--- title: "Selling a House with Major Repairs in NJ, PA & MD | Nicolas Abitbol" description: "House needs a roof, foundation work, or major mechanicals in NJ, PA or MD? I buy as-is with cash, no repairs required, no appraisal delays. Nicolas Abitbol." url: "https://nicolasabitbol.com/major-repairs.html" last_updated: 2026-05-11 --- # House needs everything. **Roof gone, foundation cracked, boiler on its last season, you know what needs to happen and you know conventional buyers can't get financing on it. I buy houses in this exact condition across New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Maryland, without requiring a single repair before closing.** --- You know the house needs work. You've known for years. The estimates that came back made your stomach drop, and the listing agent who walked it started talking about price reductions before they finished the tour. Here's why retail won't work: A house that needs major repairs, roof replacement, foundation work, full HVAC overhaul, electrical rewiring, is not a house that sells on the open market through normal channels. Retail buyers using conventional or FHA financing run into hard walls: appraisers are required to flag material defects under their respective guidelines, and lenders cannot close on a property that doesn't meet minimum property standards. The result is a deal that either falls apart after weeks of wasted time, or a seller forced to make expensive repairs they can't afford just to complete the transaction. Neither outcome is good. The houses that need the most work are typically the ones that have been in the same family the longest, and the sellers in those situations are often the least equipped to manage a renovation before selling. Elderly owners, out-of-state heirs, landlords who deferred everything, these situations call for a buyer who can price the repairs accurately and close without conditions. That's what I do. My offer reflects a real repair cost estimate, not a guess, and there are no inspection contingencies that let me re-trade later. ## What I do differently. Before I give you a number, I walk the property. I'm not sending a third-party inspector who generates a report I'll use against you later, I look at the house myself and price what I see. My offer is based on my actual repair cost estimate, not a range, and the price I offer is the price I close at. ## Mistakes I see **Listing on the MLS and hoping a buyer figures it out.** A house needing major structural or mechanical work listed at retail price will get showings, maybe an offer, then the buyer switches to FHA, the appraiser flags the roof, the deal dies, and your property is now 60 days stale with a falling reputation. Retail buyers and their agents are not equipped for this situation. The days on market you burn hurt your negotiating position with the next buyer. **Getting repair estimates and trying to do the work yourself first.** Sellers with major repair needs sometimes try to tackle the most visible problem, new roof, fresh HVAC, to qualify for conventional financing. The result is often a renovation that costs more than planned, takes longer than expected, and still doesn't satisfy an FHA appraiser who finds a second problem underneath the first. Partial repairs don't move the needle; only full rehabilitation does. If you're not in the renovation business, let me handle it. **Accepting a cash offer from someone who still uses an inspection contingency to re-trade.** Not every cash buyer is a real cash buyer. Wholesalers and some investors use an inspection period as a second negotiation: they sign at your number, then come back two weeks later with a list of "new findings" and a revised price 15% lower. By that point, you've been off market for two weeks and feel stuck. My offer is based on my own assessment of the property, I don't use an open-ended inspection contingency to walk back a number I already agreed to. --- ## FAQ **Q: Will a conventional or FHA buyer be able to purchase a house needing major repairs?** A: Usually not. FHA appraisers use HUD's General Acceptability Criteria under Handbook 4150.2, which requires the property to be safe, sound, and sanitary. A roof with less than three years of life expectancy, non-functioning HVAC, foundation concerns, or exposed wiring will generate a required-repair condition, and if you can't or won't make those repairs, the loan is denied. Conventional lenders apply similar standards. I use cash, so none of those standards apply. **Q: Do I have to disclose all the repair issues?** A: Yes, and I want you to. New Jersey's Seller's Property Condition Disclosure Statement, Pennsylvania's Real Estate Seller Disclosure Law (68 Pa. C.S. ยง 7301 et seq.), and Maryland's Residential Property Disclosure Form all require written disclosure of known material defects. I price for what I know about. Full disclosure protects both of us and keeps the closing clean. **Q: How bad can the condition be?** A: I've bought houses with full roof replacements needed, failed foundations requiring underpinning, knob-and-tube wiring throughout, no working heat source, collapsed sewer laterals, and structural walls with serious deterioration. The severity of the issue affects my number, not my willingness to buy. **Q: Should I get repair estimates before calling you?** A: It's helpful but not required. If you have contractor estimates, I'll factor them in. If you don't, I'll walk the property and price based on what I see. I'll tell you exactly what I'm pricing in and why, there are no hidden adjustments made after we've agreed on a number. **Q: Can you close if there's still a mortgage on the property?** A: Yes. The existing mortgage gets paid off from the proceeds at closing, just like any standard sale. The title company coordinates the payoff with your lender. The only complication is if you owe more than the property is worth, that's a short sale, which I also handle, but it takes longer and requires lender approval.