What is the Interest Rate on a Land Contract in Wisconsin (WI)?

The interest rate on a land contract or contract for deed in Wisconsin can vary. A good rule of thumb is it depends on the amount of down payment and risk for the seller.

Most interest rates on land contracts or contract for deeds in WI currently range from a fixed 6.8% - 12% on a standard 30 year amortization.

Sellers that do a fair amount of owner financing tend to like to make it more of a standardized process. These sellers of owner financed homes typically will take the current going 30 year fixed rate and put a spread on it. This spread is a direct relation of risk.

For instance, for simplicity take a $100,000 home in Wisconsin. The seller is willing to accept anywhere from 5 - 10% up front as a down payment. The seller might even show you an example stating that if you put down 10% your rate will be:

Current 30 Year Fixed Rate + Spread = Total Interest Rate on Land Contract


So for a 10% down payment we take a current prime 30 year fixed rate of 4.5% and since this is an owner financed home the spread will be 3 points (3%). So the interest rate you would have on this land contract if you put 10% down is a fixed rate of 7.5%.

Next the owner tells you, that you can put only 5% down but the spread will be 4.5%, for a total rate of 9%. So here you are putting 5% down, and paying a total fixed rate of 9%.

Why does a seller do this? First and foremost is the risk, the less down payment the seller receives the more risk the seller has if anything in this deal goes bad. Although your down payment isn't the only factor, there can be such things as your current financial situation, term of the contract, or lump sum payments that you can negotiate in.

Most land contracts or contract for deeds that I see in Wisconsin have an interest rate that ranges from 8.2% - 12.0%. Can you get a better deal, sure, but it will take some negotiation and having a good understanding of the ins and outs of owner financing.

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