san Antonio fixer upper – Page 2

January 4, 2017

How to Save on Rehab Costs and Long Term Property Repairs

Most San Antonio real estate investors buy under market value San Antonio properties, rehab them and then rent them out.

I have several rental properties in my San Antonio investment portfolio, but I have found in the last year or two that construction costs are eating too much into my bottom line.

As the San Antonio real estate market is heating up, construction costs have gone up on some of my fixer uppers by as much as 50%! Rather than spending $10,000 to repair and rent a property, I was finding that I was spending $20,000 or more, and my net return was under 10% per year.

Because of higher construction costs, I am advocating more owner financing my San Antonio properties. Here’s how it works in a nutshell:

I buy the under market value San Antonio fixer upper for $50,000.
I do approximately $5000 in repairs on the property, which may include painting, cleaning, minor plumbing and electrical. Basically, I am doing enough repairs on the property so that I can sell it with owner financing to a blue collar worker and his family. They will be able to complete most of the remaining repairs.
By only doing $5000 or so in repairs on the property, I am able to save at least $10,000 in most cases in construction and rehab costs. This often will push my ROI to 14-15%.
Typical terms for the end buyer are 10% interest, $5000 down, no prepayment penalty, 30 year note.

The owner financing exit strategy has the added benefit of not having any ongoing repair costs, which is great for peace of mind and my bottom line.

In summary, the foundation of my buy and hold San Antonio property portfolio is properties owned in cash and owner financed to qualified buyers. It is the primary strategy I recommend to new investors who want to build passive cash flow.

Here’s a good property that will return 14-15% per year with $5000 only in rehab:

Address: 224 Avondale Ave., San Antonio, TX 78223
Year Built: 1957
Description: San Antonio buy and hold investors – Happy New Year! Excellent cash flow opportunity with central AC/Heat. This is a big plus as you don’t need to spend to add it. Has car port and tool shed. The neighborhood is in high demand, booming south San Antonio Market, 2 beds, 1 bath, 866 sqft, lot size: .16 acres, estimated repairs: 5K, clean/lawn maintenance/exterior paint. Max After Repair Value: 85K.
Cash Price on San Antonio Fixer Upper: $49,900 CASH
Exit Strategy: Owner Finance with 5k in repairs: 5K down payment, $850.00 monthly PI/TI, 30 year amortization, 10% interest, Sales Price: 85K. NOTE: We recommend owner financing this property rather than renting; you will be able to save your cash outlays on the repairs by owner financing it rather than renting. Renting out this San Antonio investment property is possible, but at least another $10,000 of repairs will be needed.

December 14, 2016January 6, 2017

SOLD – 3108 Vera Cruz, San Antonio TX 78207

Address: 3108 Vera Cruz, San Antonio TX 78207
Year Built: 1958
Description: Tremendous cash flow investment opportunity – 2 beds 1 bath, only 36K, large back yard with large storage unit and an orange fruit tree, ARV:59-65K, $595-$650 monthly PI/TI.
Cash Price on San Antonio Fixer Upper: $36,000 CASH
Exit Strategy: Owner Finance San Antonio under market value property with 5K in repairs: then resell with: 3-5K down, $695 monthly PI/TI, 30 year amortization, 10% interest, Sales Price 59K-65K.
Sold and Rental Comps: rental-comps-3108-vera-cruz sold-comps-3108-vera-cruz
For more information, please contact us.

More Images of This San Antonio Investment Property:

December 13, 2016May 17, 2021

Start Here To Invest in San Antonio Real Estate Today!

If you found our San Antonio real estate investing website, you probably are thinking about investing in real estate. Investing in under market value San Antonio properties can help you reach financial independence, and I can help.

If you are thinking about investing in under market value properties, here is how the investing process goes:

Get Cash to Invest

The real estate investor, as of 2016, needs approximately $40,000 to $65,000 to invest in a first San Antonio real estate property. If you have more cash available than that, I recommend buying several properties at once so that you can build your portfolio faster.
The money can come from cash savings of course, or, a good second option is a line of credit on your personal residence. If you can get a 3-5% interest rate on the money, you can invest it into cash flowing real estate that earns at least 10% interest.
If you do not have this much cash to invest, you need to find a private source of capital that will loan you money at a reasonable rate. Or, we can help you to find investment property loans.
If you borrowed the cash out of your home to invest, we will get your first property done and producing cash flow for year. Then you can pull cash out of your investment property and pay off your loan on your personal home.
Then you can pull the cash out of your home again and we can start the process again with another property.
Note – I prefer to invest in cash, but on some of our properties, you can do 20% down and get a mortgage. In that case, I look for at least $200 to $300 per month in cash flow after all expenses. I can recommend lenders for investment property financing, if you need it.

