{"id":26352,"date":"2024-11-13T04:07:16","date_gmt":"2024-11-13T12:07:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/?p=26352"},"modified":"2025-04-29T01:25:47","modified_gmt":"2025-04-29T08:25:47","slug":"buyer-how-to-get-into-rent-to-own","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-how-to-get-into-rent-to-own\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Get Into Rent-to-Own: 12 Steps to Homeownership"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>For the right would-be buyer, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-rent-to-own-homes-programs\/\">rent to own housing programs<\/a> arrangement can be an ideal path to investing in a future home purchase. It can be a time to save money and improve credit (or wait for an expected shift in circumstances) while living in a home that will one day be yours.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRent to own could be an option for someone who just doesn&#8217;t have the ability to qualify to purchase right now,\u201d says<a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/agents\/edward-kaminsky-ca-00958114\"> Ed Kaminsky<\/a>, a top-selling Southern California-based agent with 37 years of experience.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cA buyer can save enough money for a proper <a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-what-is-a-down-payment\/\">down payment<\/a>, or wait out an expected financial change \u2014 maybe they&#8217;re going to have a better job, get a raise, or maybe an inheritance. In time, they\u2019re going to have the down payment.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Indeed, rent to own can be a viable option for owning a house\u2026 but is it right for <i>you<\/i>?<\/p>\n<p>In this expert-backed guide, we\u2019ll walk you through the process of getting into a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-ultimate-guide-to-rent-to-own-homes\/\">rent-to-own home<\/a> as a buyer \u2014 step by step, from learning about how the process works to closing on that new home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<div class=\"geo-cta widget-cta widget-cta--content     widget-cta--dark widget-cta--dark-blue-gradient\">\n    <div class=\"widget-element--content\">\n        <div class=\"widget-element--content-header\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"homelight logo\" class=\"widget-element--logo\" src=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/themes\/ccprototypev5\/images\/logo-small-cta.png\" width=\"106\" height=\"25\" \/>\n        <\/div>\n        \n                <h3 class=\"cta-headline widget--bold\">Work With a Top Agent to Find a Rent-to-Own Home<\/h3>\n                        <p>When considering a rent-to-own home, working with a real estate agent experienced in these types of deals can help you navigate the process and find a great deal.<\/p>\n        \n                <div class=\"widget-element--buttons\">\n            <a data-type=\"In Content CTA\" href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/find-agent\/quiz\/buyer?#\/qaas=0\/\" class=\"cta-click-track widget-element--button\">Find Agent<\/a>\n        <\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div id=\"section--1\" data-toc-header=\"Step 1: Educate yourself\" data-toc-type=\"head\"><\/div>\n<h2>Step 1: Educate yourself<\/h2>\n<p>As with any home search, you\u2019ll need to understand the market as you explore the possibility of a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-rent-to-own-homes-programs\/\">rent-to-own<\/a> home arrangement.<\/p>\n<p>Isolate the specific area where you want to rent to own, and collect your data, including:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>How much is typical rent?<\/li>\n<li>How much does it cost to buy?<\/li>\n<li>How does that translate into monthly mortgage payments?<\/li>\n<li>Apart from housing costs, what\u2019s the cost of living otherwise, and how much is it possible to save with your income while you work toward homeownership?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Further, take time to learn more about this type of purchase. Importantly, know the difference between a <b>lease option<\/b> (which only obligates the <i>seller<\/i> to offer to sell you the house when the time comes) and a<b> lease purchase agreement <\/b>(which obligates both parties to the sale \u2014 so yes, that <i>requires you<\/i> to go through with it, too).<\/p>\n<p>As with any real estate transaction \u2014 or any major transaction at all, for that matter \u2014 an informed buyer is one poised to come out ahead.<\/p>\n<div id=\"section--2\" data-toc-header=\"Step 2: Find a rent-to-own home\" data-toc-type=\"head\"><\/div>\n<h2>Step 2: Find a rent-to-own home<\/h2>\n<p>First, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-how-to-find-rent-to-own-homes\/\">talk to a local agent<\/a> who is experienced with rent-to-own transactions. These come with specific<a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-whats-the-catch-with-rent-to-own-homes\/\"> terms and conditions<\/a>, and experience is key.