Last week I alerted you on substantial price reductions on 2 HUD condos. Let me give you an update on what happended over the weekend.

Both condos are now in contract. That was predictable, as the asking prices of these Columbus HUD homes had dropped by more than 50%.

You may be surprised to hear that HUD left $20,000 on the table on the Sowerby condo.

HUD did not accept the highest offer that was submitted over the weekend. Instead, they took the first acceptable offer they received on Saturday.

These homes were on a daily bidding deadline. As HUD does not review offers on Sunday, we did not know, if they had accepted a contract. New offers were flowing in on Sunday. More than 10 in total.

I warned my buyers that HUD may have accepted an offer on Saturday, and that we would not know until Monday. Contracts submitted on Sunday came too late, despite the fact that at least one of them was $20K higher than the one they accepted.

What can you learn from this?

You have to be ready when HUD lowers the price. The first acceptable offer gets the house.

Unlike Fannie Mae, HUD does not apply the Best-and-Final approach to get the highest offer.

“The early bird gets the worm.”

I was quite shocked this morning when I compiled listing statistics for HUD homes in Columbus.

The number of HUD houses available for sale has dropped by more than 50% since the end of February. We are now down to only 182 HUD listings in Central Ohio, as compared to 394 at the end of February 2011.

Here are the detailed listing data per county, followed by an explanation, why this has happened.

HUD Listings per County (Apr 14, 2011)

Franklin County: 146
Delaware County: 8
Licking County: 9
Fairfield County: 7
Pickaway County: 8
Madison County: 0
Union County: 4

TOTAL Number of Central Ohio HUD Listings: 182 (394 at end of February 2011)

Improving Real Estate Market

The Columbus Board as well as the National Association of Realtors just published sales data for the month of March. Their stats show an improvement in the US real estate market.

National

Existing home sales are up by 3.7% in March relative to February, however, they are still 6.3% below March 2010, when the first time home buyer tax credit inflated sales in the first half of the year.

The number of first time home buyers was 33% in March 2011, as compared to 44% in March 2010.

Central Ohio

In Columbus existing home sales in March outpaced the previous month by almost 32%, but they are still 7.9% below March 2010 sales.

The good news is that the number of pending contracts has increased by 11.5% as compared to a year ago. This will result in more sales in the coming months.

Three Signs of the Time

• 35% of sales were all cash purchases
• 40% were distress sales
• 20% of homes were purchased by investors

What does this mean for you?

It means that the real estate market is heating up. As the majority of sales are foreclosures, short sales, REOs and HUD homes sales, the number of distress listings has decreased. With other words “distress sales” fly off the shelves, while retail listing sit on the market for a long time.

The consequence is that there will be more competition on HUD contracts, less selection, and possibly less discounts.

So, don’t wait! If you want to buy a HUD home or REO this year, now is the time!

Thanks for reading our Columbus HUD Homes Blog

If you haven’t been looking for HUD homes in Columbus, Ohio you probably don’t know the Hilltop. It is a large area on the west-side of Columbus, North and South of West Broad Street from the I-70 interchange going West to Hague Avenue. The area West of Hague up to the new Casino site (near Westland) is sometimes included in the Hilltop, as well.

Many homes on the Hilltop are rentals, although there are quite a few owner occupied homes in the area, as well. This is a blue collar neighborhood that is ideal for investors who want to buy a property to rent it for a positive cash flow.

In the current housing market, homes for sale on the Hilltop are cheap. You will find many bank-owned and HUD houses for sale in the $20K to $30K range. A few years ago homes sold for as much as $85,000 in that area.

Whether you buy a house to live in or to rent out, you should jump on the deal below. It is truly a STEAL!

This HUD home is in good condition. It comes with a gas fireplace, a wooden deck, a 2 car garage and lots of beautiful, original woodwork. It is almost in move in condition.

At LESS THAN $9 per sqft it must be one of the best deals I ever saw in Columbus. You certainly could not rebuild a house like that for such a low price.

