If you’re researching lease to own homes in Raleigh, Greensboro, or Charlotte, you’ve likely encountered two extremes: glowing promises or dramatic warnings.
Neither tells the full story.
Lease to own often becomes relevant for specific life seasons—self-employed professionals navigating complex tax returns, families relocating and selling a current home, buyers re-entering homeownership after a setback, or first-time buyers who need a structured pathway rather than a rushed mortgage decision.
Lease to own is a structured pathway to homeownership. When built with attorney oversight, licensed Buyer’s Agent representation, and transparent terms, it becomes a financially-sound housing strategy.
Before signing any agreement, ask these seven intelligent questions. The answers will tell you whether the structure protects you—or exposes you.
1. Who Is Structuring the Agreement?
Is the contract drafted and reviewed by attorneys?
Is a licensed real estate professional involved?
Are you represented—or simply processed?
For many families, a properly structured lease purchase agreement may be the only financially-sound path toward homeownership in today’s market. But structure alone is not enough.
Fiduciary Buyer’s Agent representation matters just as much as contract language. You deserve someone who is legally obligated to protect your interests—not merely facilitate a transaction. A licensed Buyer’s Agent has a duty to advocate for you, disclose material facts, and ensure the terms align with your long-term goals.
If no one is clearly accountable to you, pause.
2. How Is the Home Valued?
Purchase terms should never feel arbitrary. You should clearly understand how the home’s value is determined and how your future purchase price will be calculated.
Ask:
- How is the home’s value determined?
- Is the purchase price set upfront, or will it be revalued or appraised when I exercise my right to purchase?
- Is the pricing approach clearly documented in writing?
Some programs establish a defined purchase price or structure at the beginning of the lease term. Others determine pricing based on market valuation at the time you choose to buy.
Both approaches can be appropriate. What matters is that the valuation method is transparent, supported by market data, and clearly documented.
A lease to own agreement should reflect transparent valuation and clearly defined purchasing procedures.
3. How Are Monthly Payments Structured?
Monthly payments vary depending on the program you select and qualify for.
Some programs structure payments at fair market rent. Others may be slightly—or even significantly—above market rent if a defined equity participation component is included.
It is important to understand the distinction.
If someone tells you that a portion of your rent will automatically be credited toward your purchase price, pause. Traditional mortgage lenders typically do not apply rent payments toward a loan unless rental appraisal and documentation standards are met. If the structure is unclear or undocumented, you risk paying higher monthly payments without measurable benefit.
In some programs, payments above market rent are part of a defined equity participation model. If that is the case, ask for written documentation explaining:
- How appreciation or equity is calculated
- When and how it is applied
- What happens if you choose not to exercise your purchase right
In certain cases, additional amounts paid above market rent may not be recoverable if you do not complete the purchase.
What matters is understanding exactly what your payment includes, how it is documented, and how it supports your path to purchase.
4. Do You Have the Exclusive Right to Lease and Purchase?
In a true buyer-facing Lease to Own agreement, you should have clear documentation stating that you have the exclusive right to lease the property and the exclusive right to purchase it under defined terms.
This is not optional language. It should be explicitly documented in writing.
If your purchase rights are vague, conditional, or undefined, you are not in a properly structured lease purchase agreement.
Before signing, you should clearly understand:
- When you can exercise your right to purchase
- How long that right lasts
- What conditions must be met to complete the purchase
Exclusive rights protect you. A fiduciary Buyer’s Agent is there to ensure those rights are properly structured, documented, and aligned with your long-term goals.
5. What Inspection Standards Apply?
Property condition is not a secondary issue—it is central to your health, safety, and financial well-being.
Ask:
- Will the home undergo a licensed inspection and who pays for it?
- Are there defined property standards before approval?
- What happens if significant issues are discovered?
A strong lease to own structure includes inspection integrity. If a home would not pass reasonable scrutiny, it should not pass program approval—or your own.
6. What Does Underwriting Actually Look Like?
Underwriting varies between programs, and the experience can differ significantly depending on how the agreement is structured.
Before applying, ask:
- Will this impact my credit, or is a soft inquiry used?
- Is this common-sense underwriting or mortgage-deep-dive underwriting?
- How long does approval typically take?
- What documentation is required upfront?
- What are the total upfront costs, including application fees, participation fees, deposits, and move-in funds if I choose to move forward?
You should have clear answers before submitting documentation or paying fees.
Every legitimate lease to own structure should clearly outline all required fees in writing before you commit. Transparency around costs is not optional—it is foundational.
7. What Happens If Life Changes?
Life does not always follow a straight line. Relocation, health shifts, career changes, or family transitions can alter timelines and priorities.
Ask:
- When exactly can I exercise my right to purchase?
- What is the deadline or window to buy?
- What happens if I need more time?
- Is the purchase process outlined step-by-step in writing?
- How is appreciation or equity calculated at the time I buy, if applicable)?
- What happens if I choose not to exercise my purchase right?
Lease to own agreements should align your housing with a clearly defined path toward homeownership. The timeline, expectations, and potential outcomes should be documented
So… Are Lease to Own Homes Legit?
Yes—when they are structured with transparent valuation, defined purchase rights, fiduciary agency representation, and clear communication.
In markets like Raleigh, Greensboro, and Charlotte—where affordability and qualification timelines vary—lease to own can offer a practical bridge between where you are today and where you want to be.
Having guided more than 120 families through structured lease purchase agreements (in multiple markets)—including completing one ourselves—we know that full disclosure, transparent terms, and thoughtfully aligning each family with the program that best fits their circumstances are essential to long-term financial confidence.
Burson Home Advisors evaluates every lease to own structure through a fiduciary lens before a client ever signs. That means licensed oversight, inspection integrity, valuation analysis, responsible monthly housing budget review, and full transparency around purchase rights and expectations. The responsibility is not to “place” families—it is to protect them.
Lease to own is a housing strategy. When properly structured, a lease purchase agreement is a clearly defined agreement between buyer and seller—supported by licensed oversight and attorney-reviewed documentation. What makes it work is representation that protects your interests and documentation that clearly defines your rights.
Learn more about Burson Home Advisors’ lease to own program in this press release.