<\/p>\n<p>An experienced agent can help you by conducting specific <a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/flat-fee-mls-listing\/\">MLS flat fee listing<\/a>, consulting their real estate network, and through general knowledge of market and area trends. You also might consider going with an agent or brokerage with a dedicated rent-to-own program.<\/p>\n<p>You might work with your agent to contact a seller directly. For instance, an experienced agent can help you identify listings that have been <a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/why-isnt-my-home-selling\/\">lingering on the market<\/a> for a long time, whose sellers might be particularly interested in a rent-to-own setup where they can take in some extra cash monthly while moving toward an eventual sale.<\/p>\n<p>On the flip side, you might work with your agent to find a landlord who wants to get out of ownership and has simply been renting as a way to carry costs while ultimately hoping to get clear of the property.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, work your <i>own<\/i> network. Maybe someone in your sphere \u2014 perhaps a friend, neighbor, or co-worker \u2014 wants to eventually get out of ownership and would be open to a rent-to-own arrangement. Put your interest out there in conversation and on social media, and you might turn up the perfect option in your own community.<\/p>\n<div id=\"section--3\" data-toc-header=\"Step 3: Negotiate with the seller\" data-toc-type=\"head\"><\/div>\n<h2>Step 3: Negotiate with the seller<\/h2>\n<p>When you rent to own, you won\u2019t be writing an offer that the seller accepts like you would with a regular sale. Instead, this looks more like a rental contract with additional stipulations, so both parties will want to make sure you agree on what it says.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNegotiations have to do with the market conditions and the seller&#8217;s motivation,\u201d Kaminsky explains.<\/p>\n<p>Consider these points for<a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-rent-to-own-home-contract\/\"> rent-to-own contract negotiations<\/a>:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>What will the purchase price of the home be? How will you determine that? (Will you get an appraisal and ballpark future value growth, for example?)<\/li>\n<li>How much is the option fee? (This is an upfront payment that might or might not be credited toward your down payment when you buy.)<\/li>\n<li>How much will the monthly rent be? Will there be a rent credit that goes toward your down payment?<\/li>\n<li>When will that purchase take place? (One to three years is typical.) Is there a renewal clause that lets you extend the contract term if need be?<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-rent-to-own-homes\/\">Who\u2019s responsible for maintenance<\/a> while you\u2019re renting to own? (Usually, it\u2019s the buyer \u2014 unless the issue is major. \u201cIf there&#8217;s a roof issue or a plumbing issue, the owners generally respond,\u201d Kaminsky says.)<\/li>\n<li>Will there be additional fees or expenses? (How about dues to an HOA, for example?)<\/li>\n<li>Are there any restrictions on how you can use the house while you rent it? (Say, no pets, or no gatherings larger than 10 people?)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div id=\"section--4\" data-toc-header=\"Step 4: Have a lawyer review the contract\" data-toc-type=\"head\"><\/div>\n<h2>Step 4: Have a lawyer review the contract<\/h2>\n<p>This is pretty self-explanatory, but you don\u2019t want to skip it.<\/p>\n<p>Make sure the language protects your interests \u2014 and that a lawyer signs off. To protect yourself, consider adding contingencies (such as an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-what-happens-if-inspection-contingency-expires\/\">inspection contingency<\/a>) that allows you to get an inspection before you occupy the house so you\u2019re fully aware of any existing conditions. To that end&#8230;<\/p>\n<div id=\"section--5\" data-toc-header=\"Step 5: Order the inspection\" data-toc-type=\"head\"><\/div>\n<h2>Step 5: Order the inspection<\/h2>\n<p>As a renter, you typically wouldn\u2019t do any formal inspection as part of your contract. But as a rent-to-owner, you really want to know what you\u2019re getting into, and a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-what-do-home-inspectors-look-for\/\">home inspection<\/a> is the best way to do that.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s important to know the home\u2019s condition in order to assess the sensibility of making the deal on your end. The intel from an inspection can also be helpful if you\u2019ll be taking on some or all of the home\u2019s maintenance needs while renting.