Military veteran looking to invest in north FL

Military veteran looking to invest in north FL

Panama City, FL · Member since 2017 · 1 post · 0 votes

Hey all,

Nice to virtually meet everyone!  I have been known for blabbing on and on, so I am going to try to make this intro short and sweet.  

I have been genuinely interested in real estate investing since I was a youngster but my life circumstances(some out of my control and some, not so much) never afforded me the opportunity to make the jump. It hasn't helped that my wife of 10 years, is not very sweet on the idea of risk. None the less, I kept secretly obsessing, wishing I could find a way to make it work. Well, it finally did...sorta. After years of looking and multiple failed attempts to purchase a home though traditional/VA financing, I was finally able to convince an elderly neighbor to owner finance his badly neglected 2/1 home to us for $60,000 at 6% over 10 years. I have been renovating this 1000sqft home as quickly as 3 kids and my budget would allow. It has not been easy but we are just about there. With an ARV of $135,000 - $150,000, we are looking to do pretty well on this home. Pat myself on the back...PAT PAT.

Now, how do I make this investment work for me?  That's what I'm here to figure out.  I finally managed to fit myself into the required guidelines for traditional financing but as history and experience has taught me:  It is wise to step back, evaluate, and explore all options.

Regards,

Mike

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  • Rental Property Investor · Jacksonville, FL · Member since 2008 · 784 posts · 528 votes
    9y

    Nice job @Michael A Johnson! If it were me, I'd cash out the elderly neighbor and get a note from conventional option with a HELOC on it, that you can use for other properties. With the HELOC you take it out and put it back in, as needed. Maybe you can work with the same lender on financing "secondary" homes.

    Ask the banks about seasoning - how long you need to hold the property before refinancing. There are some GREAT discussions on seasoning out here on BP. Some using an LLC to eliminate the issue. I like the HELOC, because you only pay a small fee to pull out cash, then the rates are low and you can pay it back when you get the refi-cash out done for the house. Best of luck to you!

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