Looking for some input on 203k loan for investment property

Looking for some input on 203k loan for investment property

Developer · South Jersey · Member since 2020 · 1 post · 0 votes

Need some input!

I have two houses in a very successful town in New Jersey.. taxes are grandfathered in and super low in a high end town. I saw this as an opportunity to purchase single family and rent due to great schools and no available rentals in this area.

My first purchase was for my personal use which I plan on renting out eventually. I purchased for 225,000 a few years ago before the inflated market and put 20% down. My mortgage is around 1,200 and I could rent it for $2,400. It’s a 3 bed 1.5 bath.

My second purchase was last year- .5 miles away from my home. I bought the property for 190k put 20% down and now rent it for 1,875. It’s a 2 bed 1 bath and my mortgage is $1,025. It was a turn key property- super nice inside.

I just tied up a similar property and this is what I need input on.

It was listed for 199,900. I have it tied up for 166,500. Home inspection went very well. I spoke to my loan officer and I’m doing a renovation loan. They are lending me about 58k and my final loan amount will be around 235. A home like this can sell for about 260-270 in this area. My question is- my mortgage will be around 1,300 but the interest rate on this loan is pretty high (4.8%) and I can only rent it for about $2,100-2,200 max. There are also fees affiliated with this loan- around 4K plus higher closing costs. My plan would be to hold on to this house and keep it in my portfolio. Is it worth me using a renovation loan like this? Or is it too risky? What are the downsides of constructing a deal like this?

I had to get creative in this market in order to get a deal. Turn key is too competitive. And this home was listed too high for its condition so I was able to negotiate it.

Obviously if I had the cash I wouldn’t take advantage of a loan like this.

Opinions???

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  • Rental Property Investor · Edmond, OK · Member since 2017 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    4y

    A few thoughts - 

    4.8% is a pretty solid rate in the grand scheme of things. That's about what we're seeing for commercial lending right now. (I have some conventional loans from a few years ago that are higher than that). If it's locked in on a 30 year note, I wouldn't stress out too much about that rate. You always have the potential to refinance down the road if you have the option to get a lower rate. 

    You also could do a HELOC or personal loan for just the renovation piece. That would get your monthly payment on the property down a little bit, but I don't know that the loan would have a lower interest rate. You'll also probably have a shorter loan term, but it's an option to consider. It might save you some fees/closing costs.

    The biggest downside of an actual 203k loan is the red tape. I've been told that it's a pretty time consuming process to get the rehab portion of the loan approved. You might verify with your lender what that will actually look like. If it's a commercial rehab loan, it's usually an easier process with a lot less oversight.

    If it's a true 203k loan, I'd probably try to go conventional and get a separate unsecured loan or HELOC for the rehab portion. If it's a commercial rehab loan that is more flexible on the rehab process, then I think that's totally reasonable to go for the rehab loan.

    Good luck!  

  • Lender · Bloomfield, NJ · Member since 2016 · 65 posts · 36 votes
    4y

    Hi Lauren,

    Without knowing the full details of the transaction it is hard to say, but 4.8% sounds like it could be reasonable for this type of deal. The reality is, once you get into non-owner-occupied renovation loans and DSCR loans, you are looking at higher rates and/or points. In the lenders eyes, the fact that it is not your primary residence means that there is additional risk, which needs to be balanced with a higher interest rate. If you would like, I would be happy to review the loan estimate for you to make sure you are getting a good/fair rate.

    Just a clarification, this could not be an FHA 203(k) loan unless it's your primary residence - this will be an investment property, correct?

    Best regards,

    Pete Vander Valk

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