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Are you a property owner in Utah wondering what to do with a house or property you own or inherited that you might abandon? Rather than let your home become an abandoned house, a neighborhood eyesore and hotspot for vagrants, read on to learn more options for how to avoid abandoning the property.

8- Reasons a House Becomes Abandoned

While the number one reason a house ends up an abandoned property is financial, there are several factors that can lead to walking away from a home.

1- Expense

Perhaps you find yourself in a situation where the repairs on the home exceed the amount of money you can put into it. If your home is in need of rewiring, all new plumbing or other expensive repairs like foundation repair then the price for repair can be prohibitive.

2- Recession and Job Loss

Whether it was the great recession of 2008/09 or the global pandemic of 2020/21, the realities of job loss and economic downturn can negatively affect your ability to take care of and maintain a home. If you live in a city where a local industry provides most of the jobs, a closure of a factory or major layoffs can affect the entire city and your ability to sell your home.

3- Bad Neighborhood

If your once family-friendly neighborhood has deteriorated into a stagnate, or even unsafe, neighborhood, selling a home can be near impossible. Businesses and landlords aren’t likely to buy up properties in neighborhoods such as that and property values can be negatively affected.

4- Inheritance Issues

Some people struggle with the idea of selling the home they grew up in. Inheriting a home that you don’t plan to live in but have a hard time parting with for sentimental reasons can lead to vacant homes that deteriorate without regular maintenance and care.

5- Environmental Problems

Updates to environmental regulations can cause costly updates for homeowners. Perhaps you’ve been required to get rid of septic tanks or outdated wiring. A home inspection report could turn up asbestos or lead-infused paint. If your home has environmental problems the cost of repair can be staggering, sometimes more than the cost of purchasing a new home.

6- Ecological Disaster

Areas that experience widespread contamination in the water or air can cause people to abandon their homes. Flint, Michigan, one of the top cities in America for abandoned homes, has experienced ongoing water troubles throughout the city, making it incredibly difficult to sell a home.

7- Natural Disasters

If your home has experienced flooding, hurricanes, an earthquake or tornado, your family may have been forced to evacuate. Rather than repair and rebuild, in some cases homeowners will walk away from their property during stressful situations like natural disasters.

8- Difficulty Selling

Bad photos, unattractive curb appeal and outdated interiors can all make a property very difficult to sell.

The top 10 US cities with most vacant homes

According to a report by Fox Business, these 15 cities in the U.S. have the most vacant homes as of 2019.

1. Gary, Indiana:19.4%
2. Hilton Head Island, South Carolina: 16.9%
3. Flint, Michigan: 15.7%
4. Detroit, Michigan: 11.2%
5. Baltimore, Maryland: 8.1%
6. Kansas City, Missouri: 5.6%
7. Birmingham, Alabama: 5.5%
8. Mobile, Alabama: 5.1%
9. St. Petersburg, Florida: 5.1%
10. West Palm Beach, Florida: 4.8%
11. Cleveland, Ohio: 4.5%
12. Dayton, Ohio: 4.3%
13. Indianapolis, Indiana: 4.1%
14. St. Louis, Missouri:4.0%
15. Memphis, Tennesee: 3.7%

What Happens to Abandoned Homes?

Unfortunately when a home is abandoned it’s often left at the mercy of one of these four problems:

Weather

Left on their own a home that is left uncared for through snow, heat, wind and rain will start to show the wear and tear. Whether the heat is cracking roof tiles or the rain gutters have been clogged so moisture is building up in all the wrong places, the weather will break down abandoned homes over time.

Landscape

Surprisingly plants left unchecked can do plenty of damage to abandoned homes. Invasive ivy can take over yards and walls while uncared for trees can die and become a fire hazard. Tall grasses and weeds invite mice and snakes and every neighborhood critter to become a resident of the abandoned property.

Squatters

Empty homes can be a hotspot for crimes and vandalism. Squatters can move in on abandoned properties and leave problems and messes in abandoned homes.

Disrepair

Peeling paint, broken windows and wild, overgrown yards are not uncommon on an abandoned home. Left on their own a home deteriorates quickly and the interior doesn’t fare much better over time.

How to Sell Before Abandoning My House

If you have found yourself in a situation where you have considered abandoning your home rather than deal with the expenses and problems you are currently facing, know that you do have other options. While a traditional buyer would not be interested in purchasing a home that has damage or large repairs needed, a non-traditional home buyer like Gary has the experience and team to take on any property.

