I’m looking at buying a property in Kansas City, KS that is very close to my personal residence. The property is also directly adjacent to me, and the land actually butts up against my property, which is a big part of why I’m interested in this particular one. Im almost certain the house fire ended up causing smoke damage and not charred roof rafters/studs etc. Will know more this week

Property:

• 2 bed / 1 bath

• ~960 sq ft

• Built in 1952

• ~7,178 sq ft lot

• Crawl space / block foundation

• Asking price: $80,000

• Had a kitchen fire/smoke damage

• Currently completely down to the studs

• Has an “UNFIT TO LIVE” notice posted on the property

I’m trying to figure out exactly what the “Unfit to Live” designation means in Wyandotte County and, more importantly, what it will take to get the property legally back to occupancy.

I’m planning on contacting Unified Government/Building Inspections to find out:

• Why the property was declared unfit

• What violations are currently open

• Whether there are existing permits

• Whether there are structural requirements

• What inspections will be required

• Exactly what needs to happen before it can legally be occupied again

For the numbers, my preliminary ARV estimate is around $175K–$190K if it is completely renovated as a 2/1. I’m definitely open to being proven wrong on that number with better comps in the 66106 Zip code.

My biggest question for the group:

Has anyone here actually dealt with Wyandotte County specifically on a property that was classified as “Unfit to Live”?

I'd love to hear what the process was like, what the county required, and whether there were any surprises that you didn't discover until you got into the project.

A few other questions:

1. How would you approach estimating rehab costs on a 960 sq ft house that is already down to the studs?

2. What would you want to verify with the county before purchasing?

3. How concerned would you be about the “Unfit to Live” designation?

4. Does a $175K–$190K ARV seem reasonable for a fully renovated 2/1 in this area?

5. What rehab budget would you initially pencil in?

6. At an $80K purchase price, what would you be looking for before deciding whether the numbers work?

7. Are there any Wyandotte County-specific issues, permits, inspections, or requirements I should be aware of?

I’m a landlord myself and have experience with rehabs, but I haven’t dealt with a fire-damaged property carrying an “Unfit to Live” designation before.

The property being next door and the land directly adjoining mine makes this one more interesting to me than a typical investment property, but I’m trying to evaluate it objectively and not let that cloud the numbers.

Would especially appreciate hearing from anyone who has gone through the Wyandotte County process firsthand.