<\/p>\n<div id=\"section--6\" data-toc-header=\"Step 6: Pay the option fee\" data-toc-type=\"head\"><\/div>\n<h2>Step 6: Pay the option fee<\/h2>\n<p>At this stage you\u2019ll pay your option fee, also called a premium payment or option consideration. This is an upfront payment that may be credited toward your down payment when you purchase the home.<\/p>\n<div id=\"section--7\" data-toc-header=\"Step 7: Move in and pay rent\" data-toc-type=\"head\"><\/div>\n<h2>Step 7: Move in and pay rent<\/h2>\n<p>Sure, it\u2019s always important as a tenant to pay your rent on time. But when you\u2019re renting to own, missing payments could kill your chance of ownership: In some cases, a<a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-whats-the-catch-with-rent-to-own-homes\/\"> late payment could void the rent-to-own contract<\/a>. And if that happens, whatever you\u2019ve paid toward the price of the home is typically lost, too.<\/p>\n<p>By the way, it\u2019s not just late payments that can jeopardize your chances at this stage either: other issues that could trigger a default in a rent-to-own contract include violating a no-pets clause or failing to make repairs in a timely fashion, to name two examples.<\/p>\n<div id=\"section--8\" data-toc-header=\"Step 8: Work on your credit\" data-toc-type=\"head\"><\/div>\n<h2>Step 8: Work on your credit<\/h2>\n<p>If you\u2019re renting to own so you\u2019ll have better loan terms when you buy in a few years, start working on your credit in preparation.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt could be a situation where your credit score is low, and it&#8217;s going to take you a year to fix it,\u201d Kaminsky says. \u201cMaybe you have the down payment, but you have to build your credit score back up from the 500s or whatever it might be. So maybe it\u2019s a matter of working with a credit repair company, or just taking care of the problems you&#8217;ve created with due payments. Carving out time to get that cleaned up is the perfect reason to consider rent-to-own.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The higher your credit score, the better interest rate you\u2019ll be able to get when it\u2019s time to secure your mortgage loan. (Lenders offer much better rates to buyers with excellent credit scores, and that translates to big savings over the life of the loan). Ideally you\u2019ll have a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-minimum-credit-score-to-buy-a-house\/\">credit score of at least 620<\/a> to qualify for a conventional loan, though you\u2019ll likely need a 760 or higher to get the best terms possible.<\/p>\n<p>Here are some among the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-how-to-build-credit-fast\/\">doable ways to improve your credit score<\/a>:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Pay down \u2014 or pay off \u2014 high-interest loans<\/li>\n<li>Put bills on autopay or schedule them on your calendar so you don\u2019t miss any<\/li>\n<li>Don\u2019t close any unused accounts<\/li>\n<li>But <i>do<\/i> request a higher limit on your best account<\/li>\n<li>Try to pay off your balances in full every month<\/li>\n<li>Ask that your rent is reported to the major credit bureaus so you can build credit while you\u2019re renting to own<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n\n\n\n\n<div class=\"geo-cta widget-cta widget-cta--content     widget-cta--dark widget-cta--dark-blue-gradient\">\n    <div class=\"widget-element--content\">\n        <div class=\"widget-element--content-header\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"homelight logo\" class=\"widget-element--logo\" src=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/themes\/ccprototypev5\/images\/logo-small-cta.png\" width=\"106\" height=\"25\" \/>\n        <\/div>\n        \n                <h3 class=\"cta-headline widget--bold\">Discover How Much Home You Can Afford With Our Home Affordability Calculator<\/h3>\n                        <p>Understand the costs associated with buying a home and find out what safe budgeting looks like.<\/p>\n        \n                <div class=\"widget-element--buttons\">\n            <a data-type=\"In Content CTA\" href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/how-much-house-can-i-afford\" class=\"cta-click-track widget-element--button\">Get Started<\/a>\n        <\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"section--9\" data-toc-header=\"Step 9: Save for closing costs\" data-toc-type=\"head\"><\/div>\n<h2>Step 9: Save for closing costs<\/h2>\n<p>Don\u2019t forget about saving for your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-closing-costs-for-buyer\/\">closing costs<\/a>. You\u2019ll have to pay them at the time of closing, and they can surprise you if you\u2019re not prepared.<\/p>\n<p>Closing costs can run between 2% and 6% of the home\u2019s purchase price.<\/p>\n<div id=\"section--10\" data-toc-header=\"Step 10: Ensure there are no title issues\" data-toc-type=\"head\"><\/div>\n<h2>Step 10: Ensure there are no title issues<\/h2>\n<p>Even if you had the title reviewed when you signed the contract, you don\u2019t know exactly what\u2019s happened with the seller financially since then\u2026 unless you check. So do so, and make sure the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-what-is-a-property-title-search\/\">title is clean<\/a> at this stage.