Rental Property Investor · Jersey City, NJ · Member since 2015 · 10 posts · 2 votes
Hi All
I need some guidance here. Purchased our 1st investment property back in April for $32K. Got a hard money loan for $40K, 4 month term, for repairs in June. The rehab started in June and was supposed to be done by the end of August, but the house wasn't finished until late October, and truth be told, we're still having some issues with our contractor...finish work, "brand new" heating unit isn't working. The house appraised for $130K. We tried to go conventional but was told that we were denied (wasted the whole month of October on this refi) due to a short sale in 2013. The fine print in Fannie Mae guidelines state that you have to wait a minimum of 4 years to get a mortgage after a short sale with no extenuating circumstances such as loss of income, illness, etc. We had no extenuating circumstances, but had horrible tenants, no money for repairs and houses being sold for $30K down the street from our property which had a $200K mortgage.
What do we do now? We are listing the house, but, it's November in New Jersey! We're not in a hot area, so I'm expecting the house to sit for some months before it possibly sells.
Banker · Philadelphia · Member since 2009 · 2k+ posts · 633 votes
9y
Hi Winnie, Your HM should have been very aware of the 4 year FNMA rule. Sounds like very much predatory lending by the Hard Money Lender. Would suggest some Class B lenders that are not banks. The rates are higher 7-9% but might be your saving grace. Worse case, price to sell and turn it over for some money in your pocket for the next deal.
Lender · New York, NY · Member since 2016 · 936 posts · 287 votes
9y
If this property is being used as a non-owner occupied rental property, you can cash-out refi with a specialty lender that focuses on rental properties. Feel free to direct message me or e-mail me at the info in my signature if you have any questions.
Rental Property Investor · Jersey City, NJ · Member since 2015 · 10 posts · 2 votes
9y
Thank you all so much for the input. The property is located in Williamstown, Atlantic County, New Jersey. It's listed, and priced to sell, so we are praying that it sells soon. We've worked out a deal with the lender so for now, we're good.
George, I will more than likely reach out to you in the future because our ultimate goal is to have passive rental income. This first project is a flip, and we've gained so much valuable information. Nothing like hands on experience. I'm still psyched!
Investor · Carlsbad, CA · Member since 2015 · 27 posts · 11 votes
9y
I would think if worst comes to worst, and your current lender stops wanting to work with you, you could easily refi with another HML. If I understand your post correctly, Youve got $32k of your own money in and a $40k loan on a property appraised at $130k is a LTV of only 31%. Even if your appraisal is high there is a lot of room in the deal for your lender to come out whole. Seems like there'd be lots of HMLs willing to step into this deal if your current lender opts out?
Lender · New York, NY · Member since 2016 · 936 posts · 287 votes
9y
@Winnie Mullins, that's great! Best of luck on this flip. It's definitely exciting. I forgot to add, we are also rolling out a fix & flip/hard money program.
I recommend you keep reading as much content as you can here on the forums but definitely also check out the BiggerPockets podcast if you have not. It is extremely informative and each episode contains practical tips from RE investors . It's also great to hear the success stories of people in a similar position, it's both motivating and insightful.
Hope to hear from you soon. Don't hesitate to contact me know if you ever have any questions.