Trying to decide if a house is a good or bad investment

Trying to decide if a house is a good or bad investment

HI · Member since 2011 · 20 posts · 2 votes

I have a pending sale on a 3 bedroom 1 bath craftsman single family home built in 1912, it has a non-permitted but livable basement with it's own full bath, sink & separate outside entrance. The home is in a desirable neighborhood but faces a busy street & it's been sitting on the market for 5 months w/ only 1 buyer who backed out. If the house was on a side street it would of sold quickly & for $100K+.  The sellers marked it down almost $150K.

The house looks solid & has curb appeal plus I can rent out the 3 upstairs rooms & my roommates have their own bathroom to use, and I have mine in the basement. All 3 rooms rented will pay for my mortgage/taxes/insc.

I made an offer & they accepted, now we're going to do an inspection. However I'm starting to think it wasn't a wise investment despite the location & 4 rooms due to resale value in the future, loss of appreciation due to the busy street, higher than typical taxes & future repairs on a 1912 home.

Should I back out of the deal as it's too risky?

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  • Real Estate Broker · 3412 S. Harlem Avenue Riverside, IL 60546 · Member since 2015 · 6k+ posts · 5k+ votes
    7y

    @Lara N. the age of the house is not as relevant as many people think. How much has been done to the major mechanical systems in the past 100 years? I recently closed on an apartment building here in Berwyn, IL from 1931. We gutted all the electrical and plumbing systems in the building, replaced all the units, and re-did all of the baths and kitchens. This building should be set for the next 100 years now!

    I would also focus on the cash flow in this situation. Does the house cash flow if you aren't living in it? Can you do anything creative with the downstairs when you move out (Air bnb comes to mind)? 

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