Biggest Competition for Investors This Year: The Owner Occupant

Biggest Competition for Investors This Year: The Owner Occupant

Real Estate Agent · Hackensack, NJ · Member since 2014 · 321 posts · 412 votes

Here in Northern New Jersey, single family inventory is down over 25% from last year and there wasn't exactly a plethora of homes on the market then. This is also happening nationally (http://www.cnbc.com/2017/01/24/why-the-supply-of-h...).

I am an REO agent and it seems to be getting tougher and tougher to find good deals for my buyer investors. Banks are wanting full market price for their 'as-is' REOs and others they are actually renovating. Just sold a foreclosure listing where the bank did $85k+ in renovations including 2 completely new bathrooms, upgraded the kitchen, roof, HVAC, redid the floors, and even landscaping. They listed it slightly under value and had a bidding war with the winning buyer paying $10k over the list price.

Even if there is some money to be made on the 'as-is' sales for investors, your new enemy is the owner occupant.

A few years ago, it didn't matter what price point you were at, buyers wanted that updated kitchen with granite and the home to be move-in ready. Those days are done.

With less options to choose from, buyers are willing again to do major renovations to homes. Bad news for investors.

Recently had an REO listing where the home needs an entirely new roof and the 3rd floor needs to be gutted from leaks that permeated down into the 1st floor kitchen.

Never thought an owner occupant would want to buy this house. Bank wanted it priced too high I thought, an investor would never pay that much. Low and behold, I received 2 offers from buyers using renovation loans for full list price. The highest investor bid was $40 below that.

Investors, make sure you are doing your own marketing to generate leads and not relying on the MLS, because those good deals are drying up fast.

Anyone else seeing this in their markets?

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Flipper/Rehabber · Allentown, PA · Member since 2011 · 1k+ posts · 701 votes
9y

@Kevin Hill

Every "decent" home in the Lehigh Valley is going to multiple offers right now. Inventory is extremely thin. As you say, need to find other avenues to purchase. The sheriff sales have been packed with people looking for deals. There are still deals to be had, you just have to search a little deeper. If you find a good one, you should be able to get it back on the market quick and have no problem finding a buyer.

FHA 3-month anti-flip rules will really come into play if people are trying to turn over inventory quickly to that 150-250K buyer.

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  • Real Estate Agent · Tarrytown, NY · Member since 2016 · 149 posts · 63 votes
    9y

    @Kevin Hill Hey Kevin, 

    I think that is a good point, the average home buyers are more interested in taking on renovation projects these days. With all the TV shows and such, everyone wants to build their "dream home". And 1st time homebuyers/ investors seem more interested in REO's and auctions.

    REO inventory definitely seems to be down. Do you think it is due to a lot of the pre-crash mortgaged properties being sold, and fewer foreclosures happening on post- crash mortgages?

    Interesting that the banks are doing more renovations themselves, are they selling less inventory to bulk package buyers now and trying to market more themselves?

  • Flipper/Rehabber · Allentown, PA · Member since 2011 · 1k+ posts · 701 votes
    9y

    @Kevin Hill

    Every "decent" home in the Lehigh Valley is going to multiple offers right now. Inventory is extremely thin. As you say, need to find other avenues to purchase. The sheriff sales have been packed with people looking for deals. There are still deals to be had, you just have to search a little deeper. If you find a good one, you should be able to get it back on the market quick and have no problem finding a buyer.

    FHA 3-month anti-flip rules will really come into play if people are trying to turn over inventory quickly to that 150-250K buyer.

  • Investor · Oneonta, NY · Member since 2015 · 57 posts · 27 votes
    9y
    Originally posted by :

    FHA 3-month anti-flip rules will really come into play if people are trying to turn over inventory quickly to that 150-250K buyer.

    Does that really have much consequence to anyone doing real rehab though? By the time you close, permit, repair and list you will have close to a month in. You can list before the 90 day mark but you cannot close until. Seems like an advantage to list, not accept offers for a week and then have multi bid roll in. That would put your closing date about 45 out which is a reasonable amount of time.

  • Mindy JensenPro Member
    BiggerPockets Money Podcast Host · Longmont, CO · Member since 2014 · 7k+ posts · 10k+ votes
    9y

    @Kevin Hill , I'm seeing this in my market, too.

    While I have no sympathy for the banks that lost money during the big foreclosure rush a few years ago, I also cannot fault them for wanting to put $85k into a property and make a boatload. 

    I'm not seeing actual money in renovations in my area - we have almost no foreclosures anyway - but dumpy houses aren't selling for much less than market value.

    For what, 4 years? 5 years there was zero building going on. I don't think people are looking for kitchens they can make their own, so much as looking for anything they can purchase regardless of condition.

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