Skip to main content

Fast Track Rental Property

FHA allows owner-occupants to purchase up to a four-unit property with a minimum 3.5% down payment.  The rent collected on three units could be used to make the payment and the owners' pro-rata share would be less than ¼ of the payment itself.

The owner-occupied unit would be considered their principal residence.  The other three units are treated as rental property and eligible for cost recovery, a non-cash deduction plus all the normal business expenses.  The rental income of the three remaining units is calculated as income and assists the buyer in qualifying.

A homeowner could buy a four-unit, live in one for two years, buy another four-unit with a minimum down payment, move into one unit, rent the other three as well as the previous unit in the first property.  Then, after another two years, repeat the same process over again.

The fifth year, the homeowner/investor would have a total of 11 rental units plus the one that they are occupying.  An acquisition strategy like this might be difficult for a family with children and a single person or couple might find it easier to move more frequently.

As the equity increases in these properties, due to appreciation and amortization, the money could be pulled out through refinancing to purchase additional income properties.  Another objective might be to pay the mortgage off as soon as possible and any cash flow after tax could be applied directly to the principal.

FHA has a nationwide mortgage limit for a four-unit of $521,250 but some high-cost areas have been designated with increased limits.  There are also loan programs for two and three-unit properties with limits of $347,000 and $419,425 with similar exceptions for high-cost areas.

The low mortgage rate and minimal down payments for owner-occupied FHA mortgages makes this strategy attractive because it gives investors an opportunity to highly leverage their investment.  Most non-owner-occupied (investor) mortgages would require 20-25% down payment and have a slightly higher interest rate than for an owner-occupant.

To learn more about this opportunity, call (315) 761-5058 and we can give you information on specifics in a variety of areas.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Before You Leave Town...

Along with all the planning of what you're going to do and where you're going to stay, consider this checklist to make you feel more comfortable while you're away from home. Ask a trusted friend to pick up your mail, newspaper and keep yard picked up to avoid an appearance of not being at home. Stop your mail ( USPS Hold Mail Service ) and your newspaper. Don't post about your trip on Facebook and other social media until you return; some burglars look for this type of announcement to schedule their activities. Do notify police or neighborhood watch - especially if you're going to be gone for more than just a few days. Let your monitoring service know when you'll be gone and if someone will be checking on your home for you. Light timers make it look like someone is home. Set multiple timers for various times to better simulate someone at home. There are plug-in modules for lights and appliances that would allow you to control...
2 comments
Read more

Make Your Home Offer the Most Appealing

Sales in February 2023 were up 14.5% month over month and still down 22.6% year over year according to the NAR Housing Snapshot.   The median sales price dipped 0.2% to $363,000 and there are 2.6 months supply of homes on the market compared to 1.7 months a year ago. "Inventory levels are still at historic lows, and consequently, multiple offers are returning on a good number of properties." According to Lawrence Yun, Chief Economist for the National Association of REALTORS�. It is still important to have a strategy for potentially competing with other buyers on the house you want to buy.   The plan should include several available provisions and options, so that at the time of drafting the sales offer, you can consider exactly what to include based on the situation. Unless a person is paying cash, you need to be pre-approved by a trusted mortgage professional long before you start looking at homes.   Include the written pre-approval letter along ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Rental Home Investments

Rental homes whether they be single-family detached properties, condos, two, three or four-unit properties share many of the same benefits.   Most people instinctively understand many of the working parts because they are the same as their home.   They have a basic understanding of value and how to maintain the property.   The service providers for a home would be the same for a rental home. These properties allow an investor to obtain a large loan-to-value mortgage at fixed interest rates for up to thirty years.   They appreciate in value, currently exceeding many other assets; have defined tax advantages and allow an investor more control than many alternative investments. Most lenders require 20-25% down payment and will finance the balance at rates close to owner-occupied homes.   Buyer closing costs will add another three to four percent to the amount of cash needed to close.   It is also prudent to have available funds for repairs and maintenanc...
Post a Comment
Read more