Selling your home to a house buying company like us at GaryBuysHouses allows you to save time, money and stress helping you to still make money off your house that is either currently abandoned or might be soon. Gary is ready to make a fast and fair cash offer for your home and is willing to take on properties in any condition. If you are interested in selling your house to Gary then reach out today and have a closing date in as little as 7 days.

Gary does not sell your contract, require inspections or extensive negotiations. He specializes in hassle-free closings and cash offers. If there is no mortgage on the property then Gary could even close in as little as 1 to 2 days.

Working with Gary means getting a check that you can cash right away the day that you meet up about the property. He is serious and motivated to purchase your home and if for any reason Gary doesn’t buy the house, even if it’s your fault, you get to keep the earnest money. Contact Gary about purchasing your property and don’t let it become just another abandoned house.

A condemned house in Utah may occur in due process when certain building codes are in violation of the Utah building code. The home is not safe to live in. If necessary, acting through the proper legal channels, the house may be seized and occupants (if any) are asked to leave until the issues are resolved.

You might know of a condemned house next to you or in your neighborhood. Or you might have inherited a property with some serious building code issues. In either case you might be in situation where you might want to sell that condemned house asap. Today we’ll share everything you need to know about helping you make that decision easier.

What Happens if Your House is Condemned?

When you think of a condemned house the image of a run-down shack with boarded up windows probably comes to mind. While this is often the case, sometimes a home can look nice on the outside but be deemed by a building code inspector as unsafe for living on the inside. A house is condemned when your county building code inspector deems it unfit or unsafe to live in. This process can take some time though. It’s not an over-night process from reporting to condemning a property.

What are Grounds for House Condemnation?

Your home, the house you know of or the house you inherited could be condemned for several reasons including:

• Severe damage from weather or fire damage that compromises the structural integrity of the house.
• The building has been vacant and boarded up for a lengthy period of time with utilities discontinued.
• The building is older and may have been constructed with materials that are no longer considered safe or usable.
• The building has health hazards such as extensive black mold, termite or rodent infestations. Another health hazard that could condemn a house would be if the building was once used to store or manufacture illegal drugs or toxins like a meth house.
• If the home is dilapidated, unhygienic and vacant then the neighbors can form & submit complaints to the county authority that may lead to condemning a house/property. A house that sits vacant in bad condition can encourage squatters or transients to enter making the neighborhood less safe. So it’s in your best interest most times to report houses in this situation sooner than later.
• Often a house or building will be condemned because of repeated housing code violations over the safety of the building.

How to report a house that needs to be condemned

If you know of a house/property that meets condemned standards then here are a few direct links to some Utah counties that will help guide you through the steps to submit your request:

• Salt Lake County Health/House Department
• West Valley City Code Enforcement
• Ogden City Property Code Violations

How to Get Your Property off Condemned Status

In many cases all is not lost once you receive news that your property is condemned. Depending on the circumstances you can work out a plan for renovation and repair with the building authorities. Once the necessary repairs have been made and the home is considered up to code following a full-home inspection then it is possible to reverse the condemned status of your home.

How to Fight Condemned Status

You are able to fight the condemned status of your property. In this instance you would need to attend a condemnation hearing. You may or may not receive a lot of notice but you would need to be present at the hearing after being notified of the date and time by the county Board of Health of SLC county for example.

It’s important to note that for example the Salt Lake County health board says; “Though we often work together to accomplish related goals, health department housing inspectors are not building inspectors, and the health department does not have the legal power to “condemn” a structure. Note that municipal building inspectors may have requirements, beyond those of the health department, before a property can be used or occupied legally.” (source)

At your hearing anyone that is directly affected by the condemnation can speak out against it. If you are able to show that the building is structurally sound or show a plan for specific repairs then you might have a case for saving your home from condemned status.

Bringing in an expert to testify about the specifics of your property can also help at a condemnation hearing. If, at the end of the hearing, the building inspector can prove that the property still poses immediate danger to the tenants or homeowners then vacating the property may be required.

If the home is deemed unsafe but fixable then you can ask the judge to order repairs to avoid condemnation. If you can prove you have the funds to make the repairs and there is no danger to repairmen working on the property then you stand a good chance of avoiding condemned status.

