More sellers holding mortgages for buyers

This time it's not because they help sellers afford homes in a high interest-rate environment, as they did in the 1980s, when 40 percent of all home sales used seller financing.

This time, it's because take-back loans allow the seller to spread out the gain over a longer period and avoid paying a large capital gains bill on profits over $250,000 for an individual or $500,000 for a married couple. READ MORE