Are you thinking about buying a fixer-upper?

Can you really afford to buy it and fix it up, too?

How much will fixing it up really cost you?

These are key questions that need to be answered. It’s extremely important that you assess the real cost before you buy it. For without that information, you won’t know how much to offer for a fixer-upper.

But don’t fret about it. These seven steps will help you figure that out.

Step 1 – Determine What You Can Honestly Do Without Help

We all do it. We watch our favorite TV shows and YouTube videos and think we can do it all. All those home improvement pros make every project look super easy to do. But in reality, it just ain’t so.

Take that “simple” plumbing project you tackled. Remember it? How many times did you have to run to the hardware store to purchase something else that you needed to complete the job?

No, moving a staircase or even bringing wiring up to code requires much more time or skill than most folks can tout. They’re not a fix-it job like that leaky little toilet valve was.

So, since every project always takes longer than you think it will be brutally honest with yourself. Are you really able to DIY that project? Do you even want to do it yourself? And are you willing to accept the less-than-professional results that you could end up with? Less-than-professional results won’t increase the value of the home you’re working on.

Be Wise – Leave It to a Professional

Some fixes need to be left to the professionals. Remodels or updates can be dangerous when you aren’t trained or certified to do them, like electrical work, for example.

And one more thing. Will you be stressed out while you live in a demolished house month after month? You’ll most likely have time to complete home projects on the weekends only.

Step 2 – Determine the Cost of All Renovations and Then Some

Here’s a great tip! Ask your contractor to do a walk-through in the house you want to purchase and fix up. Then he can give you a written estimate on the cost of all he needs to do to bring the home up to par.

If you decide you can do the work yourself, price all the supplies needed for every renovation and upgrade.

And, whether you hire a contractor or choose to do the work yourself, tack on an additional 10 to 20 percent to the cost total. This prepares you for the surprise costs that inevitably pop up when fixing up a house.

Step 3 – Factor in Time, Costs, and Aggravation for Getting Permits

It’s a fact. Doing a home renovation without a permit saves money. But when it comes to selling the home you renovate, you could be asking for trouble. Play it safe. Ask your local officials whether or not you need a permit for the work you’re going to do. Be sure you ask about the cost of the permit you need, too.

If you decide to go with a contractor, they can make arrangements for the permits you’ll need. But if you decide you want to get the permits yourself, know this: getting permits can be time-consuming and frustrating. How? Before home inspectors give you the necessary permit for a particular renovation, they can force you to do additional work or change the way you want to do a project. Yeah …

Step 4 – Budget for Structural Work on the Fixer-Upper

Does the fixer-upper you’re looking to buy need major structural work done to it? Do a double-check. If it does, you’ll need to hire a structural engineer.

They charge $100 to $236 per hour just to inspect the house. But before you put in an offer, you’ll be confident all structural problems have been uncovered and conservatively budgeted for to the fullest extent.

Before you commit to buying a home with structural problems, get written estimates for the repairs.

A home that needs major structural work should be offered with a steep discount. So don’t commit to the purchase of a fixer-upper with structural problems without these three things:

• Knowledge of the full extent of the problem
• The certainty that the problem can be fixed
• A binding written estimate for the cost of the repairs

Step 5 – Make Sure You Have Enough Funds Available to Fix a Fixer-Upper

Before you make an offer, do this:

• Make sure you have enough money for a downpayment, closing costs, and all necessary repairs
• If you’re going to fund the renovations with a home equity or home improvement loan, get pre-approved for both loans. Then make sure the deal is contingent on getting both the home equity loan and the home improvement loan. This safeguards you from being forced to close the sale when you have no loan to fix the house.

Have You Looked into an FHA Section 203(k) Program?

You might want to take a look into the Federal Housing Administration’s Section 203(k) program. It’s designed to help homeowners who are purchasing or refinancing a home that needs rehabilitation.

The FHA Section 203(k) program bundles purchase/refinance and rehabilitation costs into one monthly mortgage payment. But in order to qualify for this type of loan, the total value of the property must fall within the FHA mortgage limit for your area.

A 203(k) program is streamlined and much simpler to obtain than a standard 203(k) is. And it provides an additional amount for rehabilitation, up to $35,000, on top of an existing mortgage. It’s worth looking into, for sure.

Step 6 – Determine a Fair Purchase Price to Offer

This step isn’t a hard one. Just take the fair market value of the property and subtract the upgrade and repair costs. The fair market value of the fixer-upper is what it would be worth if it were in good condition with up-to-date remodels.

Let’s say the fixer-upper you’re considering has outdated design features such as:

• Dark wood paneling
• Beige walls
• Popcorn ceilings
• Pastel fixtures
• Laminate countertops
• Shiny gold fittings
• Avocado green appliances
• Built-in media cabinets
• Chintz wallpaper
• Millennial pink everything
• Tile counters
• Linoleum floors
• Wallpaper border

And it has high levels of radon in the basement.

How to Determine a Fair Market Price

A comparison house or “comp” in the same Brooklyn neighborhood, sold last month for $490,100. That house had an updated kitchen with new appliances, no wallpaper, was recently re-carpeted, and has a radon mitigation system in the basement.