Investing the Money

I mostly recommend buying and holding San Antonio investment properties for cash flow. If you want to flip, I’m not doing many of those deals right now given the tight margins.
When you have capital to invest, I recommend purchasing an under market value property in the $40,000 to $65,000 wholesale range. I have properties on this site that I have scouted out personally and have judged to be in areas that will produce good cash flow for the investor.
You buy the property in cash, and title goes to you or your business entity.

Rehab Begins

I present you with a bid that lists all of the repairs that need to be completed. Right now, I usually recommend $5-10k in repairs and then owner financing the property instead of renting.
50% of the repair bill is paid up front, and 50% upon completion.
I give you regular updates, with photos, as work is done.

Property Is Rented or Sold

Once the rehab is completed, my team will work to get the home rented or sold. Homes are listed in MLS.
You can either rent the home out and my team will manage it for you. Or you can owner finance the home, usually with these terms – $5000 down, 10% interest, $595-$999 per month depending on property.
Expect an ROI after expenses of 10% or more. I am seeing 15-16% ROI on some houses as of Jan. 2017. However, have reasonable expectations on each property. I have done very well over 15 years by making 10%-12% on my San Antonio investment properties.

And that is how investing on your first property or properties in San Antonio goes! Here is a good one to get you started:

Address: 1319 S Hamilton St., San Antonio, TX 78207
Year Built: 1956
Description: San Antonio buy and hold investors and real estate investors – Another Major cash flow opportunity, 30% instant equity under market value, almost cute cottage, needs minor help, booming San Antonio Market West of Downtown, 2 beds, 1 bath, 616 sqft, lot size: .05 acres, estimated repairs: 5K, clean/lawn maintenance/interior paint/front paint. Max After Repair Value: 69K
Cash Price on San Antonio Fixer Upper: $42,000 CASH ONLY
Exit Strategy: Owner Finance with 5k in repairs: 5Kdown payment, $695.00 monthly PI/TI, 30 year amortization, 10% interest, Sales Price: 69K, see attached sold/rental comparables.
Sold and Rental Comps: Sold Comps 1301 S Hamilton rental comps 1301 s hamilton
For more information, please contact us.

December 12, 2016

Case Study – Making Big Profit on a Foreclosure

Most of my San Antonio real estate investing portfolio consists of under market value distressed properties that I own in cash. I then owner finance them properties to buyers who lack the credit to buy a home with a bank loan.

This type of San Antonio buy and hold may sound risky to many investors, I can tell you that if you do your homework on your potential buyer – verify their employment, income, get at least $5000 down, do a personal interview – you can often get very good buyers who pay you for many years.

I own several San Antonio investment properties that I owner financed for $5000, $699 to $999 per month. Some of the investment properties are 2/1s, and many are 3/1s.

Whenever possible, I only do a few thousand dollars of clean up on the property, and then I sell it with owner financing to the buyer. Most of my San Antonio owner finance buyers are blue collar workers and they can fix the homes themselves.

I do not have too many problems with foreclosures on my San Antonio fixer uppers, but when I do have a foreclosure, it isn’t a major obstacle to my profits.

This year, one of the San Antonio homes in my portfolio was 126 E. Dullnig 78223. The homeowner had paid me mortgage payments for three years, but I had to foreclose on the owners when they were 60 days late.

I took the house back and spent a thousand dollars to clean it up and get the junk out. It wasn’t in bad shape at all, and I didn’t need to do much.

Then, I was able to sell it for $49,000 cash to an investor in San Antonio, and made myself a $15,000 profit. Below is more about that home:

Address: 126 E Dullnig Ct., San Antonio, TX 78223
Year Built: 1919
Description: Major cash flow on this San Antonio fixer upper distressed property – 4 beds 1 bath, 1100 sqft, two large storage units in the back, Lot Size: .19 acres, Yearly taxes: $1,600.00, Estimated yearly insurance $700.00, Estimated repairs: 15K, includes interior paint, electrical/plumbing up to code, landscape, trash removal, kitchen/bath updates, central HVAC, flooring, 2 room conversions, foundation/roof repairs.
Max ARV: $109-$115k

Cash Price: $48,000

Exit Strategies:

Rent with 30K in repairs: $1150.00
Owner Finance San Antonio wholesale property with 20K repairs: 5k down, $995.00 monthly P/I, 30 year amortization, 10% interest, Price: 99K. Or, owner finance with quick $5k clean up, resell for $79,900.

