Refinancing a land contract or an agreement for deed, is fairly simple. However, there needs to be specific items in place. A land contract operates just like an ordinary bank loan, except payments are made to a private individual or a group of people instead of a bank. Paying Off Land Contracts. If the borrower will use the loan to complete payment on a land contract, contract for deed, or other similar type financing arrangement in which the borrower does not have title to the property, the new mortgage may be processed as either a purchase or a refinance transaction with maximum FHA-insured financing if the A land contract is often viewed as a way to "pay down the purchase price" before obtaining a regular mortgage to buy the property outright. Often, the terms of the contract will call for 5-10 years of regular payments, concluding with a balloon payment for the balance of the mortgage.