Investor · Berkeley, CA · Member since 2016 · 242 posts · 304 votes
5y
@Christine Lee I’ve dealt with many red-tagged homes. Usually, the code inspectors are by the book yet reasonable working with you to get the property back to good standing. I’ve also found that the reason behind the red tag can influence how hard or lenient they are with you. In your case, I think it’s going to be tough to justify an entire building without permits. Do your best to create a good relationship with the inspector and then cross your fingers.
Real Estate Professional · West Palm Beach, FL · Member since 2012 · 23k+ posts · 13k+ votes
5y
@Christine Lee Then tire house was unpermitted? If so, may not be savable. Typically you have to 1) obtain permits 2)bring any non permitted work up to code, perhaps ripping out and starting over 3) pass inspection. Start with the permit from, go from there....doesn’t sound like fun.
Investor · Berkeley, CA · Member since 2016 · 242 posts · 304 votes
5y
@Christine Lee I’ve dealt with many red-tagged homes. Usually, the code inspectors are by the book yet reasonable working with you to get the property back to good standing. I’ve also found that the reason behind the red tag can influence how hard or lenient they are with you. In your case, I think it’s going to be tough to justify an entire building without permits. Do your best to create a good relationship with the inspector and then cross your fingers.
Investor · Los Altos, CA · Member since 2014 · 942 posts · 1k+ votes
5y
@Christine Lee is this a property you already own or something you are considering buying? If it is something you are already own, you might be in for a long journey... Like Ori has indicated, the level of pain will be highly relationship based. If this is something you are considering buying, you should probably walk away from this unless you or your team have some specialized skills and you can get a highly discounted purchase price. In this case creating the relationship with the inspector and the city might be easier and they might lead you down the path to get it compliant. You can go to them and just ask if the house is salvageable or it they thought it was a total loss. However, if you do buy it the process will probably still be painful, but it could be profitable if you can get all the pieces to align.