Eminent Domain and Condemned Houses

There are certain cases where a home can become condemned without safety or health issues. A house can be condemned when it is located in an area designate for public use or construction. When this happens public authorities may exercise the power of eminent domain, allowing the government to seize private land.

If you find yourself in this situation then your home would be condemned — marked for demolition because of it’s location not it’s safety — to make way for public projects like roads or facilities.

When eminent domain takes place housing authorities work with owners to come to an agreement and to fairly compensate for the loss of property by offering a payment of the appraised value of the property.

In a case of eminent domain, the housing authority will usually make every reasonable effort to reach an agreement with the property owner.

What is the Process When a House is Condemned?

Condemning a house isn’t something that is taken lightly or done quickly. Usually a house will only reach condemned status when all other steps have failed to improve the safety and condition of the building.

If you are the homeowner you will receive a written notice that the building must be vacated and a sign would be attached to the building notifying others that the property is unsafe.

As the owner of the building you may be ordered to repair or demolish the building so it’s important to reach out and seek legal advice about the best course of action when dealing with a condemned home.

Can You Sell a Condemned Home?

While a traditional buyer would not be interested in purchasing a home that has been condemned, a non-traditional home buyer like Gary has the experience and team to take on a condemned house. If you are hoping to avoiding fighting the condemned status in court, or dealing with the headache that comes with seeking legal help and working with the community and housing authorities about your home then seeking out a house buying company might just be the perfect solution for you. You can save yourself the extensive time and money of repairs and the need to find alternate living conditions while all that work goes on by selling your home to us. Gary is ready to make a fast and fair cash offer for your home and is willing to take on condemned properties (except in the case of eminent domain of course). If you are interested in selling your condemned home to Gary then reach out today and have a closing date in as little as 7 days.

If you are a first-time home buyer and experiencing buyers remorse, you’re not alone. According to Bankrate.com nearly two-thirds, or 63 percent of millennial homeowners surveyed said they had regrets about buying. While some of those regrets can be negotiable with some paint and TLC, there are cases where buyers regret is a more serious issue and you could be in over your head with your mortgage.

Mortgage Trouble and Buyers Remorse

Being a first-time homebuyer isn’t something you are prepared for in high school or even college. Learning how to navigate mortgage shopping and choosing a lender is a key part of the process of buying a home and without the proper education you might have a mortgage you are unhappy with.

You might not be happy with your choice of mortgage lender if:

• You didn’t know to compare mortgage offers.
• You felt pressured into a product that isn’t a good fit for you.
• You’ve had issues with your mortgage servicer.
• You ended up with a mortgage rate that was higher than you could have got elsewhere.

If one of these issues apply to you then you might have a mortgage that is higher than you anticipated and now feels like a 30-year commitment you aren’t ready to take on. If you find yourself in this situation you can look into refinancing your mortgage into a product that fits your budget better. Keep in mind that refinancing means a second set of closing costs and all the legwork of shopping and applying for a new mortgage. If you don’t have the funds to refinance and home ownership is looking more like a ball and chain than the American dream, you always have the option of selling your home.

Financial Burden

According to a Trulia survey 9% of homeowners stated that they wished they had been more financially secure before they decided to buy a home. As a first time homebuyer in the 18-34 age range, that regret nearly doubled at 17%. Perhaps you qualified and can make your mortgage payments but all the unplanned for expenses that come with home ownership have come as a surprise. Purchasing a home means a monthly mortgage and now being financially responsible for the up-keep and fixing of the home. Whether it means purchasing more furniture to fill your space or the unexpected costs of repairing and replacing appliances, a home purchase is more than just the mortgage.

Reviewing finances to tighten up any excessive spending and to find ways to save can help ease the financial burden you’re experiencing. Paying off any low-balance debts to cut excess debt from your budget and refinancing a high car payment can help. If you look over the budget and realize that cutting extra expenses aren’t going to cut it in making your financial situation any better, then selling your home could give you more time to plan for a different future home purchase.

Buyers Remorse after Buying a House in a Bad Neighborhood

Perhaps you had to do your house shopping from out-of-state or maybe what looked like a pristine neighborhood was actually a house with loud, up-all-night-neighbors instead. Unfortunately what looked good on paper might not be so great in reality. If your buyers remorse goes beyond losing that new-home infatuation and you find yourself in a less-than-ideal neighborhood you might feel stuck in your new home purchase. According to a Trulia survey, 15% of homebuyers wish they had known more about their home or neighborhood before they moved in, so finding out the truth after the house has been bought isn’t as uncommon as you might think.

