As stringent loan regulations persist, the practice of "seller financing," where a home seller lends a portion of the purchase price to the buyer, is rapidly spreading across the real estate market.

Recently, real estate listings featuring phrases like "seller loan available" have been popping up one after another.

A 112-square-meter unit at Haeundae IPARK in Busan was listed with the condition that a "seller loan is available," while a property in Jagok-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, explicitly specified a "seller loan of 600 million won."

Listings featuring the phrase "seller loan opportunity" have also appeared in Banpo Xi in Seocho-gu.

With similar properties emerging in Gyeonggi Province areas such as Gwanggyo in Suwon and Dasan in Namyangju, a method once centered mainly on high-priced homes in Gangnam is now appearing regardless of region or price range.

Seller financing is a method where the seller does not receive a portion of the home price immediately, but essentially lends it to the buyer to be paid back later.

Buyers can secure purchase funds that they could not cover through financial institution loans, while sellers can close deals under the condition of receiving interest.

It is not an illegal transaction method under the law.

The recent attention drawn to such transactions is due to tightened mortgage regulations.

In regulated areas, mortgages are capped at up to 600 million won for homes priced at 1.5 billion won or less, 400 million won for homes exceeding 1.5 billion won up to 2.5 billion won, and a maximum of 200 million won for homes exceeding 2.5 billion won.

As the gap between home prices and available loan amounts widens for more expensive homes, demand arises to fill the funding shortfall through peer-to-peer financing.

The recent sale of an apartment in Bundang by President Lee Jae-myung also heightened interest.

President Lee and his spouse sold their jointly owned apartment for 2.9 billion won on the 14th, and simultaneously with the transfer of ownership, established a collateral mortgage with a maximum bond amount of 1.77 billion won.

However, the Blue House explained that this was not a transaction to bypass loan regulations, but a measure to secure the unpaid balance, payment of which has been deferred until the end of October due to the buyer's circumstances.

It stated that no separate interest is charged during the grace period.

Experts point out that while seller financing can serve as an alternative for fundraising, it also carries significant risks as a private transaction.

They note that if the buyer fails to repay the money, the seller must go through debt collection procedures such as foreclosure, and interest rates and repayment terms are not standardized like those of financial institutions.

Reported by Kim Minjeong | Video by Jang Yujin | Graphics by Yang Hyemin | Produced by SBS Digital News