Yes, it will need a few thousand dollars in work, and you can’t get FHA financing, because it is listed as uninsured. But you don’t want to go to a bank for a $11K loan anyway, because your closing costs may be 50% of the purchase price.

Now let’s talk about cash flow. Investors need to know how the return on their investment, before they spend money on a rental property.

3 bedroom homes on the Hilltop rent for at least $650 per month, possibly more. This means that your yearly rental income could be as high as $7,800. In just one and a half years an investor could recover the purchase price of this house and generate a huge, positive cash flow after just 18 months.

Here are the details on this specific HUD house (click on the address or the picture at the beginning of this article to see the property website).

289 S. Burgess Ave., Columbus, OH
Asking Price: $11,000
Comparable Sales: $50,000

Year Built: 1907
Sq Footage: 1,246
Bedrooms: 3
Bathrooms 1/0

Category: UnInsured
Schools: Columbus

Deadline: 4/19/2011
Eligible: Owner Occupants

Many HUD homes are listed as Insured with Escrow. It seems that this repair escrow confuses many home buyers. Let me explain what the repair escrow means, what it’s for and why it is beneficial for home buyers.

FHA uses 3 categories to describe which type of financing is offered for a specific HUD listing: Insured, Insured with Escrow and Uninsured.

Insured means that you can get regular FHA financing without any additional repairs.

Insured with Escrow indicates that minor repairs, which are specified in the HUD listing (up to $5,000), must be completed before FHA will underwrites a regular loan. They allow the buyer to close on the purchase and add the cost of these repairs to the loan amount. However, the lender must hold this repair costs in escrow until the work is completed. Then it is disbursed to the buyer.

Uninsured means that you cannot get a regular FHA loan, because the house needs more than $5,000 in repairs. In that case you may still apply for an FHA rehab loan, also known as a 203k loan.

Common Questions

Here are the answers to the most common questions we get from buyers on a regular basis.

Can the repair escrow be used with any type of loan?
No. The repair escrow only applies to FHA loans. If you use another type of loan, you will have to do a new appraisal. Based on the appraisers opinion your lender will either underwrite the loan or not, or offer you other options to cover the repairs. Many lenders are very cautious these days. Some won’t underwrite a loan, if carpets are missing, if there are minor holes in the drywall, or even, if there are not appliances.

Does HUD pay for this repair escrow?
No. You have to pay for the repairs. However, as a benefit to the buyer, the amount of the repair escrow can be added to your loan amount. You will have to front the cash and pay your contractors for the repairs, or do them yourself.

Do I have to pay for the repairs?
Yes. You will have to pay for the repairs initially. When the work is complete, the appraiser will come back to your house to verify that everything is done. Only at that time will be lender release the escrow. It can be paid to you in cash as a reimbursement of the cost you incurred to do the repairs, or you can apply it to the principal and reduce your loan amount.

What’s the maximum amount FHA allows?
The maximum repair escrow allowed on a regular FHA loan is $5,000. The exact amount is specified in the HUD listing and disclosed in an addendum called Repair Escrow Information. You have to go with the exact number specified by HUD. You are not allowed to add other repairs to the escrow.

Why should I use the repair escrow anyway?
It is both a benefit and a requirement. FHA requires that you make the repairs specified by HUD in order for them to underwrite an FHA loan. As a benefit, they allow you to pay for these repairs by increasing the amount of your new loan and getting reimbursed, when the work is completed.

If you have any other questions regarding the repair escrow, please leave a comment in the box below and we will answer it on our blog.

What a dramatic change since we published Statistics on Government Foreclosed Homes at the end of February 2011.

The total number of HUD Homes in Columbus Ohio is down to 299, from more than 400 HUD listings at the beginning of the year. Even at the end of February we had close to 400 listings.

It appears that after an initial push by the new asset managers to get as many HUD properties on the market as possible, the listing volume is now leveling out.