Buyers Remorse Due to Job Loss

Buying your first home is often an event you spend a lot of time and money preparing for. Purchasing the home requires you to put thousands of dollars down from your savings for a downpayment, not to mention all of the extra purchases that can come with buying your first home. When you experience job loss not long after buying your first home, buyers remorse is a very real thing. What seemed like a great new adventure can fill you with a sense of dread, not knowing how long it will take to find a new job or if the new job will require moving. With much of your savings tied up in your home purchase it’s easy to feel unsettling buyers remorse when your big purchase came at bad timing. Working with your lender or putting your home on the market are viable options if you don’t want to liquidate your savings while you are unemployed.

What To Do About Buyers Remorse

If you’re dealing with buyers remorse for any of the reasons above then you know the solution isn’t as simple as painting the living room a different color or landscaping the backyard. These concerns are valid and can affect your financial future and tie you down to a house in a bad situation if you don’t take action. While each situation can have various remedies to ease the buyers remorse, the reality is that sometimes the best solution is to simply sell the home. This can be a difficult decision, especially as first-time home owners, but it doesn’t have to mean expensive closing costs, or the added stress of showing your home and hoping for contracts to go through. Gary with Gary Buys Houses, is a non-traditional home buyer exclusively for Utah residents and land owners. He can give you a fair offer on your home in a fraction of the time it would take to sell your home normally.

Gary is a direct cash buyer, he makes the offer and you don’t need to worry about inspections or negotiations or backup buyers. He specializes in hassle-free closing that can be done in as little as fast as 5 days. If you need some time to locate new housing and get your family settled then Gary also offers a cash now, sell later program. With this option you can sell your house to Gary now and stay in the home rent free while you use the money to find a new place to live. The financial and stressful burden of your home will be removed while you still maintain ownership of your home until closing in 2 to 3 months.

Short sales — when a lender works with borrowers in financial trouble to sell their homes for less than their unpaid mortgage– account for a small percentage of home sales each year. If you have found yourself dealing with divorce, death, medical emergencies or job loss then you could be in a situation where you need to work with your bank to put your home up for a short sale.

One of the first things a lender will require is for the homeowner  to write a letter providing proof of their financial hardship along with documentation to back up your claim. You can visit our other article following for the in’s and out’s of the best things to do when writing that short sale hardship letter. For a list of things you do NOT want to include in a hardship short sale letter, read below.

1- Keep it Brief

More words won’t necessarily help your cause. An effective short sale hardship letter should be kept to one type written page. With the recent pandemic putting more people out of work your lender might be dealing with a higher-than-normal amount of short sale letters. Don’t get yours shoved to the bottom of the pile because it is long-winded and overly wordy. Lenders don’t need your life story, they need a clear and concise description of the hardship you’re facing, an explanation of how you’ve tried to solve the problem and why the short sale is the only realistic option for you.

2- Don’t Make it Hopeful

A short sale hardship letter is in effect a persuasive letter to negotiate a short sale because you cannot make your mortgage payments. When you invite some hope in to your letter — for example, implying that you believe the financial troubles will only be temporary — then the bank is not likely to approve your short sale. You might have hope that your finances will improve soon but your lender will not move forward with a short sale if your situation is only temporary. Banks approve these types of sales when it is clear that the financial situation of the homeowner won’t improve any time soon and that a short sale is a better option than letting the property fall into inevitable foreclosure.

3- Don’t Write Too Soon

4- Don’t Mention Any Available Outside Money

5- Don’t Write About Questionable Activities

If any part of your financial hardship is related to gambling, drugs or alcohol or jail time you’re not going to have an easy time convincing the lender to work with you. The lenders are more willing to consider short sales if the homeowner has been responsible, can show they are trying to pay their debts but have no other recourse than a short sale. When a lender receives several letters asking for a short sale, the letters that need help due to job loss or medical emergencies are more likely to get approved.

6- Don’t Blame Your Lender

A hardship short sale letter should not be the place to point fingers and list all your grievances with people, the economy, your boss or anyone else who has wronged you and led to your financial situation. Sending anger and blame to your lender is a definite no-no if you’re asking for help and consideration. Even if you do feel frustrated or wronged by your lender, don’t use your letter to express yourself in that way. Keep your details factual and without negative emotion to be seriously considered for a short sale.

