10/14/2026
Trisha and Mark are a young couple in Ontario with two little kids. They honestly thought they would be renting for the rest of their lives.
They were renting from a landlord who did nothing for the house. It was frankly an unhealthy place for their family.
We found them a home they could move into on a lease option. They came up with a down payment, and they knew exactly what they had five years to do: work on their credit, hit a savings number, and reach the income the bank wants to see.
We are halfway through now and they are flying. Mark landed a better union job that even adds an RRSP contribution, so their savings is growing on its own. Trisha keeps asking for raises and getting them. Their kids are healthier because they are in a newly renovated home in a great neighborhood, right by the school.
Then Murphy showed up. This is an older home, built in the early 1900s, with 100 year old clay piping running out to the street. Within two weeks of moving in, that clay pipe collapsed. Of course it did.
So we all put our heads together. The repair was about 5,000 dollars. We added that 5,000 to the agreed purchase price, so they will cover it at the end when they get their own financing. Deal modified, family still in their home.
Sometimes you work with people to get to a good ending. The alternative was a vacant house, the same repair, and nobody living the dream.
This is the same strategy my husband and I used to buy our home when we had to rebuild from scratch with five little kids. Being in the house is the incentive.
Comment KEYS and I will send you the details for my next Denied to Keys webinar.
This content is for educational purposes only. Julie Hoffman is not a licensed realtor or mortgage broker. Creative financing strategies depend on the property, the parties, legal agreements, financing, and individual qualifications. Results are not guaranteed.
