Any investors in Jacksonville Florida?

[Marc Shin]

Hello,

Anyone who invests in Jacksonville Florida have experience with buying SFH's in the area that were built in the 1940's and 1950's? What are the main issues to look for when purchasing older homes in the Jax area?

[Ken Holifield]

It's a pretty broad question but I'll give my thoughts.  Disclaimer first, I am not a licensed contractor.  But I have bought and sold and helped others buy and sell many properties as well as managed many properties.  

Electrical - Hopefully the electrical has been updated.  Especially if you are looking at properties in the 40s or earlier.  I believe they stopped using knob and tube wiring sometime in the 40s.

Roof - Of course in that amount of years, most likely the roof has been replaced at least a couple times, but this is also a big ticket items to look closely at.

Plumbing - I think it was sometime in the 80s when PVC pipes were starting to be widely used.  A lot of those older houses have corroded cast iron or galvanized pipes.

Asbestos - This was use in many house products all the way back to the 30s.

Lead-based paint - This was used up until 1977.  You'll want to test the paint surfaces for lead.  The big box stores sell a kit for less than $20 bucks I think.

Hope this helps.  Good luck!