However, this may also indicate that we are now in a much stronger market than predicted by the experts. A couple of weeks ago we reported that right now 30% more homes for sale are in contract than a year ago. We noticed that the demand for discounted and foreclosed homes has significantly increased since the beginning of the year.

Take a look at the HUD homes data for each of the Central Ohio Counties. The loss of listings has affected most counties evenly with the exception of Union which saw an increase.

HUD Homes Listing Statistics

Listings per County

Franklin County: 220
Delaware County: 13
Licking County: 19
Fairfield County: 16
Pickaway County: 13
Madison County: 11
Union County: 7

TOTAL Number of Central Ohio HUD Listings: 299 (394 at end of February 2011)

Here’s information on the pricing of HUD homes in Columbus.

Pricing & Listing Types

Average List Price: $71,980
Lowest Price: $7,000
Highest Price: $215,000

Dollar Listings: 3
Exclusive (owner occupants): 114
Extended (all bidders): 176
Lottery (Non-profits & government): 6

There are 3 really decent Dollar Homes available. These homes have been on the market for a long time. All of them have been overpriced while they were still listed. Now for $1 they are a huge bargain, but only available for Government Agencies.

One of the homes has a retail value of $155K. It is located on 930 Stoney Creek Road in the Indian Hills subdivision near Antrim Park, just South of Worthington. If you work for the Government – go get it!

Do you realize that there are hidden costs when you buy foreclosed or HUD homes?

I am not talking about out-of-pocket items, such as loan application fees or even the cost of your home inspection. These are fees most buyers are aware of. You already know that you will have to spend some money before the closing that can not be covered by closing costs (most of which are paid by HUD in the form of a closing cost contribution).

The costs I am talking about have to do with utility activation and other services performed by HUD’s field service managers.

Since 3 new field service managers took over in fall of 2010, rules for turning on utilities have changed and so have their fees.

When you look at a property on the HUDHomeStore.com, you can easily find out which field service manager is responsible for a property. Go to the Agent Info tab of a specific property. The field service manager is listed on the right hand side, with all their contact information and email.

Here are the websites of the 3 field service managers responsible for Columbus HUD Homes:

• A2Z Field Services (614) 495-5970
• Innotion Enterprises (703) 351-8151
• Cityside Management

Dependent on the firm in charge of your property, the rules and fees for turning on utilities are different. Fees can range from $100 to more than $200. Some field service managers charge a fee just to authorize you to turn on the utilities, while others provide the plumber  to turn the water on and off, and charge a hefty fee for it.

As a buyer you should not have to deal directly with these firms. This is the job of a good Columbus real estate agent. Your agent receives all required forms and information with the ratified contract. That’s the time to immediately plan if and when you need to get the utilities turned on.

Whenever you schedule a utility activation, make sure you have your “ducks in a row.”

• Your appraiser and inspector should both come during the time when the utilities are turned on, otherwise you need another authorization and pay an extra fee.
• Line up the utility companies, so they will have enough time to schedule the activation of gas, water or electric, while you have permission.
• Have your own contractors ready (if required) to inspect the plumbing, do the pressure test and turn the furnace on.

Utility activation is a hassle with HUD homes and most other foreclosed properties. An experienced real estate agent who has a team of inspectors and contractors will make your life much easier and save you repeat activation fees.

A few days ago HUD added a new disclosure to its listings on the HUD Home Store that has many Columbus buyers and real estate agents puzzled.

“Availability of home is subject to the Asset Manager removing the home from the market”

What does this mean?

Basically, they say that HUD could remove the listing at any time without notice. On regular HUD listings that does not happen too often. They may remove a HUD home from their website, because of damage to the property. Maybe someone stole the copper or broke into the house.

HUD homes on a daily bid deadline get the additional warning that they are available “subject to the Asset Manager accepting a bid from an earlier bid period”.

HUD reviews new offers during business hours (Central Time). Bids submitted by midnight are reviewed on the next business day. It usually takes most of that day to go through all of the offers.

