First Deal Analysis, no money down!

First Deal Analysis, no money down!

Kara LeboeufPro Member
Rental Property Investor · Glens falls, NY · Member since 2013 · 124 posts · 50 votes

Hello, earlier today I closed on my first investment property. There’s no turning back now, but I would like to share my experience for other newbie investors and also I would like to hear what some of the more experienced members think.

The home is a 3 unit in the Albany NY area. It is about 90 years old and in better shape than most of the inventory we saw in its price range. The purpose for purchasing this home is to live in one unit and rent out the other two while living as close to free as possible. And most importantly, while learning the ropes of REI. I know this will not generate cash flow while we live there but as we improve the units and move out in a few years I suspect this house will cash flow well and be a good transition into a buy and hold.

]The numbers:
Purchase price $135,000
Unit rents currently 400, 600, 800
PITI $600

The reason one of the units is renting for so low (400) is because the previous owner of the home (and 85 yr old woman) wanted to stay in the home until she died, so because of that we agreed on a low rate to accommodate her. Unfortunately we plan on moving into the $800 unit, so after we move in our income will only be $1000 a month. The good news is there is the possibility of finishing off the attic of this home and making the 2 upstairs units into split level apartments. Once we do that we estimate that each unit upstairs would bring in $750 a month, but we will cross that bridge when we come to it.

Approximate after renovation rents of units 750, 750, 850

As of now we are not living for free, we still owe approx $50 a month for the mortgage as well as our own utilities, and obviously repairs/ maintenance to the building.

Money down:
The closing earlier today was the most exciting. The short story is we used FHA financing and after credits from our lender, credits from the seller, and security deposits we ended up walking away with positive $2,440.00 cash. Purchasing my first investment with no money down, and even gaining some money was a real win for me and hopefully a good start to successful REI!

Please feel free to post any comment/concerns. Thanks again BP for all the help, I wouldn’t have been able to do it without you!

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Investor · El Paso/Socorro, TX · Member since 2012 · 365 posts · 75 votes
13y

Congratulations. Sounds like you have a great start. Don't forget that most of the money you spend on repairs is deductible from your taxes, don't scrimp on repairs.
I am currently in something similar in my fourth home. Renting it out while living there and loving it, hard to beat having someone else pay your mortgage then getting all the deductions for yourself!

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  • Investor · El Paso/Socorro, TX · Member since 2012 · 365 posts · 75 votes
    13y

    Congratulations. Sounds like you have a great start. Don't forget that most of the money you spend on repairs is deductible from your taxes, don't scrimp on repairs.
    I am currently in something similar in my fourth home. Renting it out while living there and loving it, hard to beat having someone else pay your mortgage then getting all the deductions for yourself!

  • Rental Property Investor · Manteno, IL · Member since 2009 · 2k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    13y

    How can you not love that deal?
    You got paid to take it.

    Your PITI is 600/mo and your rent is 1000.
    So you're basically going to live there for free
    and pay you a little extra on the side to help you pay for
    materials to fix it up.

    But why do you say it won't cash flow if your PITI is 600 and your rent is 1,000?

    And, hopefully, when you're done and move on to the next one, you'll be able to rent 3 units out for 2350/mo. Well, actually its more like 2k since you don't know how long the previous owner will stay there.

    I only wish I would have had an inkling stuff like that was even possible when I was in my 20's. But to pull it off is even more amazing. Thats a home run.

    My only question is whether you can do another one just like it next year. :-)

  • Kara LeboeufPro Member
    OP
    Rental Property Investor · Glens falls, NY · Member since 2013 · 124 posts · 50 votes
    13y

    Thanks Charles Morgan, i was actually in the house today (i haven't officially moved in yet) taking notes of all the repairs that needed to be done short term, long term, ect. I am not too knowledgeable when it comes to the tax law, so that's why i found a CPA and am meeting with him next week. but from what you say it seems like my tenants will be paying my mortgage and ill be collecting all the tax deductions, what a deal! lol

    Thanks for you post,
    Nick

    @Mike H. thanks for your interest in my first deal!

    my actual monthly payment, PITI is 1125. in the first post i meant to say PI of $600, sorry for the confusion.

    so at a PITI of 1125 and rent income of 1000, i owe 125 pulse heat for the building, and my utilities, so all together im - 300 to - 350, but im okay with that. the room for improvement is there, and once i move out this property will have no problem cash flowing

    as far as making the same deal happen next year, i doubt it lol. but as of now i am looking at 50k duplexes in the area and i think that will be my next purchase.

    again thanks for your interest, and have a great weekend

  • Rental Property Investor · Manteno, IL · Member since 2009 · 2k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    13y

    That makes sense. I was wondering how your PITI was so low given you were buying it with no money down and it was 130k. But didn't want to be a negative nellie. :-)

    Its still a fantastic deal and a great way to get yourself into the game.

