We are real estate investors and work extensively in the pre-foreclosure market. Many times sellers are financed 100% or close to it and there is no deal to be had so we try to negotiate with their lender to do a short sale or short payoff. As part of the process the lender needs a BPO to determine fair market value.
What is a BPO? A Broker’s Price Opinion is a market value assessment usually performed by a licensed real estate agent or broker. These are most often done on properties that are in foreclosure. A lot of times when the property is not sold before or at auction, the BPO that did the opinion will get to list the property. Sometimes it can be a full time appraiser looking for extra work that may do the BPO. Because of the fact the agent may eventually get a listing they tend to sometimes give a high appraisal.
Now realize that market value generally assumes a home in great shape needing no repairs. 90% of retail buyers will not buy a home that needs any repairs. Many lenders will not finance a home that needs wood replaced or roofing done.
What is a Drive By? A drive by consists of a BPO going to the house and stopping in front, taking a picture of the outside and driving off. They never get out of the vehicle, never to see the inside or any damage or repairs needed on the property. Comparable sales, past appraisals and tax records will be used to determine the value of the home without taking needed repairs into account. A lot of houses have good curb appeal, once you step thru the front door it’s a different story. We have had the BPO agent miss the fact that a tarp was on the roof to stop the rain from coming in the house because the holes in the roof were on the back of the house and the agent never stepped out of their vehicle.
How can I get an accurate BPO Appraisal? Be there early. Bring pictures and the list of repairs from your first visit. Develop rapport and become best friends with the appraiser. Do your homework on the neighborhood. Look for true comps. Example: If you are looking at a stucco home and the rest of the neighborhood is brick. You can’t find true comps. For future reference if you are in a mid to high humidity area, get a moisture test on the stucco and bring the results with you.
How can I keep from being a victim? Arrive 45-60 minutes before appt. Do not allow the home owner to greet the BPO instead of you. Stay where you can see the road. If you see a vehicle pull up and stop, jump out and holler politely,” Would you like to see the inside of the home”? To make the experience better for yourself and the BPO offer help. Tell them what you have found. Don’t take it personally if they don’t want help from you. Do your homework. Don’t let the homeowner show them around as they will try to point out nice things. Your job is to point out the flaws of the house and drive the appraisal down. Make sure the lender knows you are the point of contact for the BPO agent and to contact you to set up the appointment for the BPO. The pictures that you took on the first visit need to be printed out; if digital take them to a kiosk that makes prints. Have 3 copies made. Put two to a piece of paper, go with colorful construction paper, yellow is a happy color, go to your local office supply store and get printable file folder labels. In detail tell what’s wrong in the picture. Give the BPO agent 1 copy. Let them know what you have found wrong with the house or yard. Give them a repair list. Any true comparable sales you have found within a 5 mile radius will also help. Always pick the lowest comps. You will document a lot more problem area’s with the house than the BPO will see. This will be the difference of making 30k or 5k on a house.
Jun
08Short Sales: Should You Let the Sellers Rent?
Posted By: Ramon Rivas on June 8, 2010 at 2:44 pmIf you are interested in buying and profiting from short sale properties, you have many options. The most common is to flip the property. For example, buy a single family home, make needed repairs, and relist the home for sale. An alternative is to rent the property. If this is your first choice, you may consider allowing the borrowers or current home occupants to rent, but is this a good idea? It depends.
How much would you charge for rent? What you must remember is how you were able to buy the property. The borrowers were unable to afford their mortgage payments. What makes you assume they could afford monthly rent and utilities? The goal of profiting from short sales is to make money as quickly as possible. This means charging a fair value for rent. If average rental rates in the area are $900 a month for a single-family home, can they afford? If they were unable to pay similar mortgage payments, you got your answer. Either resell the property or find a tenant who can pay.
Average rental rates in the area. As previously stated, if it is common for a single family home to rent for $900 a month plus utilities, charge that much. Yes, a sob story may tug at your heart and you may want to do your good deed for the year, remember your goal. That is to make money. Truthfully, there are many families in need of a home. You can find a tenant who is willing to pay fair rental rates. Chances are, they have a heart tugging story too.
