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    Millions of Americans are resorting to risky ways to buy an affordable home

    Alternative financing arrangements can be the only option for low-income Americans. But they lack the same protections as a mortgage, and many end up paying for years without ever gaining ownership.
    by Jennifer Ludden Apr 14, 2022 4 minutes
    Marisela Orozco (foreground) is letting her sister, Marissa, live in the house she thought she would own after making almost four years of payments. But the owner disappeared, along with the title, and she worries he may return and evict them.

    Five years ago, Donald Strayer thought he'd bought a dream home for his extended family. It was on a pretty spot in Ohio's Appalachian mountain foothills, with room for him and his wife, his daughter's family, plus their horses and goats. And he could actually afford it.

    Strayer had been turned down for a bank loan because of bad credit — he says it's because of hospital bills years ago. The 58-year-old former forklift driver has a chronic lung disease and lives off disability. Instead of a regular mortgage, he signed what's known as a land contract directly with the seller.

    The price was $39,900. For a down payment he sold his childhood

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