  • Kara LeboeufPro Member
    OP
    Rental Property Investor · Glens falls, NY · Member since 2013 · 124 posts · 50 votes
    13y

    Thanks, it was a good first step for me. I'm saving about $700 a month compared to what I was paying for rent at my last place and now I'm learning to be a landlord and having tenants pay down my mortgage :)

    I'm happy, and it just makes me want that next property so much more!

  • Homeowner · Jackson, TN · Member since 2012 · 8 posts · 0 votes
    13y

    Nice!

    Any info on how you found the deal and how you financed it?

  • Kara LeboeufPro Member
    OP
    Rental Property Investor · Glens falls, NY · Member since 2013 · 124 posts · 50 votes
    13y

    Yes Brian,

    I found the house locally on the MLS using an agent. Before I decided on this one I looked for about 3 months at around 50 different multi fam houses in the same price range. We made an offer on this one about 15k less than the asking price. We agreed on a price about 10k less than the asking price. When I had a professional house inspection done the inspector notified me on some minor and some major problems with the house. One of the major problems was that the boiler for the heating was about 35yrs old. So we negotiated a $4500 credit to replace that boiler (it's still working fine but we still got the credit to replace it)

    As far as financing we used an FHA loan. The $4500 credit and security deposits more than covered all the closing costs and left us walking away with over $2400 at closing

  • Rental Property Investor · Sacramento, CA · Member since 2011 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    13y

    Nick Leboeuf nice job my brother! Thanks for sharing your numbers. I started in a similar manner. Look into your city's zoning restrictions before you go too far into dividing your upstairs space. And, although it doesn't sound sexy, be sure to reserve a good chuck of money for unexpected events. Best to you!

  • Investor · Middletown, NJ · Member since 2008 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    13y

    Congratulations Nick Leboeuf! And Al Williamson, you are *so* right!

  • Kara LeboeufPro Member
    OP
    Rental Property Investor · Glens falls, NY · Member since 2013 · 124 posts · 50 votes
    13y

    Thanks Aly L!

    Hey Al Williamson, thanks for your support!

    I have already contacted code enforcement, and i was told as long as the upstairs is made into just a "bonus room' (meaning not a bedroom ect.) then as long as the stairs getting up to it pass code then everything should be good. so i hope i wont run into any trouble there.

    as far as saving for those unexpected expenses, your right, its not sexy at all lol. But its something that got to be done. im in a good situation as far as money reserves go right now. the challenging part will be not to spend it all when i find that next house!

  • Rental Property Investor · Sacramento, CA · Member since 2011 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    13y

    Nick Leboeuf you're doing really well. Be sure to take your time. Some of my biggest lessons learned are to:
    1 - "sell nuts to squirrels." Be sure there is a large demand for a bonus room before you spend a dime.
    2 - grab at least five RANDOM samples/opinions to get an idea of the general appetite for your offer. Find a way to poll RANDOM people in your target area.

    Best to you (and please take small steps).

  • Kara LeboeufPro Member
    OP
    Rental Property Investor · Glens falls, NY · Member since 2013 · 124 posts · 50 votes
    13y

    Al Williamson that is great advice, thank you.

    i was thinking about that yesterday "i wonder how many people would actually enjoy the bonus room concept?", and of course, how much more are they willing to pay is a big question. i will have to find a way to ask that to random people searching for apartments. slow and steady wins the race ;)

  • Rental Property Investor · Sacramento, CA · Member since 2011 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    13y

    I use a random number generator app to help me fit my bias when trying to grab a random sample. You could call it a writers Rm, or shape name of offer to better attract idea tenant if you go that route.

  • Syndicator and Fund Manager · Victor, NY · Member since 2012 · 760 posts · 345 votes
    13y

    You mentions credit from the lender as well. What were the credits for and in what amount?

