Seeking Advice - Atlanta 3/2 Heavy Rehab

Seeking Advice - Atlanta 3/2 Heavy Rehab

Investor · Los Angeles, CA · Member since 2020 · 14 posts · 4 votes

Hello All,

First time poster, long time follower. 

I'll start with an overview of a deal I've been structuring over the past few weeks. This is an off market 3/2 1,670 w/ basement SFR in Riverdale, GA (specifically, Embassy Estates, which is a desirable part of Riverdale). My initial offer was for $150k assuming a rehab cost of $20k. However, after inspection and my contractor's quote, the total rehab cost will be about $50k. If you're curious why the rehab cost more than doubled, the home has been vacant for 3-4 years and has mold, leaky pipes, needs a new 200 sq ft deck, and in general needs a pretty heavy facelift. While there's a lot of work that needs to be done, the house has great bones and was a quality build for its time. All in all, the seller ultimately wanted a quick and easy transaction so they agreed to my counter of $120k. Closing is on 5/20. This will be an all cash transaction.

Now's the part where I ask for advice. My initial plan was to make this a rental. My all in cost would be $170-175k and I could get $1500-1550/month based on comps and data from my PM. However, after speaking with a couple agents who represented nearby listings, my understanding is the home could fetch a $215-220k ARV as a flip (would require stainless steel appliances, granite countertops, custom finishes, etc.). Assuming my ARV assumptions are correct, the right investor could make this a great flip. However, I do not believe I am the right investor as flipping is not my expertise. Should I proceed as planned or sell the house 'as-is' to a flipper? I would clear out the house and cover mold remediation beforehand. Also, I'd be curious to hear from any flippers in the Atlanta area what you would pay for the home 'as is' and I would also be willing to provide my contractor's rehab estimate and inspection report. Feel free to message me privately.

Best,

Brendan

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  • Brenden MitchumBusiness Member
    Rental Property Investor · Atlanta, GA · Member since 2019 · 1k+ posts · 872 votes
    5y

    Hey @Brendan M Loftus, welcome to the BP community!

    I would say this really depends on your goals and what you're trying to do in RE here in Atlanta. Are you just looking for some quick $$? If so, wholesaling or even a light flip might be a good idea. However, if you're looking to actually invest in RE and build long-term wealth, you'd be better off holding on to the property. 

    It sounds like you have a pretty decent BRRRR on your hands, which is rare to find in Atlanta. Don't push that ARV too high and you should be able to cash flow after refi with little money left in the deal. This is what you were planning to do, right? If not, this is the strategy I would highly recommend for the situation. That is, unless you would prefer to just make a quick buck.

    Either way you go, please feel free to reach out. Happy to help in any way I can. Or, if you just want to chat about the Atlanta market, I'm here for that too.

  • Investor · Los Angeles, CA · Member since 2020 · 14 posts · 4 votes
    5y

    Hi @Brenden Mitchum,

    Thanks for your well thought out response. My goal is to continue to build my rental portfolio. However, this situation is a bit unique as I went into this expecting a quick and light rehab, which is far from the case. My hesitancy is coming from the fact I will be managing the project remotely, and there is increased risk for hiccups along the way. I'm getting a finalized bid from my contractor this week and I'm considering a couple avenues to reduce the total cost.

    Thanks again Brenden.

  • Brenden MitchumBusiness Member
    Rental Property Investor · Atlanta, GA · Member since 2019 · 1k+ posts · 872 votes
    5y

    @Brendan M Loftus I hear ya. But don't let the level of rehab stop you. If it scares you then you just need more reliable team members. Investing OOS is all about the team, as I'm sure you know. They should be able to present you with the information you need to properly analyze the deal. However, then your analysis is only as good as they are.

    A good contractor that you can trust should put you at ease because their bid will be fairly accurate. If you plug that number into your calculations (plus another 10%) and it makes sense then you should be good. However, if this is your first deal with the contractor and you're not sure of their skill/reliability, you definitely want to get multiple bids. If you are not sure about your GC, then I can see why you might want to pass on this one. 

  • Atlanta, GA · Member since 2018 · 13 posts · 2 votes
    5y

    You will be paying capital gains if you flip now. So that 50k in profit is going to be about 30k after the 6% fees and 20% ... Am I seeing this math right?  

  • Investor · Los Angeles, CA · Member since 2020 · 14 posts · 4 votes
    5y
    Originally posted by @Craig Murray:

    You will be paying capital gains if you flip now. So that 50k in profit is going to be about 30k after the 6% fees and 20% ... Am I seeing this math right?  

    True. Thanks for your insight Craig! 

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