Just starting out buying 2 at once

Just starting out buying 2 at once

Niagara Falls, NY · Member since 2017 · 12 posts · 1 vote

I'm Going to try to be short sweet and detailed. I feel that you guys need a little background first. I have A LOT of school loans which is killing my debt to income ratio. Banks aren't in the position to lend to me even though they see I am responsible and smart with money. My husband who I am on this venture with is very good at building repairing etc so a lot of the work we know we can do ourselves and we aren't afraid to know when to get a professional. That being said, I have a great idea for a house hack. I live in western NY right by the beautiful and majestic Niagara Falls. It's actually on the upswing so houses are cheap now but prices are starting to rise. I'd like to get into the market before it's too late. We found our dream home which is only $72,900 ARV 200k+ Right now we are living in a house my mother owns for 515 a month. It's nice but we prefer the country. (We'll call the dream home house 1 and the current home house 2) House 1 is actually a duplex. we could easily rent out the upper for 600 a month. House 2 is a 3 bed 1 bath and we are going to fix up the attic as a bonus space. I know without a doubt I can get $1,200 easy for it. We would live in the lower of house 2. We would be bringing in $1,800 a month from only 2 properties, plus the income from my job and my husband's. After that I would continue to invest in rentals until I was ready to start flipping (probably a year). I would have to get a loan to buy both properties which would be about $140,000 including closing costs etc. I don't have any money for a down payment because right now it's being swallowed by the school loans but because we are DIY ers and are really great at it I know I can pay the rehab myself. A lot of it is cosmetic. (I'm very creative.) My question is how do I get someone to lend me money with no down payment? What do I need to do? Please feel free to let me know if you have any ideas or questions. This is my first week on this site and I'm learning all I can.

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Stephanie JacobsonBusiness Member
Real Estate Agent · Ithaca, NY · Member since 2016 · 427 posts · 323 votes
9y

I am in such a similar position it's Erie! (Does that count as a pun?)

First and foremost, those student loans. What kind of loans are they? If there are any federal (Stafford) loans, you can do what I did: immediately get on an IBR or IDR plan, depending on which they offer. IBR= Income-Based Repayment, IDR= Income-Driven Repayment.

What that will do is lower your monthly payments to a more manageable amount. That could be a game-changer, because the bank only looks at monthly payments for a mortgage, not your total debt. 

The only catch with this is that after 25 years on one of those plans, your loans are forgiven, and you must claim what was forgiven as income on your taxes. For me that doesn't seem to matter because I needed to free up monthly cash in order to start building investments. My minimum monthly payments went from $1,500/month to $500. So much better!

Also check into second community mortgages; in Ithaca we have INHS, which offers down payment assistance. Is there anything like that in Buffalo?

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  • Niagara Falls, NY · Member since 2017 · 12 posts · 1 vote
    9y

    In case I didn't mention I was thinking of renting house 2 out until the market got better in my area or give a rent to own option. 

  • Stephanie JacobsonBusiness Member
    Real Estate Agent · Ithaca, NY · Member since 2016 · 427 posts · 323 votes
    9y

    I am in such a similar position it's Erie! (Does that count as a pun?)

    First and foremost, those student loans. What kind of loans are they? If there are any federal (Stafford) loans, you can do what I did: immediately get on an IBR or IDR plan, depending on which they offer. IBR= Income-Based Repayment, IDR= Income-Driven Repayment.

    What that will do is lower your monthly payments to a more manageable amount. That could be a game-changer, because the bank only looks at monthly payments for a mortgage, not your total debt. 

    The only catch with this is that after 25 years on one of those plans, your loans are forgiven, and you must claim what was forgiven as income on your taxes. For me that doesn't seem to matter because I needed to free up monthly cash in order to start building investments. My minimum monthly payments went from $1,500/month to $500. So much better!

    Also check into second community mortgages; in Ithaca we have INHS, which offers down payment assistance. Is there anything like that in Buffalo?

  • Nathan GesnerBusiness Member
    Moderator
    Real Estate Broker · Cody, WY · Member since 2010 · 28k+ posts · 41k+ votes
    9y

    You need to talk to a lender before going any further. Find out if you can qualify for a loan then start looking. It doesn't make any sense to look at investing if you can't qualify for anything. Be sure to visit multiple lenders! Try a big bank like Wells - Fargo (yech!) but also try smaller, local banks as they tend to be easier to work with.

    If you can't find a local, traditional lender, then try looking into alternative options. Will the owner consider financing it for you? Can you borrow the down-payment from a family member or friend? 

    Biggerpockets has a great book with the various ways you can borrow money. It may be worth your time to read it.

    The DIY Landlord Book4.7248 Reviews
  • Niagara Falls, NY · Member since 2017 · 12 posts · 1 vote
    9y

    Steph nice pun... I'm on an IBP now but the banks wrong touch me because my dti is too high. my payments are barely scratching the surface. Nathan... unfortunately no bank I can find will touch me because of Stafford loans which is why I want to get into real estate.  I want to push these off. I found 1 guy but he seemed shady...  also guys when I go to a lender how much of my story should I tell them? Should I get into the debt thing?

  • Stephanie JacobsonBusiness Member
    Real Estate Agent · Ithaca, NY · Member since 2016 · 427 posts · 323 votes
    9y

    So even on the plan your monthly payments are too high? They should max at 3% of your income, which shouldn't scare a bank at all. Are there private loans in there too?

  • Niagara Falls, NY · Member since 2017 · 12 posts · 1 vote
    9y

    Stephanie yes. They are too high because my husband grosses more so they feel i should pay more even though a large portion goes to alimony and child support.  the only way i can get his income to not be included is if he filed separate during tax time but then we would have to pay much more in annual taxes because it would push him to the next bracket.  It's kind of a catch 22.  

  • Stephanie JacobsonBusiness Member
    Real Estate Agent · Ithaca, NY · Member since 2016 · 427 posts · 323 votes
    9y

    Yeah, that makes things hard for sure. I think @Nathan Gesner is right: check with different banks, tell them your situation. Read the book on borrowing. Keep an eye out for good deals, because a bank may be willing to finance based on other things (most will take 75% of the rent on a signed lease and apply it to your monthly income). Keep us updated!

  • Real Estate Agent · Groton, NY · Member since 2016 · 22 posts · 8 votes
    9y

    Hi guys, I just wanted to add some additional info. I am currently working on closing on my next rental. I called 15 banks in my area to find out what they require to qualify for a loan on an investment property. If you plan on living in one you can qualify for an FHA where you only need 3.5% down. But if you will not be living in it you need 20% to 25% down. And all of them said they will not take rental income into account unless you have been renting it for at least two years. And then they will only take 70% as possible income to account for turnover and delinquent rent. A commercial loan will look at rental income as a factor and you can get a commercial loan on a 5plex or higher but again with 25% down.

    There are many factors that an underwriter looks at to approve you for a loan, like income, debt, credit report, assets, your net worth. Many banks have a free blank personal financial statement that you can download and enter your info into and see where you stand at getting approved. Check out this post to get you started:

    Confessions of an Ex-Banker: How to Get Your Next Mortgage Loan Approved, Guaranteed.

    https://www.biggerpockets.com/renewsblog/2014/11/2...

  • Stephanie JacobsonBusiness Member
    Real Estate Agent · Ithaca, NY · Member since 2016 · 427 posts · 323 votes
    9y

    All three banks I have worked with considered 75% rent if there was a 12 month lease signed. Maybe it's regional?

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