Skip to content
Welcome! Are you part of the community? Sign up now.
x

Posted over 2 years ago

Buying a Multi-Family property with Tenants who don't pay enough

Many people think buying a multifamily is easy.  Keep in mind there are people involved.  Working on a place yesterday in Worcester.  My buyers want to buy!!!  Great news for a buyers agent correct?  Maybe not.  The rent on the 2nd floor is too low so they can't qualify for their VA loan and might have to go FHA.  How can we solve this problem?  1. Get the lady on the 2nd floor to leave, 2. find a way to buy it with her rent in place.  Certain loans take into account existing rents, others take market rents.  Some appraisals are the same, existing rents or market rents.

Once again, how do we solve this?  You solve it by using it to your advantage.  Others have the same issue, so roll with it.  1. You can offer one price for the house with the tenant, and one with the place vacant, maybe $5-10k more. 2. You offer to take the tenants as is and ride things out.  Do you have the personality to raise the rent over time?  can you survive in the short run?  

If the rent is $500/month lower than it should be that is $6k a year.  If you can survive year 1, and then increase your income by $6k next year would you buy the property.

Make sure that you are using an agent who is capable of helping you navigate these situations that invariably pop up in the multi-family market.



Comments