Not every house that I get back works out that well, but I still do fine. Usually, I just clean up the San Antonio foreclosure and resell it with $5000 down again to another buyer. I have gotten some homes back three times and just keep reselling it for the same $5000 down.

December 4, 2016

Buy in San Antonio TX Now Before Prices Double!

Since the market crash in 2007 and 2008, San Antonio real estate prices have changed a lot. We were fortunate during the crash somewhat because our prices in San Antonio did not dip nearly as much as other places.

One of the long term benefits of investing in San Antonio real estate for cash flow is that the prices are quite steady overall. This is due to the general strength of the Texas economy, low tax rates, lack of red tape and a general pro business mind set.

When the market takes a dive, you will lose value on your home like anywhere, but the prices on homes in San Antonio in 2007 and 2008 only dropped in the area of 10%.

These days, however, the San Antonio real estate market is booming and prices on San Antonio investment properties could be rising again. Many local experts think that the real estate market in San Antonio is being driven by an increase in jobs and low mortgage rates. The number of people moving to San Antonio is still very strong, and this is driving up the real estate market.

Also, oil prices have dropped in 2016, and gas is under $2 per gallon and should stay there for the forseeable future. Any time oil starts to get near $50 to $60 per barral, more Texas rigs start to frack for oil again, which also helps the local job market.

All of this to say, these days you can still buy San Antonio investment properties of mine for cash flow for under $50,000, but this may not last. With the incoming Trump administration, we also could see cuts in taxes and regulations, which could send the San Antonio real estate market even higher. So now is the time to invest in San Antonio real estate.

With the below property for $49,000, you will be able to generate 13-14% ROI.

Address: 8013 FM 1518, Somerset, TX 78069
Year Built: 1955
Description: Tremendous cash flow investment opportunity in South San Antonio suburb, excellent school district and low crime rating, 3 beds 2 bath San Antonio investment property under market value, 2150 sqft, land: .16 acres, built: 1955, tax value: 84.9K, yearly taxes: $2,400.00, estimated yearly insurance: $1,000.00, Estimated Repairs:10K, ARV:79-89K
Cash Price on San Antonio Fixer Upper: $49,000
Exit Strategy: Owner Finance with 10K in repairs: then resell with: 5K-10K down, $895 monthly PI/TI, 30 year amortization, 10 % interest, Sales Price 89K.

December 2, 2016December 2, 2016

So You’re Thinking About Real Estate Investing in 2017!

Now that the presidential election is over, I am seeing more new real estate investors who are thinking about getting into cashflowing real estate properties in San Antonio.

Many of these potential investors have good jobs and good incomes, and have so far saved and invested their money mostly in the stock market. But they are nervous about investing in real estate.

I think investing in the stock market is ok in a limited fashion. I was heavily invested in the market back in 2000, and I lost a large chunk of it in the crash after 9/11/01.

That experience taught me something important: Having one’s life savings in the stock market is risky, even if you are well diversified. Since I lost so much money in the stock market at that time, I decided to invest in something solid – specifically, San Antonio under market value properties.

I strongly believe that investing in certain under market value San Antonio fixer uppers is an excellent long term wealth building strategy. My real estate strategy is usually to buy a San Antonio under market value property for $35,000 to $75,000 cash, do $5000 or $10,000 in repairs, and either rent or owner finance it.

Here is a great case study example; this property belongs to a California investor of mine:

The house above in on West Poplar Ave. in 78207 in San Antonio. It is a newly completed San Antonio investment property that was bought the the California investor for $44,000 in October 2015.

We conducted $10,000 of rehab on the property and put it on the market in December 2015. Total cost to investor was $54,000. It was resold in late January 2016 with the following terms:

$83,000 sales price
$5000 down
$627.61 per month ($800 per month PITI)
9% interest
30 year note

Note that this is a seller finance property, not a rental property.

That property is generating $627 per month in cash flow on a $54,000 investment with no other expenses.

But what if you don’t want to do all cash deals? That’s ok too. You can use your available cash to put a down payment on a property and to do repairs, and then either rent it out or owner finance it (this is called a wrap around mortgage).

In such a case, you should be able to net at least $250 to $350 per month in positive cash flow if you hold a mortgage on the San Antonio investment property.

