high-priced housing markets such as those in san francisco and other parts of california can leave buyers at a loss to come up with down payments, closing costs and financing for homes. writing a lease purchase contract with a willing seller can let you move in now and use the next one to three years to get your financial ducks in a row. a lease purchase agreement with a seller legally obligates you to buy the property at the end of the lease. the contract usually includes a percentage of rent held in an escrow account until the lease term is up and the buyer closes the sale. rent is usually higher than the market value to allow some of the rent to go into escrow toward the purchase of the home.