Purchasing Vacant Home from Non-Profit

[Jason Khoury]

Hi everyone,

A couple of weeks ago, I noticed a seemingly vacant and distressed property near my current residence. After conducting some title research, I discovered that the property is owned by the local nursing home, which is affiliated with the church I attend. Upon further investigation, I found several more properties under similar circumstances.

At first glance, it seems possible that these properties were either gifted to the nursing home by former residents or claimed as repayment for services rendered.

I’m new to real estate investing, I’ve been in the education phase for the past 2-3 years. Being in Washington State, where properties are expensive and good deals are scarce, I see this as a potential opportunity to jump into my first real estate investment. These properties are all vacant, and I doubt the organizations have any immediate plans for them.

Since this property is connected to my church, I want to ensure that I handle this in a way that is both ethical and mutually beneficial.

I have a few questions for the community:

If you have any experience purchasing real estate from non-profit organizations (nursing homes, religious entities, etc.)— Please share!

Are there any legal implications or potential risks that I am overlooking?

Could this be considered an unethical practice in any way, given the organization’s non-profit status?

How would you recommend initiating a conversation with such organizations? What would be a good way to approach them to explore the possibility of purchasing?

I appreciate any advice or experiences you can share!