How to Buy a House with Bitcoin and Other Cryptocurrency

Cryptocurrency is playing an increased role in real estate. Buyers and sellers may have the option to purchase a home in cryptocurrency or part of the purchase using cryptocurrency. With its growing popularity and increased adoption, buying a property with cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum is not uncommon. In fact, it may be the future of how people purchase homes and other forms of real estate. 

The first recorded home purchase using Bitcoin was in September 2017 in Austin, Texas. This was a peer-to-peer transaction where the buyer sent the agreed-upon amount of bitcoins to the seller’s account. But not all real estate transactions are this easy. To purchase property using cryptocurrency, both the buyer and the seller need to agree on the form of payment, and not everyone is willing to accept crypto as a form of payment on a home. 

Why Buy a House with Crypto: Pros and Cons 

Pros of Buying a House with Crypto: 

• Using crypto to purchase a home allows privacy in the transaction process. 
• If you are trying to purchase a home outside of your country, paying for that international property in crypto allows for an easy way to transact.
• Purchasing property in crypto means you may get to save on added costs associated with buying a home, such as legal fees, taxes, commission, and other fees.
• The decentralized blockchain technology offers security for the property transaction and transparency for real estate records, including titles that are recorded on the blockchain and cannot be misrepresented. 
• Buying real estate with cryptocurrency means that both parties do a peer-to-peer exchange. There is no third party to interfere with the transaction. This means immediate and quick transaction speeds.

Cons of Buying a House with Crypto: 

• Cryptocurrency is volatile, which may pose a risk in buying property. A seller may be hesitant to accept cryptocurrency as a form of payment for their property because its value may drop.
• The reality is, that not many people may want to transact their real estate with cryptocurrency. It may take some time for there to be demand for more people to feel comfortable and have the crypto funds to make a big purchase with Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies.

Can you Buy a House with Bitcoin?

Today, some real estate transactions can be done using cryptocurrency. The most popular cryptocurrencies used for property deals are Bitcoin and Ethereum. Bitcoin and Ethereum are the most widely used and in-demand cryptocurrencies on the market, which is why they may be preferred use in real estate transactions. Still, there are many other cryptocurrencies on the market to use. The type of cryptocurrency depends on which one the people doing the deal prefer. In a crypto transaction, the buyer and seller also need to consider whether they want to have the transaction done 100% in crypto or partially in crypto and the rest in cash. 

How to Buy Real Estate or a House with Crypto

• Convert cryptocurrency to cash or vice versa. If you have a lump of cash that you want to convert to crypto, choose which cryptocurrency you want to buy. Then you can use those crypto funds to buy real estate. Alternatively, if you already have crypto funds and want to switch over to cash, you can sell some of your cryptos, depending on the amount you need to complete the purchase.
• Sometimes it can be challenging to find a buyer or a seller willing to accept cryptocurrency as payment for real estate. You can send your crypto directly to the other party if you find a match.
• Crypto Escrow is crypto funds transferred to a third party or an escrow service that keeps the funds for a transaction between peers. ATAIX Escrow provides a service that safeguards the buyer and the seller to allow secure and quick crypto transactions once they both agree to the terms of the transaction. 

FAQ: Everything you should Know before Buying a House with Crypto

Can you use cryptocurrency to buy real estate? 
You may be able to purchase a home using cryptocurrency. If you are a buyer seeking to use Bitcoin or another cryptocurrency, you must find a seller willing to accept crypto in return. Both the buyer and seller must be aware of the pros and cons of transacting with crypto because there is still risk involved with trading digital assets.

What kinds of real estate properties can you buy with crypto?
You can buy several types of real estate properties using cryptos, such as single-family homes, a second residence or a vacation home, investment properties, or commercial real estate. 

What crypto can you use to buy real estate or a house?
You can use any cryptocurrency the buyer and seller are willing to agree upon. However, the most recorded real estate transactions are done using Bitcoin since it's the most popular, in-demand, and widely traded cryptocurrency on the market. Second to Bitcoin is Ethereum, another crypto that is trusted among the crypto community and can be used in a home purchase. In this scenario, cryptocurrency is similar to cash because it is being used as a medium of exchange. As long as both parties involved agree to an agreement, there are thousands of cryptocurrencies on the market to use in a real estate transaction. 

Can you buy a house with Bitcoin earnings?
If you have benefited financially from investing in Bitcoin and have grown your wealth over time, you can take some of your Bitcoin earnings and either convert it into cash and use that cash to purchase a real estate property, or you can trade the amount you have earned from Bitcoin to another party in exchange for real estate.

Can you pay your mortgage with Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies?
Paying your mortgage using Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies is not a service that is available among many mortgage companies. But as cryptocurrency plays an increasingly important role in real estate, more companies may start accepting crypto payments. That said, for people who prefer to use Bitcoin for mortgage transactions, it may be best to convert your Bitcoin into cash so you can make your mortgage payment.