own site. Like an auto mall, it allows them to spend less money on marketing overall. Instead of one company spending more money, every company can spend less on marketing but get more traffic because everybody is helping in a joint marketing effort.

What it means to ‘Make an Offer’ on Rent2buy.com

On the Rent2buy website, the majority of items will be rent to buy, rent to own, or lease to buy. There will also be some items that are listed for sale only. We want to give you an opportunity to ‘make an offer’ on these items so you can try them out before you buy them. Next to any item on the site that is not listed specifically as rent to buy, rent to own, or lease to buy, there will be a ‘make an offer’ button. If you click this button, you can then ‘make an offer’ that will be sent to the person or store selling the item.

The opportunity to make an offer will benefit both customer and seller. For the customer, the option to make an offer means you have the freedom to create a transaction that is tailored to your needs. The customer and seller can work together on an agreement that is mutually beneficial. In the end, the customer is better off because they have had the opportunity to rent to buy, rent to own, or lease to buy an item that was originally only listed as for sale. The seller is better off because they have found a profitable way to sell or rent their item. Make an offer is just another way to connect buyers and sellers and give both parties the freedom to structure a transaction that fits their needs. Read on to learn more about how ‘make an offer’ works.

When you ‘make an offer,’ you have 3 options. You can:

1)      Make an offer to rent to buy
2)      Make an offer to rent to own
3)      Make an offer to lease to buy

Each one of these transaction types is explained in depth in previous blog posts. We will briefly explore the three ‘make an offer’ options below, and explain when each type of offer might be appropriate.

You may want to make a rent to buy offer if it is for an item that you want to try out for a short period of time before purchasing. You will be able to indicate the amount of time you want to try out the item for and how much you are willing to pay the seller in rent over that period of time.

You may want to make a rent to own offer if you want to spread out your payments over a longer period of time. An example of such a situation is the purchase of a house. You may want to ‘make an offer’ to rent to own a house if you need help financing it. Just like a rent to buy offer, you will need to indicate how much you intend to pay per month, how much interest you are willing to pay, and over what period of time you would like to make these payments. If the seller allows you to rent to own that property, you will make monthly payments over the stipulated period of time until eventually you are a homeowner.

You may want to make a lease to buy offer if you want to make smaller monthly payments. At the end of the lease contract, there will be one large balloon payment and then you will own the item you were leasing. This type of transaction is often applied to the auto industry. When signing a lease to buy contract, take note of the fine print. For example, in the case of a car: there may be extra fees if you return a car with damage or over an allotted mileage. Lease to buy is a good option as long as you are aware of what’s written in the contract and you educate yourself about what potential penalties may exist prior to entering into an agreement.

To sum up: Every item on the rent2buy website will be rent to buy. However, you are still given the option to ‘make an offer.’ This offer can be short term (rent to buy), financial term (rent to own), or balloon payment term (lease to buy).

Feel free to comment and share your feedback. We would love your input!

New homepage for auto.rent2buy.com to launch 2011

What do you think about auto.rent2buy.com’s new homepage? The homepage, shown below, will be your go-to portal for searching autos of any kind on the rent2buy site.

The auto section of rent2buy will be coming in early 2011. On the rent2buy site, you will be able to browse cars by type, make and model. You will also be able to search for rent to buy, rent to own, lease to buy or make an offer.

The rent2buy site is about all 4 search options : rent to buy, rent to own, lease to buy, and make an offer to a dealer. You can search specifically for each kind of transaction, or explore them all! This means there are four entirely different options available for how to structure your transaction.

The rent to buy transaction is short term, and all about giving you an opportunity to ‘try it before you buy it.’ The rent to own transaction is more long term and entails monthly payments over a longer period of time until you eventually own your vehicle. Lease to buy is similar to rent to own in that you make a monthly payment over a period of time; the difference is that with lease to buy, your payments are smaller, and there is a large balloon payment at the end of your transaction if you want to purchase the vehicle. If you decide not to purchase it, you can return the car at the end of the lease term and you do not need to make a final balloon payment. The last option is to make an offer to a dealer. This means setting your own parameters in terms of how long you would like to rent the vehicle and how much you are willing to pay to do so. The make an offer option allows you to make an offer to a dealer and then work out an agreement that is suitable to you both.

On the site, you will also be able to search used rental cars by make, model, zip code, and desired pick-up date. With all of the available search options, you are guaranteed to find a car that suits your needs.

The idea behind auto.rent2buy.com is to allow you, the consumer, to easily search for autos that fit your needs. What makes rent2buy unique in the auto industry is that you have various options for purchasing a vehicle. The rent to buy process is a valuable option that many are not aware exists and have not considered exploring.

