What Is a Vendor Take Back Mortgage?

Definition and Examples of Vendor Take Back Mortgages 

A vendor take back mortgage is a type of mortgage in which the buyer receives a loan from the seller for some or all of the purchase price of the property. This is an alternative to traditional financing and may be appropriate for a range of situations, including when:

• The buyer cannot (or doesn’t want to) qualify for full financing from the bank
• The buyer cannot fully fund the purchase by the desired closing date
• The seller wants to spread capital gains on the sale over a number of years to reduce taxes
• The seller wants to lock in the sale or ensure the property sells on schedule

With this strategy, a seller who owns their home outright gives the buyer a mortgage and maintains a percentage of interest in the property until the mortgage is paid off.

For example, a buyer may want to buy a home that costs $400,000 but can only get approved for a $300,000 traditional mortgage. If the seller is eager to sell their home and believes the buyer will faithfully make payments, they may offer the buyer a vendor take back mortgage for the difference.

• Alternate names: seller take back mortgage, seller take back financing

How Vendor Take Back Mortgages Work

Take back mortgages can benefit both the buyer and the seller.

Considerations for Buyers

Let’s say you’ve just found a house you want to buy. You’d like to put in an offer, but your bank is unwilling to approve you for a mortgage. After looking around, you realize that other banks are also not interested in lending you the amount you need, perhaps due to poor credit history or insufficient income. 

But fortunately, you have a stable job with a stable income. So you approach the seller—who owns the house outright—and ask whether they’d be interested in giving you a vendor take back mortgage. If they agree, they’d act as your lender. You’d make payments to them, and they’d receive interest on the loan like a typical bank. 

However, you might have higher monthly payments and a higher interest rate relative to a traditional mortgage, depending on the negotiated terms. Plus, just like traditional lenders, the seller can foreclose on the property if you don’t make payments on the loan or meet other contractual obligations.

Considerations for Sellers

A take back mortgage can be advantageous for a seller, but you need to own the home outright. If you do, and you want to offer a take back mortgage, you can collect interest and principal payments, which could be worth much more over time than receiving a lump sum amount for your home. However, in offering a take back mortgage, you risk the buyer defaulting on payments. Plus, you forgo cash upfront to buy a new home. 

Considerations for Both Parties

Buyers and sellers may have lower closing costs than they would with traditional lenders, and they may see a faster closing process and more flexibility concerning the size of the down payment. 

Keep in mind that the amount of a vendor take back mortgage can be for all or some of the purchase price. If a buyer is able to obtain some traditional financing but can’t cover the entire amount, a seller who owns their home outright can offer a vendor take back mortgage for the difference. 

Vendor Take Back Mortgages vs. Traditional Mortgages

Vendor take back mortgages and traditional mortgages vary in several different ways:

The key difference between a vendor take back mortgage and a traditional mortgage is that the agreement on a vendor take back mortgage is between the buyer and the seller. This allows for significant flexibility, especially when it comes to term length, interest rates, and qualifications. 

Vendor take back mortgages can be especially helpful for self-employed individuals, those whose credit needs repairing, or when the appraisal price comes in lower than the purchase price.