Vendor Finance Lawyers

Loan and security documents for property sellers who agree to be paid part of the price over time, secured by a mortgage over the property sold.

  • Loan agreement and registered mortgage
  • Special conditions for the contract of sale
  • Guarantees and default terms
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Seller Finance

What Vendor Finance Is

In a vendor finance sale, the seller lends part of the purchase price to the buyer. Title passes to the buyer at settlement, and the unpaid balance is secured by a mortgage back to the seller.

It allows a sale to proceed where the buyer cannot borrow the full amount from a bank, and it gives the seller interest on the balance. The risk sits with the seller, so the documents do the work a bank's credit team would normally do.

We prepare the vendor finance documents. The sale conveyancing itself is a separate matter and a separate fee.

The Document Set

What We Prepare

Each document is drafted for the specific deal, not a generic template.

Loan Agreement

Amount, interest rate, repayment schedule, any balloon payment, prepayment and the events that make the balance fall due.

Registered Mortgage

Security over the property sold, lodged for registration at settlement. Where the buyer also has a bank loan, priority between the 2 mortgages is agreed in the documents.

Contract Special Conditions

Conditions in the contract of sale that tie the sale to the finance terms and the settlement mechanics.

Guarantees

Personal guarantees from the directors where the buyer is a company, so the seller is not relying on the company alone.

Repayment and Due-on-Sale Terms

What happens if the buyer sells, refinances or transfers the property before the balance is repaid.

Default and Enforcement

Notice periods, default interest and the steps the seller can take if payments stop.

Step by Step

How a Vendor Finance Sale Runs

From agreed terms to a discharged mortgage.

01

Terms Agreed

Price, deposit, amount financed, interest rate, term and repayments are settled between the parties.

02

Credit Law Check

We confirm whether the credit laws apply to this buyer and this property.

03

Contract Conditions

Special conditions are added to the contract of sale before exchange.

04

Loan and Security Documents

The loan agreement, mortgage and any guarantees are drafted and signed before settlement.

05

Settlement

The mortgage is lodged with the transfer, so it registers at the same time as the buyer takes title.

06

Repayment and Discharge

Once the balance is repaid, the mortgage is discharged and removed from the title.

Our fixed fee for the vendor finance documents is set out on our pricing page. The sale conveyancing is charged separately.

View Our Fixed Fees

Residential Buyers and the Credit Laws

Where the buyer is an individual buying residential property, whether to live in or as an investment, lending to them can be regulated under the national consumer credit laws. A seller who provides regulated credit without a licence or exemption faces significant penalties.

Vendor finance is most often used with company buyers and with commercial, industrial and development property for this reason. We confirm how the credit laws apply before any document is drafted.

Explore:

Services that often go with a vendor finance sale.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is vendor finance?
A sale where the seller lends the buyer part of the price, secured by a mortgage over the property sold. The buyer takes title at settlement and repays the seller over time.
Is vendor finance legal in NSW?
Yes. The main legal constraint is the consumer credit laws, which can apply where the buyer is an individual buying residential property. We check this before drafting.
What if the buyer stops paying?
The mortgage gives the seller a registered security interest. After the required notices, the seller can take possession and sell the property to recover the debt.
Is vendor finance the same as rent to own?
No. In a rent to own arrangement the seller usually keeps the title while the occupier pays. In vendor finance, title passes to the buyer at settlement and the seller holds a mortgage.
Can the buyer sell before the loan is repaid?
The documents normally require the balance to be repaid on sale, and the mortgage has to be discharged before the new buyer can settle.
Do you act for buyers as well?
Our fixed fee covers preparing the documents for the seller. If you are a buyer being offered vendor finance, contact us to discuss a review.

Selling With Finance Terms?

Send us the proposed terms and we will confirm how the credit laws apply and what the document set will look like.

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