All Forum Posts by: Spenser Harding

Found a house in Tacoma, WA that the seller inherited and wants offload as she wants nothing to do with being a landlord (Great! I'd love to help!). I requested some information from her agent and only recieved very poor, awkwardly taken, funny angles of the exterior. So I hopped on Google maps street view for some more clues about the condition - the house sits on lot perpendicular to the street. Interesting but not the end of the world, some opportunity for some curb apeal to be added for sure. I requested a time to view and was told that I cannot view the inside until a signed PSA and do and inspection. It was noted that this is due to tenant rights. So I thought that this might be some sort of red flag here. I browsed Washington State law and didn't find anything specifically stating you could not enter a home intended for purchase with tenants inside. When I searched BP - I found great horror storries of nude tenants, drug equipment, dead dogs etc. so I know it can be done. Is it normal to have to spend $300-400 on an inspection in order to view the inside (I feel that it shouldn't be) or is there a better alternative that someone can suggest?

So we went with the "so you want me to pay an extra 11k, all closing, and a 3k fee on top?  That is to much and I'm here to make money.  With this deal I can't.  Let me know if you change your mind." My Realtor called me today and told me it was still a good deal.  Who knows if they will come back with another offer.  It sucks and is hard to walk away especially when we want a property badly, but at the end of the day, the numbers are only OK.

Jody Young so working backwards from the floor limit of 117k what do you get as minimum offer?

Bryan R. Yes, Ark law is the negotiator-any experience with them? Find the house I'm talking about? J Scott thanks your advise is great, I apparently have until tonight to respond and I don't know if I can get a gc to bid by then. Jody Young I didn't know there was minimum acceptance guidelines for a VA loan, can you share a link?

Also, this is a buy and hold for me and it has been on the market for a total of 120 days now with an original list price of 170k but has been steadily dropping until I made an offer when it hit 125k. There is also a $2995 short sale neogotiation fee involved that I will have to pay if it goes through.

Jody - They recieved as an appraisal of 133k, I offered 120k. It is a VA loan through US Bank. The property it self is in great condition, built in 2009. Needs landscaping, paint, carpets, and thorough cleaning - no major repairs. Sellers owe 164k so even though the VA loan is assumable for a small fee, I feel fair market is around 150k.

Nghi Le that is a great point about showing the value I think it is and the numbers I used to arrive there, what would be a good investor discount?

great idea with the comps, the house was built in 2009 and is in pretty good condition.  It does need new carpet/paint/intense cleaning/landscaping, would it be worth getting estimates on that?  I feel like there aren't a lot of points because I am getting it under a good deal. 

hello! I currently have a short sale in process in Tacoma Washington, the negotiator countered my offer 13k more.   The house was on the market 75 days before my lower offer was accepted.  How would you respond to the counter offer showing what was offered was fair? I have until Thursday...

The bank pays the taxes on the property to limit their loss in hopes it can regain maybe 100-150k in foreclosure vs losing everything in tax deed auction for dilinquent county payments.