The cost to remodel the kitchen, remove the wallpaper, carpet the house, and put in a radon mitigation system is $100,000. Your fair purchase price bid for the fixer-upper should be $390,100.

As your real estate agent, I will let you know if it’s a good idea to share your cost estimates with the sellers, to prove whether or not your offer is fair. Be sure to ask!

Step 7 – Hire Pro Inspectors to Properly Assess Your Fixer-Upper

Hire pros to inspect your fixer-upper. This is key in helping you properly assess the value of the house and the cost of its repairs.

Home inspectors look for and uncover hidden issues in need of replacement or repair. You want to replace those 1980s kitchen cabinets, but the home inspector detects the water leak behind them.

What they don’t do:

• Lead-based paint inspection
• Well and septic system inspection
• Sewer issues
• Pest or termite inspection
• Chimney inspection
• Asbestos testing
• Mold inspection
• Lot size survey
• Radon testing

Include Inspection Contingencies

Most home inspection contingencies allow you to go back to the sellers to ask them to do the repairs or when you close on the house, give you cash to pay for the repairs.

If the inspection turns up something major you don’t want to deal with, you or the seller can simply back out of the deal. If you or the seller back out of the deal, it’s okay. It just means this fixer-upper isn’t the right house for you.

Contact Charles D’Alessandro for Help

If you’re determined to find a fixer-upper to fix up, but you aren’t sure if you’re ready to take one on, call me. I’m Charles D’Alessandro, your Brooklyn Real Estate Agent with Fillmore Real Estate. You can reach me at (718) 253-9600 ext. 206 or [email protected] today. I’d love to help you find the perfect house to make a home.

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Charles D’Alessandro
Your Brooklyn Real Estate Agent
718-253-9600 ext. 206

Some Brooklyn home buyers have an advantage that others don’t in today’s housing market.  They can qualify for an FHA loan.

Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans help Brooklyn home buyers who would otherwise have trouble being approved for a mortgage.  You can qualify for a loan if you have less than perfect credit.  FHA loans are available even after bankruptcy and foreclosure, if you have maintained good credit for the following two to three years.

What are the requirements for FHA loans?

FHA loans have strict home appraisal guidelines.  The appraisal value helps determine the FHA mortgage limit.  Each state has its own rules regarding maximum loan limits.

What are the advantages to FHA loans?

One advantage of an FHA loan is lower down payment requirements.  You may qualify for a down payment as low as 3.5 percent of the purchase price of the property.  Additionally, most of your closing costs can be included in the loan, so you’ll have less out of pocket expenses.

An FHA loan can also be used to buy a house that needs improvements.  If you need cash to make the repairs, you can apply for a loan to cover the cost of the expected repairs.  The FHA also has energy efficient mortgages which include the costs of energy improvements.

What are the terms of FHA loans?

An FHA loan can take many forms: it may be a fixed-rate loan, an adjustable rate mortgage (ARM) or a reverse mortgage.

• A fixed-rate mortgage has a set interest rate for a set amount of time.  Typically, it will be a 15 or 30-year loan.
• An ARM has a variable interest rate for 15 to 30 years.
• The reverse mortgage pays a set amount of money to the homeowner for the entire time they live in the home.

Whether you’d like to finance a Brooklyn home using an FHA loan or a non-FHA loan, I can help.  Give me a call today Charles D’Alessandro of Fillmore Real Estate at (718) 253-9600 ext 206 or email me at [email protected].

FHA loans are mortgages issued by qualified lenders, including traditional lenders like Citigroup and Wells Fargo, and insured by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA).  The popularity of these loans are skyrocketing and for good reasons.  They feature low down payments, low closing costs and are easier to qualify for.

Despite this popularity, there are many misconceptions surrounding FHA loans.  Here are just a few myths and the facts behind them.

Myth #1: FHA only loans small amounts to buyers of Brooklyn homes.

Fact: To help stabilize the real estate market, the government recently raised the maximum loan amount from its original cap of $362,790 to $793,750. The FHA loan amount a buyer can borrow varies by state and county.

Myth #2:  FHA loans are exclusively for lower-income borrowers.

Fact: FHA loans are available to everyone. There are no maximum income restrictions.  Potential borrowers must verify income and assets to ensure they can afford the loan.

Myth #3:  FHA loans are exclusively for first-time buyers of Brooklyn homes.

Fact: Whether Brooklyn home buyers are making their first home purchase or their twentieth, they can potentially qualify for an FHA loan.
Myth #4: FHA loans are affiliated with the low-income housing program.

Fact: FHA loans have nothing to do with the Section 8 Housing Program or any other low-income or subsidized housing programs. FHA loans are simply mortgages insured by FHA.

Myth #5: FHA loans are risky.

Fact: FHA loans are often easier to obtain, but that does not make them riskier.  The FHA requires full documentation of borrowers’ income and assets to ensure they can afford the loan.

If you’re ready to look at Brooklyn homes to buy, whether you’ll be using an FHA loan or a non-FHA loan, I can help you find your perfect home.  Give me a call Charles D’Alessandro of Fillmore Real Estate at (718) 253-9600 ext 206 or email me at [email protected]  to get started.