Fix to Live: buy the fixer-upper, finance the fix, and live in it.

It's a home loan that finances two things at once: the purchase of the home and the cost of the repairs. Instead of buying the house, then scrambling for a separate way to pay for the work, the home and the fix are handled in one loan that covers the purchase and the repairs.

That depends on you, the home, and the lender — there are different renovation loan programs available, and we work with at least three or four lenders who provide different options for buyers fixing a home to keep and live in. The right fit gets confirmed with the lenders, not guessed at on a website. Call us at 805-790-0020 and we'll connect you, so you can compare real programs and terms.

Fix to Live is built for buyers who plan to live in the home while they fix it up — that's the whole idea. If you're buying to fix and flip, or fix and invest, the financing is different: hard money lending or investor loans, handled by third-party mortgage brokers who specialize in that type of financing. Ask us and we'll point you the right way.

Which repairs a given loan will cover is set by the program and the lender — we help you build the list, and the lender confirms what fits.

An experienced contractor who can provide an honest, competitive bid and who understands how the renovation loan program works. Not every contractor is approved for this program, and not every contractor is willing to work under it — so the contractor is part of the conversation before you commit to a purchase, not an afterthought. We can suggest a contractor we know is reputable, who understands the dynamics of this program and can offer different levels of renovation based on your budget — but you are not required to use our contractor. We're happy to work with your own contractor.

Our contractor will provide an estimate of the renovation cost for a fee. That fee is set by the contractor and is not negotiated by us. If you go forward with that specific property, the fee you paid to quote the renovation cost for that property is credited toward any signed contract with that contractor. No fee amount is stated here — the contractor quotes it directly.

Before you commit, we get a quick estimate of what the renovations will cost and check whether there's enough equity in the purchase for it to make sense. For example: if a home's after-repair value is $1,000,000 and the renovation is about $100,000, you should buy at a price where you're not overpaying — and where the lender and the new loan can cover the purchase plus the work. (Illustrative example only, to show how the check works.)

No. In no case will we solicit any compensation from lenders for referring this business. If there is a fee associated with brokering a loan, it would be disclosed — and in 99% of cases, as your buyer's agent, we do not benefit from any of those lender relationships.

Yes — some buyers want hand-holding after closing: meeting with the contractor, helping coordinate the contractor in charge of the build, and choosing finishes and colors. We may charge a fee after closing for that service. It typically begins with a consultation before we start finding homes for you to buy, so everything is agreed up front.

Yes. Fix to Live as presented here is specific to California properties and is governed by California law. It is a Ventura County program — covering every city in the county, not just the city of Ventura — and it is also available in other California counties. Ask us about your area.

Close cousin — if you are selling a home that needs work, start with We Sell Ugly Homes Too, which covers selling as-is, selling off-market, selling to investors, or fixing it up first with eXp Ready™. You can also see the Smart Seller Program. eXp Ready is a pay-at-close home-preparation program of up to $50,000 with no monthly payments; nothing is due until your home closes or 12 months pass, whichever comes first; you pick any vendor; it is a loan made by Notable Finance, LLC or Quorum Federal Credit Union — not by eXp Realty and not by us — subject to credit approval and underwriting; if your home has not sold within 12 months you can request an extension or a payment plan; if you take the home off the market the loan must be repaid. See We Sell Ugly Homes Too for full details.