America's Top Note Buyer

What is a Note Buyer?

A note buyer is, quite simply, an entity that buys one of a variety of notes. A nationwide mortgage note buyer tends to buy mortgage notes in all 50 states where the security (collateral) for the note is some type of real estate like a house or a commercial building. This type of buyer might also be referred to as a real estate note buyer, a deed of trust buyer, or a note investor. A business note buyer deals with notes where the main collateral is a business, and there is little or no real estate involved.

In addition to houses and commercial buildings, a private mortgage note buyer might also buy notes secured by mobile homes, land, or other property types. The private note buyer is looking to purchase a mortgage note where the property is in good shape and the new owner of the property is likely to make on-time payments.

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Why Sell To A Note Buyer

Many people who sell properties or businesses with owner financing have no idea that they can sell their notes. It is fair to say that most note holders would have preferred to have gotten their cash upfront rather than carrying a note. For others, holding a note may have made sense at the beginning, but now their situation has changed. The note holder may have aged to a point that they no longer want to receive payments, perhaps they may have other investment opportunities, or they may not want to mess with late payments, property taxes, and insurance anymore. A nationwide note buyer can alleviate the stress of carrying a note, and put a large sum of money in your pocket quickly.

 

An excellent mortgage note buyer will explain how a note is priced and what to expect after you have agreed to a price, and will continually keep you updated during the process. In terms of price, the private mortgage note buyer will also explain different pricing options, such as selling all of the note payments versus selling only a set of them.

What Makes A Good Note Buyer?

If you don’t like the product or service of a restaurant, a dry cleaner, or a landscaping company, it is easy to find a similar company that you like better for the next time. Few people ever own more than one real estate note in their lifetime, so it is important to do everything right the first time when selling a note. This includes choosing the best mortgage note buyer.

Whether you are selling a mortgage note or selling a business note, here are some things to look for in a private note buyer:

  1. Be sure to check on whether they have worked full-time in the note business for at least five years.  If not, they probably don’t have the experience and competence to painlessly get you through the note selling process.
  2. Ensure that the company has positive reviews with the Better Business Bureau, as well as on the search engines and any relevant websites.
  3. For mortgage notes only, look at whether the company or person is licensed as a real estate broker in at least one state, as they are more likely to have the knowledge and dedication needed.  Some states like California require licensing for private mortgage note buyers.
  4. When you talk with the person on the phone, listen to your intuition as to whether the other person seems to know what they are talking about, can ably and honestly answer your questions, and seems focused on excellent customer service 

Fortunately, Seascape Capital checks all of those boxes, as it has been in business for over twenty years and consistently gets top reviews with the Better Business Bureau and the top search engine.

About Us

Alan Noblitt is the President of Seascape Capital, LLC, and works as both a real estate note buyer and a business note broker. Alan has an MBA from Arizona State University, a B.S. from the University of Wyoming, and is licensed as a California Real Estate Note Buyer.

Previously, he worked for Hewlett Packard for 18 years in finance and marketing positions, with five of those years spent in France. He launched Seascape Capital in 2002, and incorporated the business in 2003.

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How a Note Buyer Values A Note

A nationwide mortgage note buyer will give its highest prices when the property is an owner-occupied house or building, the payer has great credit, the property has at least 20% equity, all payments have been received on time, the interest rate is above market, and the term of the note is less than twenty years. A business note buyer will also care about the profitability of a business, how long it has been around, and the least terms.

Placing a value on any type of note has levels of both objectivity and subjectivity, and various note investors will offer different prices on the same note. The most critical components for most mortgage note buyers are:

  • Type and condition of collateral (property or business)
  • Amount of equity, which consists of the down payment, monthly payments that have been made, and any increase in market value
  • Payer credit, as a higher credit score and a personal guarantee will usually mean a higher offer price for the note
  • Terms of the note, such as the interest rate and the length of the note term, play into the calculation of a price
What is a Mortgage Note
should I keep or sell my mortgage note

Should I Keep or Sell My Mortgage Note?

As a person who owns a mortgage note, you are already familiar with the benefits of having a note. There are advantages to receiving regular (and hopefully) on-time payments coming in on at regular intervals and at a good interest rate. If you have the time to manage the mortgage note and have plenty of cash in reserves, you may like having that note. However, there are also numerous risks associated with carrying a note. What happens if the buyer loses their job or goes through a divorce and stops making payments?

Is the buyer staying current on property taxes and insurance, as well as maintaining the property? Will the buyer still be able to make the payments in 5-10 years? If the buyer defaults, are you prepared to spend thousands of dollars and wait many months going through the foreclosure process? If you are considering selling your note, call a nationwide direct mortgage note buyer like Seascape Capital to understand the best options. You may decide to sell just some of the payments rather than the full note, but get informed first so that you can make the best decision for yourself.

What Is A Business Note?

A business note shares some commonalities with a mortgage note but also differs in important ways. A business note is considered to be riskier than a mortgage note in most cases. With a mortgage note, the note holder has the option to foreclose on a property and take it back if there is a default. A default is more complicated with a business note. While a note holder can take back a business from the payer, the customer records and goodwill may be gone, the equipment may not be usable, or the note holder may have since moved on with life and no longer have the time or inclination to run the company.

Because of the higher risk, business note buyers will require a higher rate of return on a business note. This means that the discount will be bigger, so the note holder will receive less money than with an equivalent mortgage note.

What is a Partial

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