Estimating for repairs

[Brent M.]

When it comes to estimating repairs and square footage I see the property listed on sites at 2300sq ft but on the county site it's base BAS) sqft is about 1600 which is basically the living area I believe and not the garage and porch etc.. so which one should I use to estimate my repairs? Thanks in advance

[Will Barnard]

Here is a link to the original video I did:

http://youtu.be/QSBJCdkAhgI

This is a REO in Southern CA in a typical neighborhood, house had several negative features (backs up to main street with traffic noise, shared lot line, small lot). These negative aspects are not fixable and therefore, I did not or would not make an offer let alone buy it, too hard to sell after and why increase holding costs trying to sell to a very limited buyers pool due to these aspects. The other negative aspects (fixable) were the bathroom layouts, kitchen layout, and condition.

NOTE: Please keep in mind that the numbers I am using in this example are not always typical of the exact costs in my area and certainly not in all areas of the country. The actual prices are less important here than the example of how to evaluate by breaking the home into sections and knowing in your head (or on paper) what you costs are for each class of typical section  items. Enjoy and I hope this helps you and others out.