  • Real Estate Investor · Dallas, TX · Member since 2010 · 449 posts · 173 votes
    13y

    Nick Leboeuf - Congratulations, man! This looks like a great deal. Way to get the ball rolling.

  • Real Estate Broker · Canby, OR · Member since 2012 · 127 posts · 37 votes
    13y

    That sounds like an awesome deal to me! You got paid to buy a multi-family to live in for cheap, add value and eventually cash flow! I think that is about the best first deal you can get and is major motivation to me. I may be across the country from you but thanks for sharing the details on your great deal!

  • Colleen F.Pro Member
    Investor · Narragansett, RI · Member since 2013 · 8k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    13y

    good luck on this investment, I noted you say

    > The $4500 credit and security deposits more than covered all the closing costs and left us walking away with over $2400 at closing.

    Remember you need to escrow the security deposits. You are not really walking away with them. You should expect to have to return them to your tenants at lease end or eventually put them into the apartments for repairs if your tenants damage the place. that part of the closing isn't really your money.

  • Kara LeboeufPro Member
    OP
    Rental Property Investor · Glens falls, NY · Member since 2013 · 124 posts · 50 votes
    13y

    Hey, Derek Carroll, sorry for the delayed response its been a busy week at my other job!

    I do not have the exact number in front of me, but if I remember correctly the lender (a local FCU) was offering a credit of approximately 1.5% of the sale price to be given to me at closing. I did some shopping around and this bank seemed to have the best deal. I think this was a limited time offer type thing, so my suggestion is to just shop around when it comes to mortgages.

    Harry M. Thanks man!

    I'm excited, everything is going well so far. I move in at the end of the month. i couldn't think of a better way, for me, to start investing in real estate.

    Hey Bill Horton

    That's the plan! this investment has a lot of room for improvements, but yet is very stable right now (1 long term tenant, and me living in 1 unit means I'm only filling vacancies for 1 unit).

    I'm glad i could inspire you man! I learned everything from bigger pockets, and now I want others to know it can be done!

    Hey Colleen F., you are absolutely correct. I didn't mean to make it sound like I was walking away with that money, I know it will be returned to the tenants or spent on repairs. what I was trying to say was that I had to take no money out of my own pocket to buy the house.

    Thank you everyone for your input, it motivates me to get serious about my next investment!!

  • Glenmont, NY · Member since 2013 · 3 posts · 0 votes
    13y
    Nick Leboeuf Congratulations! My husband and I are planning on doing something similar in the Albany area within the next 6-7 months. Thanks for sharing your experience! I'll make sure I check out the FCUs in the area for financing.
  • Jerry W.Pro Member
    Moderator
    Investor · Thermopolis, WY · Member since 2012 · 4k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    13y

    Congratulations @Kara Leboeuf , even a seasoned investor would be proud of the deal you made. Going to a CPA to get set up right was another great move. There may be some slight tax issues with living in your multiunit rental and they can steer you straight. You get an A+ from me.

  • Kara LeboeufPro Member
    OP
    Rental Property Investor · Glens falls, NY · Member since 2013 · 124 posts · 50 votes
    13y

    @Susan P. thanks! Good luck on your first deal, and let us know how it goes. The local FCU I used was Sunmark btw.

  • Plano, TX · Member since 2013 · 21 posts · 1 vote
    13y

    Nick, your post is inspirational. You've just done a deal that I have been looking to do myself. I'm relatively new to all of this. I have to ask, if you have the time, would you be able to detail the process for me. I'm looking for some insight from beginning to end. Things like how you valued the deal, what were a few things that occurred that you didn't expect, your experience while contracting, due diligence process, how you found the funding for the property, lessons learned, etc. It may actually end up being an article but if you ever have the time I would really appreciate the read and I'm sure other beginners as well.

    Congrats on your deal Nick. I'm sure many more will follow.

  • Glenmont, NY · Member since 2013 · 3 posts · 0 votes
    13y

    @Kara Leboeuf Thanks for letting me know which bank you used. I'll check them out!

  • Atlanta, GA · Member since 2013 · 40 posts · 2 votes
    13y

    wow, good job man.

  • Specialist · Las Vegas, NV · Member since 2013 · 639 posts · 176 votes
    13y

    Great deal! well done!

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