Rent to buy allows you to try out a car before you buy it. Let’s say, for example, you have searched used rental cars by make and model and have located a car near you. You aren’t sure if this car is going to be big enough for you and your family to fit comfortably. Constantly shuttling your kids around town to various sports and other activities, you know how important it is to find a car that fits just right.

The rent2buy site allows you to rent a car for a short period of time and try it out before you buy it. After the rental period is over, you can choose whether or not to buy the car. If it was a great fit, go ahead and buy it! If you think there’s another option that might be better for you, go ahead and try out something different.

Because you can try it before you buy it, the vehicle that you purchase in the end is guaranteed to be exactly what you want. There is no commitment at all to buy the car. So hop in that red Camaro, take your wife for a spin, and convince her you really, really need it. Who knows, at the end of a few short days of chauffeuring her around town in it, you may just be the owner of that bright red sports car you always dreamed of.

Thoughts on the rent to buy process? Thoughts on the look of the new auto.rent2buy.com homepage? Let us know!

What is lease to buy, and how is it different from rent to buy?

The term lease to buy sounds a lot like rent to buy or rent to own. These three types of transactions are in fact quite different. In previous blog posts, we’ve defined both rent2buy and rent to own, and explained how these two processes differ. The following characteristics are what make lease to buy unique:

Lease. Lease to buy involves a monthly payment made over a long period of time. A typical amount of time for the lease period in this type of transaction is 2 or 3 years.

Final balloon payment. Lease to buy is a financial transaction with a final balloon payment. At the end of the lease, you make a balloon payment and then you own whatever you were leasing.

The main distinction that must be made between rent to buy and lease to buy is how each contract is resolved. With rent to buy, you can choose to buy or not to buy at the end of the rental contract. With lease to buy, you make a final balloon payment at the end of the lease period and you then own whatever you were leasing.

Understanding Rent to Own: Rent-to-Own vs. Rent to Buy

It may not be clear exactly what distinguishes a rent to buy transaction from a rent-to-own transaction. There are, however, several crucial differences. If you haven’t already done so, take a look at yesterday’s blog post explaining the rent to buy process. This will give you a context for understanding rent to own, how it differs from rent to buy, and in which situations each transaction type can best be applied.

Rent-to-Own. There is a crucial distinction that must be made between rent to buy and rent to own. In a rent to buy transaction, you try something before you buy it. With rent to own, you rent something to own it. When you rent to own, you are not really buying something but rather renting it with an additional monthly payment until you eventually own it.

Long-Term. A rent to own transaction is long term. Unlike a rent to buy transaction, rent to own transactions are often several months or longer. Rent to own is often used in the housing market; with a rent-to-own contract, potential homeowners have the opportunity to make payments over a long period of time until they eventually own the property. The length of such a contract can extend from a few months to several years.

Financial Transaction. Rent to own is a financial transaction. This is one of the most significant differences between rent2buy and rent to own. Whereas rent to buy is two separate transactions, rent to own is just one transaction. You rent something, slowly pay for it, and eventually you own it. A rent to own transaction involves an interest payment that is agreed upon in the rent-to-own contract and is paid throughout the duration.

Check back soon for an explanation of lease to buy and how it differs from a rent to buy transaction.

Rent2Buy Explained: Understanding the Rent2Buy Process

There are several unique features of a rent2buy transaction that differentiate it from the several other forms of rental and purchase agreements.

Try It Before You Buy It. Rent2buy is all about the idea of ‘try it before you buy it.’ The concept of renting something with the option to buy it is meant to allow you, the consumer, to test something out before purchasing it. You can rent something and see if you’re comfortable with it before you buy it. Everything you’re looking to buy, you can try before you buy.

Short-Term. A rent2buy transaction is short-term. It can range anywhere from a few days to a few months. In general, the idea of rent2buy is to have a short rental period followed by a purchase. The rental period should be just the right amount of time to allow you to make an informed decision about whether you want to buy.

Two Different Transactions. The Rent2buy process contains two different transactions. These two transactions are separate from one another; there are two completely different contracts. The first transaction is the rental contract. The second transaction is the purchase agreement. Keeping these two parts of the rent2buy process separate is one of the main things that differentiates this from a rent to own transaction (an in-depth look at rent-to-own coming soon!).

It’s a Process. Rent2buy is a process. It can be used for a product or service that you are unsure about. Maybe you don’t know if buying a convertible will be the right choice for you and your family. You decide to use the rent2buy process to make an educated decision about whether this car fits your lifestyle. You’re renting it, trying it, you like it, you buy it.

Every rent2buy transaction will be different, depending on the type of product or service it’s being applied to. For a car, the rental period may be just a few days. For a textbook, it may be the length of a semester. Contracts can be negotiated, and the way you convert your transaction into an opportunity to try before you buy is up to you!