Business Model: Making home ownership affordable and simple in Detroit:

Business Model: Making home ownership affordable and simple in Detroit:

Houston, TX · Member since 2013 · 18 posts · 2 votes

Hey BP!

I'm looking into creating a real estate company that makes home ownership affordable and simple for individuals in Detroit, Michigan who may not qualify for a traditional mortgage- or who THINK they may not qualify and the renter who has been renting for 3 years for $650 and is ready to own a home. I believe this could be a lucrative but possibly risky venture in Metro Detroit, receive cash flow and create home owners without dealing with the renter mentality since the home would be there's in a short period of time (2-3 years).

The company would make home ownership affordable and simple from the website to closing the deal.

Here's the process I'm considering:

1. Purchase home in safe neighborhood in Detroit, Michigan ($1,000-$5,000)

2. Rehab ($2,500-$5,000)

3. Sell on "Rent to Own" terms to tenant for $20,000 with $2,500 down and payments of $486 per month for 36 months. This is just as an example the price of the home could be more since it is a riskier deal.

"Why rent when you can own"

Here are my concerns:

1. If the tenant stops paying on the home would the tenant just lose the home?

2. How much is too much when creating the profit margin? I would probably need to make at least a 50%+ profit margin to balance out the risk.

Any thoughts or concerns would be greatly appreciated!

I think Detroit, would be the perfect place to launch something like this. In Detroit, there are so many "EZ" financing businesses from car lots to jewelry to car audio. We wouldn't be as cheesy as those places, but would use the business model.

I look forward to your thoughts,

Thanks

James

Thanks again Brandon Turner

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  • Brandon TurnerPro Member
    Investor · Maui, HI · Member since 2009 · 13k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    13y

    Hey James - the business model sounds neat, as we talked about earlier - and something I know John Fedro does with mobile homes (Right, John?)

    I am curious - are properties really that cheap in Detroit? I know they got hit hard - but that seems really cheap. but the concept is right on.

    Any other thoughts?

  • Rehabber · Albuquerque, NM - New Mexico · Member since 2011 · 283 posts · 38 votes
    13y

    This is just some friendly critique :D

    1. Are you sure there is such a thing as a "safe" neighborhood where house prices are $1-5k?

    2. I think you'd have to worry more about damage to your property and perhaps stuff getting stolen from your rehab sites than tenants not paying.

    3. I have no clue what it's like in Detroit, but if their ghetto is like my ghetto in Albuquerque, I'd assume the above thoughts.

    Example: My sis moved into the ghetto because it was cheap! 2nd day there, she moved back out and back home to my moms, while her boyfriend stayed there. Unluckily for him, there happened to be a home invasion that night, only 48 hours after moving in, and he had a bad night to say the least...

    4. Test the market by setting up a fake craigslist post saying roughly, "Rent to Own terms to tenant for $20,000 with $2,500 down and payments of $486 per month for 36 months." I did it before just to see how it is for mobile homes in my area as I was curious and to my surprise, I got like 5 inquires in 2 days! I still get inquires and my post is probably 25+ days old! Definitely good for your due diligence :D

    Either way, best of luck!

  • Investor · Southeast, MI · Member since 2012 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    13y

    James, your plan sounds good. The only thing that I would add is that your rehab costs will probably be much higher. Anything that's metal in those houses will be long gone. You are also going to have to deal with thieves. A "safe" neighborhood in Detroit is still usually pretty bad. My accountant has houses down there and when he has an empty property, he needs someone there 24/7 with a shotgun. I know another guy wih properties there and he can't install carpeting until the day a tenant is moving in because it will be stolen.

    Also, if you're focusing on lease options, read some of Wendy Patton's books. She is a lease option expert and lives in Oakland County. Most of her stories are relative to our area.

    I still wish you luck with your purchases. Stay safe.

  • Houston, TX · Member since 2013 · 18 posts · 2 votes
    13y

    Brandon Turner
    Prices are pretty cheap here. I've seen plenty of homes for sale in Detroit for $1,000-$5,000. These homes however are stripped and in terrible condition. There are homes in Detroit that require minimal rehab for $5000+. I also checked into John's model as well. Thanks for the feedback on the concept as well!

    Manuel Acuna
    There are homes in Detroit in safe neighborhoods the problem with them is that they have been stripped and are in terrible condition. I will also need to include in the business plan how we will reduce the risk of theft. Any suggestions here? Maybe locking stuff up taking appliances out of the property storing them in a storage unit until its rented? I'm sure there are some ways to lower the risk. I'm open to anything.

    Rob K
    Thanks for the feedback. I like the idea of installing carpet only before the tenant moves in the property, sounds like a chore but I don't mind taking the steps to make the operation successful. I'm also thinking that a street patrol would help as well in some of these neighborhoods and MAYBE I could get some of the neighborhoods to chip in on the service so that particular street could have 24/7 patrol- Or creating the service myself eventually to monitor all of my properties in the Detroit area. I'm interested in innovative ways to lower the risk and increase ROI in areas such as Detroit.

    Thanks everyone for your help! You've got me moving in the right direction.

