Enter your income, home size, and renovation scope. See which St. Louis neighborhoods offer you a genuinely equivalent home on both paths — within 5% of the same total cost. Real MARIS data by zip code and square footage. FHA, VA, and conventional math built in.
Step 1 — Your Situation
Base rate — renovation loans add premium
Loan Type
Step 2 — Renovation Scope (Fixer Upper Path)
Estimated Renovation Budget$0
Step 3 — Fixer Upper Financing Path
📊 What This Financing Decision Actually Costs You
Move-In Ready
Buy it. Live in it.
Fixer Upper
Same total cost, different path
Guide Coming Soon
Renovation Loans in St. Louis: FHA 203k vs. HomeStyle — What Actually Works Here
FHA 203k Streamlined (cosmetic, max $35K), FHA 203k Standard (structural, any scope), and Fannie Mae HomeStyle (conventional, 5% down, no MIP) — written from personal experience using a renovation loan to buy our first home. What lenders actually require, what the draw schedule looks like, and the mistake most buyers make on renovation scope before they close.
The Full Guide
Fixer Upper vs. Move-In Ready in St. Louis: The Real Math by Neighborhood
Renovation costs, financing paths (HomeStyle, FHA 203k, conventional), neighborhood comparison, and when the fixer upper math actually works — and when it doesn't.