A property may disappear from the HUD home store anytime during the day, when HUD accepts a contract submitted a day earlier.

Here’s a good strategy that will save you time and redundant offers …

Submit your offer after 6 pm. That’s when most HUD listings have been updated and you know that the HUD house of your choice is still available.

You are probably wondering why a beautiful house like this one is back on the market?

There are 3 main reasons why HUD homes fall out of contract:

1. The buyer can’t get financing
2. The property inspection uncovers hidden defects
3. The buyer gets frustrated

Do not underestimate the challenges that await you when you buy a HUD house.

It’s a hassle to turn on the utilities, you don’t know what to expect from the property inspection, the lender questions the condition of the house, the A/C unit gets stolen a week before the closing, and the seller (HUD) won’t make any repairs.

As a buyer you will get frustrated and maybe lose motivation to close on the purchase. There are just too many things to put up with.

An experienced Columbus real estate agent who specializes in HUD homes will try to prepare you for these uncertainties before you submit an offer. Most important, your realtor should take as much pressure off your shoulders as possible and manage the HUD house purchase from bid to closing.

After all, you can get a really good deal on Columbus HUD homes. Like the house above, which just came back on the market due to some of these unexpected problems.

You can have this almost new HUD house for only $145K. The original home owner purchased it for $212K, which means you pay 32% less!

Did you ever wonder why some HUD homes don’t sell?

It’s a combination of 3 factors which determine, if a house is a good deal that will be snapped off the MLS as soon as it gets listed, or if it sits forever without even a single showing. The 3 factors that have a negative impact on a HUD listing are:

1. Listing price too high for the type of home (foreclosure or bank-owned)
2. Located in the Columbus school district
3. Needs repairs or has outdated interior

   

Here’s a Columbus HUD home that meets all of these negative criteria. No wonder it has been on the market for more than a month without any offers.

Unfortunately, the asset managers did not reduce its list price, yet. This house is available to investors. But at its current list price of $116K it’s just too expensive for an investor to make any money.

Say you would like to buy this house. What’s your best strategy?

Submit offers! Without an offer you can’t get the house. Start with a low offer, one you feel is reasonable considering the location and condition of the property. The worst thing that can happen is that HUD doesn’t accept your bid. No money lost!

Second best? You may get a counter offer. Sometimes the asset managers decide to counter and you have an opportunity to accept that counter offer.

You don’t have to take it, if it’s still too high. Just continue submitting your preferred price every day. As all offers are submitted online, it only takes a few minutes, and your realtor will gladly do it for you.

Sooner or later the HUD asset manager will settle near your price point!

I know for a fact that this strategy has worked for many years, and it still works with today’s new managers. There’s just one disclaimer to make – this approach may fail, if there’s competition.

When you join me on a house hunting trip you better leave your flip flops and heels at home!

You probably saw the popular TV show “What Not To Wear” on TLC. Although I like Stacy and Clinton’s transformations and style advice, house hunting (especially in Winter) is not the time when you want to dress up. Just the opposite – wear comfortable clothes you can move around in easily and that keep you warm.

As I write this post in the middle of January, I strongly recommend you dress for winter and snow!

Here’s why:

1. Utilities have been turned off in HUD homes and most bank owned properties. These houses are VERY cold inside. If we look at a few of them in a row, there’s no place to warm up, but your car.
2. Snow and Ice are not cleared off the driveway. You may have to wade through a foot of snow just to get to the entrance. The floors are often wet and slippery.

If you are cold, you won’t enjoy your house hunting trip. Believe me, I have been miserable on many a cold winter day inspecting HUD homes.

So, dress for the winter season, bring winter boots, gloves and a hat, because HUD house hunting is not a fashion show.

Call me at (614) 975-9650 to schedule your Winter House Hunting Adventure.

Thanks for reading our Columbus HUD Homes Blog
Posted by: Susanne Novak, ABR, FIS, GRI
Columbus Realtors specializing in
HUD Homes, Shortsales, Investment Real Estate
(614) 975-9650