I got a listing on a church. It is a furnished church (complete with robes and bibles). It was rezoned last year to be residential. I have a letter from the city stating this to be so. My question is --- Do I list it residential or commercial. If I list it residential it wont get the exposure that I need it to. Im thinking Im wanting to list it commercial and put in notes that it has been rezoned. Im worried about getting fined for that.

Why did it get rezoned from commercial to residential if they were trying to sell it?Were they having a hard time selling it as a church and thought they would have better luck selling as a residential property?What is everything zoned around it?

You will have to check your state mls rules about that because every listing service is different from state to state.Usually the re commission and mls services aren't the mafia they will usually just give a warning amd ask that it be changed before they fine you.

It's better to get it right and not have to go through fixing something though.

The real question you have to ask is the property being a church it's highest and best possible use?Sometimes you have to change the use of something when it's no longer in demand for the area to be able to sell it.Most purchasers of churches are non-profit corporations.

Good luck without being there and seeing the area directly and looking at potential uses it's difficult to judge.

Its an old church, built in 1940. Its highest and best possible use would definetly be a church although it is surrounded by residential. The seller said he had it FSBO and was getting a lot of bites to make it a half-way house. Im wondering if a potential buyer could finance it with a residential loan and still keep it a church. If so, that would be an ace to putting in comments that it is zoned residential.

Bella,

In response to your PM regarding financing on this property.

Residential financing is available. But, if the interior is not setup like a residential house then there are going to be problems. I had one and if it is still setup as a church and only a church it will not meet residential/mixed use program guidelines and will have to close with commercial financing. Even if it is setup as a residential home in the interior you will run into problems with it's uniqueness. However, I did close one using FHA.