Here is a current property that I have carefully scouted out that can generate 12-14% ROI after the repairs are done:

Address: 8013 FM 1518, Somerset, TX 78069
Year Built: 1955
Description: Tremendous cash flow investment opportunity in South San Antonio suburb, excellent school district and low crime rating, 3 beds 2 bath San Antonio investment property under market value, 2150 sqft, land: .16 acres, built: 1955, tax value: 84.9K, yearly taxes: $2,400.00, estimated yearly insurance: $1,000.00, Estimated Repairs:10K, ARV:79-89K
Cash Price on San Antonio Fixer Upper: $49,000
Exit Strategy: Owner Finance with 10K in repairs: then resell with: 5K-10K down, $895 monthly PI/TI, 30 year amortization, 10 % interest, Sales Price 89K.

I recommend that a new San Antonio real estate investor work with an expert investor and real estate agent who has a large portfolio of properties. He or she can help you to get a good deal such as the above.

December 1, 2016January 6, 2017

OFF MARKET – 8013 FM 1518, Somerset, TX 78069

Address: 8013 FM 1518, Somerset, TX 78069
Year Built: 1955
Description: Tremendous cash flow investment opportunity in South San Antonio suburb, excellent school district and low crime rating, 3 beds 2 bath San Antonio investment property under market value, 2150 sqft, land: .16 acres, built: 1955, tax value: 84.9K, yearly taxes: $2,400.00, estimated yearly insurance: $1,000.00, Estimated Repairs:10K, ARV:79-89K
Cash Price on San Antonio Fixer Upper: $49,000
Exit Strategy: Owner Finance with 10K in repairs: then resell with: 5K-10K down, $895 monthly PI/TI, 30 year amortization, 10 % interest, Sales Price 89K.
Sold and Rental Comps: Rental Comps 8013 FM 1518 Sold Comps 8013 FM 1518
For more information, please contact us.

More Images:

November 29, 2016

San Antonio Is An Overvalued Real Estate Market – So What?

Years after the bottoming out of the housing market in Texas, which was in 2012, Texas generally and San Antonio specifically is one of the to be one of the most overvalued markets in the US, according to Forbes Magazine. But I don’t think this is a bad thing.

Since prices hit rock bottom in San Antonio in January 2012, the San Antonio economy has grown strongly, with gross metro product hitting 9% in San Antonio since the end of 2014. While Austin’s gross metro product is higher at 18%, so are real estate prices. Prices in Austin rose from the end of 2012 until the end of 2015 by 41%, with a median home price of $278,000.

In San Antonio, prices rose just 21% in the same period for a median price of $190,400 as of mid 2016.

Some people would say that an overvalued housing market is not a good thing, but I think it is worth keeping a few things in mind:

San Antonio homes are still very affordable, with a median price currently in the $200,000 range. Got that? You can still buy a house here for $200,000 or less!
San Antonio under market value fixer uppers are still available for $50,000 or less, and I have seen prices drop recently, actually.
Even with higher prices in the last two years, I have many San Antonio fixer uppers that can return 12% or higher returns when all costs are factored in.
An overvalued real estate market indicates strong demand and limited supply, which indicates good economic growth. For a real estate investor, strong ecnoomic growth is a good thing, as you have plenty of renters and buyers to occupy your real estate investment properties.

I can understand where an overvalued real estate market such as San Francisco could be a big problem, as it will price everyone but the super rich out of the market.

But here in San Antonio, prices for my San Antonio real estate investments are still very low, and we have a very low unemployment rate. The strong growth of our area and Texas generally means that many companies are moving in here, such as Maruchan (of instant noodle fame), Chevron, Rackspace and Geekdom among others.

Want to see a good example of a cheap San Antonio fixer? Here you are –

Address: 127 Hopkins St. San Antonio, TX 78221
Year Built: 1972
Description: Location Location! Very popular neighborhood with extra-large back yard south of downtown. This is a high ROI, under market value San Antonio investment property ! – 3 beds 1 bath, 850 sqft, built: 1972, Lot Size: .16 acres, Yearly taxes: $1,052.00, Estimated yearly insurance $600.00, Estimated repairs: 5K, landscape tree removal, trash removal interior/exterior. ARV: 69.9K
Cash Price on San Antonio Fixer Upper: $39,900
Exit Strategy: Owner Finance this San Antonio investment property with 5K in clean up: 5k down, $695.00 monthly P/I, 30 year amortization, 10% interest, Price: 69.9K.

November 29, 2016November 29, 2016

What Will Donald Trump Mean for San Antonio Real Estate Investing in 2017?

As a real estate investor in San Antonio, I am well aware over the years of how much uncertainty a presidential election can have on the financial markets generally, and real estate specifically.

Now that Donald Trump has been elected president of the United States, many investors in San Antonio are wondering if his election will be good, bad, or somewhere in the middle for San Antonio investment properties.

