Some real estate contracts have a “liquidated damages” clause that states the maximum the seller can keep if the buyers breach the contract. The sellers also have the option of suing for “specific performance,” which means that a court could decide that the buyers must do what they promised in the contract. A land contract is a written legal contract, or agreement, used to purchase real estate, such as vacant land, a house, an apartment building, a commercial building, or other real property. A land contract is a form of seller financing. It is similar to a mortgage, but rather than borrowing money from a lender or bank to buy real estate, the buyer makes payments to the real estate owner, or seller, until the purchase price is paid in full.