Owner Financing Homes in Georgia
Owner financing homes in Georgia close with a real estate attorney, and the deed is recorded in your name with the county the day you close.
- No minimum credit score
- Attorney-run closings
- Metro Atlanta, Augusta and Athens
See if you qualify
Takes about a minute. Freddy replies within 24 hours.
- Deed in your name at closing
- No balloon payment
- No minimum credit score
- ITIN holders welcome
How owner financing works in Georgia
Source: Median price from Redfin, September 2026.
Georgia does things a little differently from most states, and it helps to know the vocabulary. Instead of a mortgage, Georgia uses a security deed. You sign a promissory note for the balance, and the security deed ties that note to the home. The warranty deed that makes you the owner is recorded in your name with the Clerk of Superior Court in the county where the home sits.
Georgia closings are run by a real estate attorney, which is good news for an owner financed buyer. The attorney examines title, prepares or reviews the closing documents and makes sure everything records correctly. You walk out the owner of record, with a fixed payment and no balloon.
Because the deed is yours from day one, you can refinance into a regular mortgage whenever your credit and income catch up. There's no prepayment penalty. Many Georgia buyers use owner financing as a two or three year bridge to a bank loan. Learn more about who qualifies.
Closing costs in Georgia
Notes with a term of 62 months or less are exempt from Georgia's intangible recording tax. Long-term owner financing notes usually are not. Your attorney's settlement statement shows every cost before you sign.
| Cost | Rate | Who usually pays |
|---|---|---|
| Real estate transfer tax | $1 per $1,000 of the price | Set by your contract, often the seller |
| Intangible recording tax | $1.50 per $500 of the note, up to $25,000 | Usually the buyer |
| Attorney, title and recording fees | Set by the closing attorney and county | Set by your contract |
Property taxes and the Georgia homestead exemption
Once you own the home, you pay the property taxes and insurance. Georgia gives owner-occupants a standard $2,000 homestead exemption against state, county and school taxes, and many counties and cities add their own, sometimes much larger.
To claim it, you must own and live in the home on January 1, then file with your county tax assessor by April 1. A buyer who closes in the fall can file that winter and save on the next year's bill. Rent to own tenants can't file, because they don't own the home.
Georgia cities we cover
Local guides with home prices, neighborhoods and where your deed gets recorded.
Atlanta, GA
Augusta, GA
Source: Redfin housing market data, three months ending September 2026.
Don't see your city? You can pick a home anywhere in Georgia we can negotiate. Tell us where in the form.
Who buys with owner financing in Georgia
These are the Georgia buyers we hear from most. If one sounds like you, the program was built for you.
Metro Atlanta gig and 1099 workers
Rideshare, delivery, trucking and the trades employ a huge share of Georgia's workforce. If your income is real but your tax return shrinks it, we look at deposits.
Military families near Georgia's bases
From Fort Eisenhower in Augusta to Dobbins near Atlanta, service members and spouses want to stop renting between moves.
Buyers priced out of their neighborhood
Georgia prices rose fast. Owner financing lets you buy now instead of waiting years for a perfect credit file.
ITIN holders and new Georgians
Georgia has one of the fastest growing immigrant communities in the South. An ITIN and a down payment are enough to start.
Three steps to a Georgia home.
How a Georgia purchase moves from first call to keys.
Get qualified
We look at your income, savings and situation. Your qualification letter is good for up to 12 months, so you can move when the right Georgia home shows up.
Choose your home
Pick three homes in Georgia. We negotiate with the seller and structure the note and security deed.
Close with a Georgia attorney
A real estate attorney runs the closing, records your deed with the Clerk of Superior Court, and hands you the keys.
Owner financing vs rent to own in Georgia
In Georgia, rent to own deals are usually a lease plus an option to buy later. The tenant pays an option fee and rent, the seller keeps the deed, and if the seller stops paying their own mortgage or files bankruptcy, the tenant can lose everything they put in.
With owner financing your warranty deed is recorded at closing by a Georgia attorney. You can claim homestead the next January, and you build equity from the first payment. Compare them side by side on owner financing vs rent to own.
Cash to close on a Georgia home
The calculator starts at Georgia's September 2026 median sale price of $356,812. Move it to the price you have in mind.
The program starts at $250,000 and has no upper limit. Down payments are normally 20 percent, with exceptions reviewed one by one. There's no application or origination fee.
- Down payment (20%)
- Closing costs (2% to 3%)
- Amount financed
Estimate only. Closing costs vary by state and are listed on your closing statement before you sign.
Your Georgia contact
- In real estate since 2010
- Finance degree, FIU
- 20+ families into homes since 2024
- Based in Fort Lauderdale, FL
- Speaks Spanish fluently
Freddy has closed Georgia deals before and works with buyers in metro Atlanta, Augusta and Athens. Every Georgia deal closes with a licensed Georgia real estate attorney.
Every Georgia purchase closes with a Georgia real estate attorney, and your deed is recorded with the county Clerk of Superior Court in your name.
"If you can afford the house, there should be a path to it."
Freddy E.Founder, Sold With Financing
See if you qualify for a Georgia home.
Tell us where in Georgia you want to buy and what you can put down. Freddy will reach out within 24 hours.
- Closing with a Georgia real estate attorney.
- Deed recorded with the county Clerk of Superior Court.
- You can file for Georgia's homestead exemption with your county tax assessor by April 1.
- No minimum credit score.
See if you qualify
Takes about a minute. Freddy replies within 24 hours.
Georgia owner financing questions
How does owner financing work in Georgia?
You sign a promissory note and a security deed, and the warranty deed is recorded in your name at closing. A Georgia real estate attorney runs the closing. You make fixed monthly payments on the note and can refinance anytime.
What is a security deed in Georgia?
It's Georgia's version of a mortgage. It secures the note with the home. You're still the owner on the warranty deed, and once the note is paid off the security deed is canceled.
Do I need an attorney to close in Georgia?
Yes. Georgia closings are conducted by a real estate attorney. That protects you as the buyer, because the attorney checks title and records your deed.
What closing taxes does Georgia charge?
Georgia charges a transfer tax of $1 per $1,000 of the price and an intangible recording tax of $1.50 per $500 of the note, up to $25,000. Notes of 62 months or less are exempt from the intangible tax.
Can I get the Georgia homestead exemption with owner financing?
Usually, yes. You must own and live in the home on January 1, then file with your county tax assessor by April 1. The deed in your name is what makes you eligible.
What credit score do I need?
There is no minimum credit score. We qualify Georgia buyers on steady income and a down payment, normally 20 percent, with exceptions reviewed one by one.
Compare the other states
Florida
Alabama
North Carolina
South Carolina
Median prices: Redfin, September 2026.
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