Well, I can only speak for myself when it comes to the national economy and the real estate investing market, but I think that much of the ‘economic recovery’ in the last eight years has left behind a lot of the investing class and many middle class Americans.

Many of us believe that the Federal Reserve’s monetary policies have led to many in the middle class feeling inflation, little wage growth and while unemployment is low, many Americans are underworked and are making due with part time jobs to make ends meet.

I think that with Trump in charge, who obviously is a highly experienced real estate investor himself, we are likely to see more economic expansion with infrastructure investments. He also may use debt to encourage growth and will try to lower taxes for the middle class and higher earners, who provide much of the financing for job growth.

It also seems possible that he will reduce regulations in Dodd Frank and make it easier for small investors to borrow money.

Hopefully, a Trump administration will encourage stronger economic growth and greater confidence in the real estate investing markets than we have seen since 2009.

I do know that we have seen a slight drop in San Antonio real estate investment prices in the last six months, prior to Trump being elected.

I do think that with the lower real estate property prices, this is a good time to move into buy and hold real estate investing in San Antonio. Prices are lower, interest rates are still low, and the unemployment rate in San Antonio is very low. There is a strong rental and buyer market here for sure.

Here is a great under market value fixer upper that will be a great addition to your real estate investing portfolio:

Address: 8013 FM 1518, Somerset, TX 78069
Year Built: 1955
Description: Tremendous cash flow investment opportunity in South San Antonio suburb, excellent school district and low crime rating, 3 beds 2 bath San Antonio investment property under market value, 2150 sqft, land: .16 acres, built: 1955, tax value: 84.9K, yearly taxes: $2,400.00, estimated yearly insurance: $1,000.00, Estimated Repairs:10K, ARV:79-89K
Cash Price on San Antonio Fixer Upper: $49,000
Exit Strategy: Owner Finance with 10K in repairs: then resell with: 5K-10K down, $895 monthly PI/TI, 30 year amortization, 10 % interest, Sales Price 89K.

November 13, 2016November 13, 2016

A Different Take on Buying and Holding Investment Properties Successfully

A lot of investors in San Antonio do a lot of flipping properties. Flipping homes has worked well for me in some cases in the last 15 years, but flipping San Antonio houses in the under $75,000 range can be challenging.

I deal mostly in affordable San Antonio properties, and with prices going up and construction costs going up, I have found that turning a profit of more than $3000 on a six month flip has been difficult.

Over the long term, I have been a big believe in buying and holding real estate – getting rich slowly rather than quickly. Taking a slower approach to getting wealthy in real estate might not be what you see on TV, but I think buying and holding San Antonio investment property is the key to long term wealth building, more than flips.

What Is Your Exit Strategy?

Most of my under market value properties were bought under market value in San Antonio for $25,000 to $75,000. I usually buy and hold them for more than 10 years. Some of my properties I have held for 15 years!

Generally, I buy my houses in cash, do a few thousand in repairs, and then owner finance the homes instead of renting them out. With owner financing, I get a steady $500-$800 per month in cash flow and I have to do no repairs on the home once I have sold it.

Many buy and hold investors only consider renting out the property, and while I do have some rentals, I will usually prefer to owner finance them.

I also recommend San Antonio owner financing properties for the investor who still has a full time job. You don’t have to concern yourself with fixing leaking roofs or water heaters. The new property owner takes care of it and just pays you each month.

While I buy my homes in cash, you can get a mortgage on an investment property that is in decent condition, and then owner finance it just as you would if you bought it cash. This is called a wrap around mortgage. This is an option for people who do not have the cash to buy a bunch of houses for all cash. As long as you are able to clear $300 or so on the property, this can make sense.

The home I have for sale below would work great as an owner financed property to make you 11% or so per month with no repairs.

Only $5000 in repairs to get it sold.

Address: 127 Hopkins St. San Antonio, TX 78221
Year Built: 1972
Description: Location Location! Very popular neighborhood with extra-large back yard south of downtown. This is a high ROI, under market value San Antonio investment property ! – 3 beds 1 bath, 850 sqft, built: 1972, Lot Size: .16 acres, Yearly taxes: $1,052.00, Estimated yearly insurance $600.00, Estimated repairs: 5K, landscape tree removal, trash removal interior/exterior. ARV: 69.9K
Cash Price on San Antonio Fixer Upper: $39,900
Exit Strategy: Owner Finance this San Antonio investment property with 5K in clean up: 5k down, $695.00 monthly P/I, 30 year amortization, 10% interest, Price: 69.9K.