With the housing market tight in many parts of the country and affordability a big issue for many would be buyers, buying a fixer-upper might be tempting. We’ve all seen the home make-over shows with amazing before and afters but should you do it?
Here are a few things to consider:
1. Know Your Limits
How much of the work can you do. How much time do you have to put into renovations. Are you prepared to live in a work zone for a while
2. Work Out Costs In Advance
Have a contractor walk through the inspection with you and get a written estimate for work he would do. If you are doing the work yourself price the costs of supplies, either way add 15% to the costs because surprises are likely.
3. Check Permitting Costs and Procedures
Check with local officials to see if the work requires a permit and the permit costs.
4. Be Extra Careful with Structural Issues
If the house requires structural repairs then double check the work and pricing. Hire a structural engineer to do an inspection and if structural work needs to be done make sure your bid discounts this work
5. Include Inspection Contingencies
Make sure you hire professional inspectors and check for hidden issues like mold, piping issues, pest damage etc. And if things come up ask for discounts. And if too many red flags come up or the seller won’t properly discount the costs for repair then you may want walk away and keep looking!

As we hopefully start to climb out of the covid crisis, interest rates nudged up this week. Rates inched up as Freddie Mac reported that the average 30-year-fixed-rate mortgage was 2.97%. This is still well below the rate a year ago which was 3.45%. Analyists expect rates to continue to rise slightly throughout the year on an anticipated economic recovery, although rates are expected to remain very low by historic standards.
While rates remain near historic lows, the housing market continues to be red hot. Extremely low inventory is driving prices up. The National Association of Realtors reported existing home sales were up nearly 25% compared to last year and the median home price is up nearly 15% from a year ago. This may be a bigger impediment to home buyers than rates inching up.
We will continue to keep you up to date on market trends and use our web site pre-qualifier to see what you can afford and get a pre-qualification to assist your home shopping.