The current property state. Typically, properties are in better condition with short sales than foreclosures, but there are no guarantees. Commonly, borrowers suggest short sales. They want to avoid the damaging consequences of foreclosure and bankruptcy. These individuals take pride in and care for their home. They just can’t afford it any longer. When inspecting the property, how does it look? If you notice holes in the walls, torn furniture, and other small but costly damages, think about the added costs. If they are willing to “destroy,” the property when being the legal owners, what would happen if they were just renters?
So, should you let a borrower rent your recently purchased short sale property? It depends. The decision is yours to make. With that said, remember the quickest way to profit is from flipping. Unless you are able to purchase a low-priced property, have experience in the rental industry, or purchase property in an area where rentals are in high demand, reselling is your best option. These are less risks and the profit arrives sooner.
The only exception to the above mentioned factors you should take into consideration is with multi-family homes. Unfortunately, renters are left in a pinch with the high rate of foreclosures. Most pay their rent on time. It is the landlords and property owners that make poor financial choices. Some renters are literally having their money stolen from them, as it should go towards paying the rental unit’s mortgage, but it does not. If you have the option to purchase a multi-family or single-family home with paying tenants, keep it that way. In a couple of years, you recoup your expenses and make a profit but without the hassle.
When buying anything, you need to make sure that what you’ve just purchased is OK and fits all of your current needs and requirements. Homes are no exception. Whether you buy homes to resell for a profit, or for yourself, you need to close a good deal. If you decide to earn some money by investing in an estate, you really need to make sure whether that estate will or can be made good for your future client(s).
Since we talk about homes, we need everything into consideration. Where is the property located? When was it built? What is the actual condition of the home? How many rooms does it have? Is it in a good, bad or borderline neighborhood in regard to safety? Though discrimination is verboten, what is the ethnic diversity of the neighborhood?
The above mentioned are essential things to consider. You cannot overlook any of these and buy blindly. Think first, than decide.
Location, location, location
This issue is two-sided. If you are buying a property to turn it over for profit, it is advantageous for it to be in a central location, however, if the property is in a run down section and you can see drunks on the streets, stay away, unless you are looking to just rent it out.
What if a house just seems to be in a nice neighborhood, nothing uncommon, neighbors seem nice and friendly? You never know. Maybe a thief or a sex offender lives on the block. You should ask discreetly before buying.
Date of the Building
The year of building is essential, since building styles vary. You may have a certain preference for the kind of house you’d enjoy living in, or what kind of properties you’d like to sell, maybe to build a niche market in restoring and renovating.
Anyway, don’t just look on the outside. Check the interior too. What if walls have holes and rodents or roaches are present? Do you need that kind of problems? Exterminators can help, but rats can do a number on electrical wiring. If buying a house to live in, best to skip over clear infestations. Even if there are no mice and the walls are in good shape… what if the building’s structure isn’t at all stable? Have the house inspected by a qualified engineer.
Partitioning
Do you need the house for yourself? Very good, then you need to know how many rooms, kitchens, bathrooms it has. You also have to know how big those rooms are, and whether or not you would be able to comfortably live in them.
Or, are you an investor? No exception for you. You also have to find out the number of rooms, baths, etc… in that house. After knowing this information, you can start building your plan, and calculating your future monthly or daily income.
After considering everything related to the house itself, you have to start evaluating your budget and maybe family into account. Are you even ON a budget? Can you afford the mortgage payment. Do you have kids, a partner? If so, would they accept to move in there, with you? Could they be as happy in the new surroundings as in your current apartment or house?
If you’re an investor, it’s a different case. You should first of all think about what the market is like, what sort of individuals or families are your potential buyers. Is the school district good? That’s always a big plus. Is it the worst house on the block in an otherwise nice neighborhood? Some fresh paint and a new roof can work wonders.