7- Don’t Just Use a Short Sale Hardship Template

Your short sale letter won’t be read by a robot so don’t use a one-size-fits-all template to appeal your case. You are writing to a human being, describing your unique situation and your letter should reflect that. Templates however can be very helpful tools. They let you know the format for your letter and can give you an idea of how to write one and how long they should be. Short sale hardship templates should not be used as your actual letter by copying and pasting in your name and the banks name.

If you don’t know where you start you can check out our template, but remember to use it as an example and reference, not as a word-for-word guide for your own letter.

Final Tips For a Successful Hardship Short Sale Letter

When writing your letter focus on being brief, clear and concise. Clearly state your claim and provide proof of how circumstances are beyond your control and how there is no hope of your situation turning around quickly. Always be truthful and professional. A hardship letter can be considered a legally binding document after all.

According to data collected by the Labor Department, U.S. employers shed nearly 30 million jobs from payrolls this spring due to covid-19 pandemic and the economic shutdowns that went with it. If you were part of that staggering number of newly unemployed or you have lost your job due to other reasons, you have felt the stress of not knowing what to do with your home when facing unemployment. If you haven’t been able to get back on your feet and you aren’t able to pay for your mortgage and other expenses, what can you do?

Unemployment Benefits

To supplement your income while you search for a job your first step could be to look into applying for unemployment. If you have lost your income due to the coronavirus then even independent contractors and other workers who are ordinarily ineligible for unemployment benefits might qualify under the CARES Act signed into law by President Trump in March of 2020. Contact your state’s unemployment office for information on qualifying for and receiving unemployment.

While this income can help, it is not going to cover the amount of money that your salary was. Unemployment benefits also do not cover health insurance so keep in mind that if you cancel your health insurance you are running the risk of wracking up expensive health bills if an emergency does come up during your unemployment.

Budgeting your unemployment money while searching for a new job is one option that can help you to keep your home while you search for a new job.

Mortgage Helps

For the average American, the largest expense is their housing. The typical mortgage makes up approximately 18-30% of a family’s income. Paying a mortgage is often the top concern for homeowners dealing with job loss. The good news is that there are some options that could help you to cover your mortgage payments.

If you reach out to your lender to let them know about your job loss then they can sometimes work with you. In certain situations lenders may be willing to refinance for a lower payment, temporarily accept partial payments or even suspend the mortgage for a few months. If your lender is unwilling to work with you on your mortgage then reaching out to community groups, nonprofits and churches might have emergency funds to help you in the short-term.

Selling Your House due to Covid

If you’ve reached the point where the first two options aren’t enough to get you by and you still can’t cover your expenses then you might need to sell your house. Selling a house due to covid job loss situations can be a big undertaking in the best of times but facing this type of upheaval on the heels of a job loss can make putting your home on the market extra stressful.

One option is to consider downsizing and finding a smaller home with a smaller mortgage. If you had equity in your home then the sale could free up some cash that could help you make ends meet until you are employed again.

There is no average time it takes for a person to find a new job and when looking in the middle of a pandemic there are no easy ways to predict how long you could be unemployed. Choosing to sell your home can help you to save as much money as possible while you work towards a steady income.

Selling Your Home Quickly

Working with a realtor might not be an option if your time and money is extra tight due to your situation. If you need to sell your house fast and without the closing costs, fees or commissions then you might want to work with your local Utah house buyer at Gary Buys Houses.

Non-traditional house buyers like Gary are ready to buy houses from people like you who need help asap.  The process is straightforward and simple. Reach out to Gary via the website or by calling or texting 801-382-9199. We are happy to answer any questions or even make an offer over the phone. We schedule a time to meet at your home and discuss your needs and present you with a fair written offer. We then can close at a local reputable title company, getting the cash in your hands in as little as 2 days. With us you can trust that your home will be purchased in as-is condition, no extra stress and money on repairs AND no fees or closing costs.

Need More Time?

Moving is a big upheaval, especially if you have a family to think about.  If you need to sell your home quickly but you haven’t worked out where you will go next, or you need a month or two to wrap up the kids school year before starting somewhere new, then we also offer a Cash Now, Sell Later program. You can sell to Gary Buys Houses now and stay in your home RENT FREE while you use the money you got to find your new home. You can also close on your home 2-3 months from now, you’ll get the security of knowing your house is sold while still maintaining ownership of the house. Still need more flexibility? Contact Gary and work out a solution for your situation.