\u200b<\/p>\n<div id=\"section--11\" data-toc-header=\"Step 11: Apply for a mortgage\" data-toc-type=\"head\"><\/div>\n<h2>Step 11: Apply for a mortgage<\/h2>\n<p>At the end of your contract term, it\u2019s time to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-how-to-apply-for-a-first-time-home-buyers-loan\/\">apply for that mortgage<\/a> you\u2019ve been working toward by saving and improving your credit.<\/p>\n<p>When you apply, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-how-do-rent-to-own-homes-work\/\">provide your lender with documentation<\/a> for the premium payment and rent credits that you already made to the seller, in addition to the original purchase contract, the original appraisal (if you have one), and any inspections that were made during this time.<\/p>\n<p>If the purchase price is significantly higher than the appraised value, you\u2019ll have to go back to the seller to negotiate \u2014 or come up with the difference \u2014 because a lender is unlikely to approve a loan for more than the home is worth.<\/p>\n<div id=\"section--12\" data-toc-header=\"Step 12: Buy the house\" data-toc-type=\"head\"><\/div>\n<h2>Step 12: Buy the house<\/h2>\n<p>Improved financial picture: check. Mortgage loan: check. Close on that new home: check.<\/p>\n<p>You did it! Congratulations on homeownership.<\/p>\n<p><em>Header Image Source: (mark chaves \/ Unsplash)<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Renting to own can be a viable option for owning a house, but is it right for you? We walk through the process of how to get into rent to own as a buyer.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":150,"featured_media":26354,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[192,636,629],"tags":[803],"class_list":["post-26352","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-for-buyers","category-rent-own","category-home-financing","tag-how-to-find-rent-to-own-homes"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.0 (Yoast SEO v27.0) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How to Get Into Rent-to-Own: Breaking Down 12 Steps for Buyers<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Renting to own can be a viable option for owning a house, but is it right for you? We walk through the process of how to get into rent to own as a buyer.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-how-to-get-into-rent-to-own\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Get Into Rent-to-Own: 12 Steps to Homeownership\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Renting to own can be a viable option for owning a house, but is it right for you? We walk through the process of how to get into rent to own as a buyer.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-how-to-get-into-rent-to-own\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"HomeLight Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/gohomelight\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-11-13T12:07:16+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-04-29T08:25:47+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/hl-blog.homelight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/how-to-get-into-rent-to-own.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"546\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Alesandra Dubin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@alicedubin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@gohomelight\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Alesandra Dubin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"9 minutes\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How to Get Into Rent-to-Own: Breaking Down 12 Steps for Buyers","description":"Renting to own can be a viable option for owning a house, but is it right for you? We walk through the process of how to get into rent to own as a buyer.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-how-to-get-into-rent-to-own\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"How to Get Into Rent-to-Own: 12 Steps to Homeownership","og_description":"Renting to own can be a viable option for owning a house, but is it right for you? We walk through the process of how to get into rent to own as a buyer.