    James

  • Rehabber · Albuquerque, NM - New Mexico · Member since 2011 · 283 posts · 38 votes
    13y
  • John FedroPro Member
    Investor · Austin, TX · Member since 2009 · 413 posts · 295 votes
    13y

    Hi James,

    It is nice that you are looking into mobile homes as a way to provide affordable housing to so many in Detroit, while also helping yourself to some cash-flow.

    If you can purchase mobile homes for near $5,000 (perhaps with payments to the seller) then it is possible for you (in theory) to sell these with payments for a profit. Although profit can be made in most areas there are a lot of variables that can make a good-looking deal a "pass" and if you are not aware what to look for and compensate for it can be tricky.

    Like most folks said, stay in the safe areas. Also, concerning your question about how much profit is too much profit... when selling for monthly payments and a move-in fee, make sure the monthly payments are a steal for the tenant-buyer (TB)... make it so that the tenant-buyer will not want to leave because of affordable payments. Plus this will allow for TB to make any and all future repairs. Make sure you can profit near $300+ per month over the lot rent and insurance.

    Hope this helps.
    Best,
    John Fedro

  • Investor · Southeast, MI · Member since 2012 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    13y

    John Fedro He's not talking about mobile homes. You can buy real houses in Detroit for $1,000 or even less.

  • John FedroPro Member
    Investor · Austin, TX · Member since 2009 · 413 posts · 295 votes
    13y

    Hi Rob K and everyone,

    Ha! My bad... thanks for the correction. I guess was just reading what I wanted to read. That's an inexpensive home!! :)

    Best,
    John Fedro

  • CT · Member since 2010 · 135 posts · 100 votes
    13y

    I love the idea... I've thought about something like that before, but I don't think it would work in my market. A complete gut in the worst part of town still goes for about 30k. If you can purchase properties that cheap, I think it could go well. I feel like you can literally change an entire neighborhood this way. If you could slowly purchase and rehab several houses on a street, and put a decent tenant in place, it goes from a street you don't want to be on after dark, to a decent family neighborhood. Am I dreaming?

  • Rental Property Investor · Mercer Island, WA · Member since 2008 · 22k+ posts · 14k+ votes
    13y
    Originally posted by John Fedro:
    Hi Rob K and everyone,

    Ha! My bad... thanks for the correction. I guess was just reading what I wanted to read. That's an inexpensive home!! :)

    Best,
    John Fedro

    Maybe. Maybe not. The population of Detroit has shrank considerably since its peak back in the 50's. Unfortunately, that makes for a lot of empty houses. I do think Detroit is making a comeback and I even bought a Ford last year. But housing is still somewhat speculative.

  • Houston, TX · Member since 2013 · 18 posts · 2 votes
    13y

    John Fedro
    Thanks for your feedback. Yes I was referring to homes, but your comment about how much to charge definitely helped. Affordable monthly rent should equal a comfortable tenant. Thanks again!

    Carl Schmitt
    Thanks! Yeah in Detroit, there are SO many homes that are not in bad condition or in bad neighborhoods for $5,000 or less. I can rehab them, throw a tenant in place with rent to own terms maybe even something like 20% of rent applied to ownership of home instead of each payment going towards the purchase. I feel this could be pretty lucrative if done right. This is also what I was thinking- Detroit they say is a renters market which is one of the reasons why these homes are just trashed and not cared for. If I can promote home ownership and get tenants in affordable homes that they OWN- maybe they will take pride in owning the home and not trash the place and care about the neighborhood they live in.

  • Architect · San Diego, CA · Member since 2013 · 244 posts · 101 votes
    13y

    Really cool idea, I love the fact that you are interested in the well being of the community, and I signed up just to say so. That being said you are fighting an uphill battle in Detroit, the city is faring so poorly financially that the state will likely take over some aspects of its financials.

    But I hope you push forward and if you do a couple things came to mind. As an architect, we were taught the concept of "defensible space" which is basically a theory that states an area is safer when people feel a sense of ownership and responsibility for that piece of a community. You should cluster your purchases in a very small area that exhibits traits of defensible space (such as well lit houses w/ good viewpoints of the street, close proximity to busy shops, etc), maybe a couple of streets or a small neighborhod, and also rehab them in a way that will increase these traits (add lights, add white picket fence or hedge to separate public from private, fix sidewalks), and hopefully in the end you will have a group of homeowners who feel safe and care about what happens to their street. If your houses are scattered all over, I would argue your potential buyers will feel more isolated and less likely to be good tenants. Sorry if this is too obvious, I'm new here and just trying to contribute! If you want to learn more look up architect Oscar Newman, Jane Jacobs' book the death and life of great American cities, broken window theory, and CPTED (crime prevention through environmental design). Cheers

  • Dawn AnastasiPro Member
    Rental Property Investor · Milwaukee, WI · Member since 2013 · 6k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    13y

    I would really like to do something like that in Milwaukee -- there are lots of people I have come across that want to be homeowners, but don't have the credit. Take a $25K foreclosure, put $10-$15K into it, and resell it at $55-$65K. But I think people would laugh at me and think I'm giving away profits.

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