If you had $150k where would you start?

Question

Hello everyone, I’m looking to get into real estate investing. I live in Tampa Florida. I am a husband and a father to 3 children. I work 40 hours a week usually from 4pm -12am. I’m 37 and I’m wanting to do real estate full time eventually(if it takes 5-10 years, that’s fine).

So my question is, if you were in my shoes, where would you start if you had $150 cash with good credit?

I love the idea of flipping houses and I love finding good deals. I’ve been bouncing back and forth between markets like Chattanooga with higher appreciation, and markets like Birmingham with more cash flow. Im truly open to any suggestions and any markets (I chose those because of proximity to Florida).

Thank you in advance for any advice.

River Sava · Answer

Hi Tyler,

Welcome to BP. I'm based in Tampa and am happy to connect.

I also have family in Chatanoogo and originally from AL, so I can help when it comes to those markets. However, if this is your first flip/investment it typically is easier to do something local and then expand to further markets. Feel free to send me a DM if you want to chat further.

Josh Green · Answer

If you’re looking to buy and hold and get all 3 benefits that’s the way to go.  If you just want to build your cash reserves then flipping is the way but just be careful - that too takes a lot of work and research to make sure you don’t lose money.  There’s not a ton of margin to play with these days when you’re financing everything on a flip on hard money loans.  Just for example, if you buy a single family home to flip at $300k and your rehab budget is $70k (which isn’t a ton - very easy to hit that amount) your ARV is definitely going to need to be above $500k to make any profit/make it worth doing at all.  That spread is hard to come by as many wholesalers grossly overestimate the ARV and undershoot the rehab. But you should be doing the number crunching yourself and not rely on someone else especially the person selling you the property. ✌️ (and don’t forget to calculate short term capital gains tax - that’s why I prefer passive income over flipping)

Jorge Vazquez · Answer

Tyler,

Within my 20 years of experience as a landlord, if I had $150k and good credit, I’d focus on either flips for fast capital or rentals for long-term cash flow—trying both at once can slow you down. Since you're already in Tampa, staying local for your first few deals can help you stay hands-on and learn faster. Flipping works well if you’ve got solid contractor connections, while rentals (like single-family homes) can be great with a BRRRR approach. Reinvest profits, stay patient, and keep building toward replacing your income. I'm here to help if you need any guidance along the way.

Mya Toohey · Answer

OMG HIIIIIII!!!!!!!  I am in the Tampa Area also, actually Saint Pete.  We need to connect!!!  I would love to help you in any way that I can in your new adventure.  We should discuss maybe partnering on a flip if you want to!!! We have 20 years of experience and are always looking for investors to work with.  Lets grab coffee next week and brainstorm!

Nick Velez · Answer

@Tyler Magee

Hey Tyler, with you being in Tampa and have 150k to play with, the possibilities are endless! There are so many strategies you can deploy depending on your goals going forward.

The Tampa Bay area can really be the best of both worlds in terms of appreciation and cash flow, as long as you execute correctly. I will add that you definitely do not need to be near your investments, but it makes things a lot easier when you first start off.

I HIGHLY suggest you connect with a local expert such as @Josh Green. He is regarded as the STR expert in the area but he has used every strategy in the book, and should be able to point you in the right direction based on your goals!

If you had $150k where would you start?

Most Popular Reply