I have lump of cash, nothing else. Loan options?

I have lump of cash, nothing else. Loan options?

Richmond, VA · Member since 2015 · 8 posts · 0 votes

Hello!

My GF and I are in the market for a potential house hack, 2-4 BR property in VA (ideally northern VA / woodbridge area) but we seem to have run into a problem....

I don't think we are going to get approved for any type of (conventional?) loans. We both work. I make ~$30k as a traveling leasing agent. A good portion of that is technically per diem and commission. It's worth noting that all of my living expenses are paid for. So no rent, no car note, no bills etc... She makes ~$35-40k but as a waitress so there's nothing verifiable. Both of us have been at our jobs for less than a year. My credit score is ~610 hers is ~700.

Together we can come up with a down payment of about $15k.

The question is what kind of financing should we be seeking? This is going to be our first purchase, and she plans on living in the property and renting the other rooms out. We are aiming for a purchase no more than ~$150k. I can probably get more than $15k down if needed.

We both live frugal enough and make enough money to be saving regularly, and know we can make mortgage payments no problem. We also already have one tenant that we trust (her current roommate) ready to move in whenever we acquire a property. So I know paying a loan off will not be an issue.

I've been doing research on BP trying to get a concrete answer but figured I'd just ask in my own topic.

Any responses are appreciated.

Thanks!

Tim

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  • Investor · Mystic, CT · Member since 2015 · 24 posts · 8 votes
    10y

    Most loan officers look for 2 years full time employment and/or an associates degree in a specialized field. If you don't have either of those, its not entirely a worthless case. Try talking with a loan officer and seeing what they suggest. 

  • Richmond, VA · Member since 2015 · 8 posts · 0 votes
    10y

    Thanks for the reply. Interestingly enough, I do have an associates degree in air traffic control. Not that it's being used..... but hey...

    I'm also wondering if we should be looking more for private investing or not.

  • Flipper/Rehabber · Richmond, VA · Member since 2014 · 184 posts · 40 votes
    10y

    @Tim Cooper I think you should go for a low down payment mortgage rather than a traditional conventional loan that requires 20% down. Since you're a first time homebuyer, you should get an FHA loan. FHA loans are specifically for first time homebuyers. You just have to live in the property for the first year you own it. You and your GF both have credit scores over 580 so you can pay a down payment as low as 3.5%. Then you can use a government down-payment assistance program to pay a majority of the down payment costs. Using this strategy could keep you from spending a large portion of the 15k you two have worked hard for.

    Also do your research on conventional loans that allow the borrower to pay a 0-3% down payment. If you want to get into the investing game it's best to start with a low down payment and have your GF's roommate tenants help pay down on the loan so that you two are maximizing your use of other people's money and reserving your own resources.

  • Rental Property Investor · La Plata, MD · Member since 2011 · 216 posts · 117 votes
    10y

    I recently sold a house to a young couple who used a state sponsored program for down payment assistance. $78 was all they had to come out of pocket. It was $260K purchase. A good agent and a loan officer will find you those types of programs.

    Another option would be owner financing from a tired landlord who would like to sell the property but not necessarily wants to list it. 

    Good luck,

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