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-how-to-get-into-rent-to-own\/","og_site_name":"HomeLight Blog","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/gohomelight\/","article_published_time":"2024-11-13T12:07:16+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-04-29T08:25:47+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/hl-blog.homelight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/how-to-get-into-rent-to-own.png","width":1024,"height":546,"type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Alesandra Dubin","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@alicedubin","twitter_site":"@gohomelight","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Alesandra Dubin","Est. reading time":"9 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":["Article","BlogPosting"],"@id":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-how-to-get-into-rent-to-own\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-how-to-get-into-rent-to-own\/"},"author":{"name":"Alesandra Dubin","@id":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/3c20bb23677b94b2e40ed5ea1d6f7986"},"headline":"How to Get Into Rent-to-Own: 12 Steps to Homeownership","datePublished":"2024-11-13T12:07:16+00:00","dateModified":"2025-04-29T08:25:47+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-how-to-get-into-rent-to-own\/"},"wordCount":1787,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-how-to-get-into-rent-to-own\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/how-to-get-into-rent-to-own.png","keywords":["How to find rent-to-own homes"],"articleSection":["Buyers","Explore rent to own","Financing"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-how-to-get-into-rent-to-own\/","url":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-how-to-get-into-rent-to-own\/","name":"How to Get Into Rent-to-Own: Breaking Down 12 Steps for Buyers","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-how-to-get-into-rent-to-own\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-how-to-get-into-rent-to-own\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/how-to-get-into-rent-to-own.png","datePublished":"2024-11-13T12:07:16+00:00","dateModified":"2025-04-29T08:25:47+00:00","description":"Renting to own can be a viable option for owning a house, but is it right for you? We walk through the process of how to get into rent to own as a buyer.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-how-to-get-into-rent-to-own\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-how-to-get-into-rent-to-own\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-how-to-get-into-rent-to-own\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/how-to-get-into-rent-to-own.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/how-to-get-into-rent-to-own.png","width":1500,"height":800,"caption":"Source: (mark chaves \/ Unsplash)"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-how-to-get-into-rent-to-own\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"How to Get Into Rent-to-Own: 12 Steps to Homeownership"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/","name":"HomeLight Blog","description":"Real Estate Advice from America&#039;s Top Agents","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"HomeLight","url":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/logo-hr-color.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/logo-hr-color.png","width":1348,"height":262,"caption":"HomeLight"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/gohomelight\/","https:\/\/x.com\/gohomelight","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/homelight\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCimugR9XF17-OZ7B9fNnxWw","https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/HomeLight"],"description":"Everything you need to know to sell your house faster and for more money. Articles, guides, and advice from top agents all over the U.S.","email":"support@homelight.com","telephone":"(888) 688-0350","legalName":"HomeLight","foundingDate":"2012-01-01","numberOfEmployees":{"@type":"QuantitativeValue","minValue":"201","maxValue":"500"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/3c20bb23677b94b2e40ed5ea1d6f7986","name":"Alesandra Dubin","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/144bf36599586a2572ba5dfb9014afadb72e436d03418bc11c2fcb5636070054?s=96&d=blank&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/144bf36599586a2572ba5dfb9014afadb72e436d03418bc11c2fcb5636070054?s=96&d=blank&r=g","caption":"Alesandra Dubin"},"description":"Alesandra Dubin is a lifestyle journalist and content marketing writer based in Los Angeles. Her vertical specialties include real estate; travel; health and wellness; meetings and events; and parenting. Her work has appeared in Business Insider, Good Housekeeping, TODAY, E!, Parents, and countless other outlets. She holds a master's degree in journalism from NYU.","sameAs":["https:\/\/alicedubin.com\/","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/alicedubin\/","https:\/\/x.com\/alicedubin"],"url":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/author\/alesandra-dubin\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26352","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/150"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26352"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26352\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26354"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26352"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26352"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26352"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}