If a buyer objects, sellers immediately question their seriousness. A personal guaranty is not a specific lien on any particular buyer asset, but is the guaranty that the buyer is placing all assets at risk as needed to satisfy the loan. If the seller note payments are not made, the seller has to proceed with the long process of formal foreclosure. But, to satisfy the foreclosure, the seller will have access to all buyer assets. The spouse's signature is required to prevent the transfer of assets to the spouse's name to dilute the buyer's net worth.
Specific collateral is the other common source of security.
If no bank financing is involved, the seller wants a first mortgage on any real estate and first security agreements on all personal property involved in the sale. Sometimes, the seller will require that the buyer offer additional security in the form of additional mortgages and security agreements on real and personal property that the buyer owns. If a bank is involved, the seller must usually settle for second place in the line of secured creditors behind the bank. This allows the seller a speedier solution than foreclosure. If the terms of the seller note are not met, the seller can vote to require that payments be made and can even vote to replace management of the business.