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Sterling White
Pro Member
  • Rental Property Investor
  • Indianapolis, IN
153
Votes |
554
Posts

What is stopping you from making your first deal?

Sterling White
Pro Member
  • Rental Property Investor
  • Indianapolis, IN
Posted Jul 30 2016, 12:50

Hi Everyone, I am looking for obstacles that are holding investors back from accomplishing their first deal. Leave some comments below and I will do my best to offer insight. -Thanks for your input Sterling.

Other experienced investors are more than welcome to chime in as well.

User Stats

50
Posts
29
Votes
William Mccurdy
  • Fayetteville, NC
29
Votes |
50
Posts
William Mccurdy
  • Fayetteville, NC
Replied Jul 30 2016, 13:09

Waiting the month on closing to finish. 😭😭😭 I'm so motivated to start 😂😂😂

User Stats

11
Posts
6
Votes
Josh L.
  • Round Rock, TX
6
Votes |
11
Posts
Josh L.
  • Round Rock, TX
Replied Jul 30 2016, 13:49

Currently just waiting to save up cash for reserves and a down payment, but it won't be too long now that I have zero debts.

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50
Posts
51
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Rob McGahen
  • Pensacola, FL
51
Votes |
50
Posts
Rob McGahen
  • Pensacola, FL
Replied Jul 30 2016, 13:51

My wife...

User Stats

26
Posts
7
Votes
Neil Browne
  • Real Estate Professional
  • Tarrytown, NY
7
Votes |
26
Posts
Neil Browne
  • Real Estate Professional
  • Tarrytown, NY
Replied Jul 30 2016, 13:54

Mine is finding funding on an NOO multi family house in Tarrytown NY

User Stats

554
Posts
153
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Sterling White
Pro Member
  • Rental Property Investor
  • Indianapolis, IN
153
Votes |
554
Posts
Sterling White
Pro Member
  • Rental Property Investor
  • Indianapolis, IN
Replied Jul 30 2016, 13:59

Thanks you guys for the input. How is your wife stopping you, @Rob McGahen

Are you looking to own the multi-family outright yourself, @Neil Browne? You may be able to structure the deal to where you do not have to come out of pocket to fund the deal.

User Stats

17
Posts
11
Votes
Glenn Wilkins
  • Blue Springs, MO
11
Votes |
17
Posts
Glenn Wilkins
  • Blue Springs, MO
Replied Jul 30 2016, 14:17

I'm a wholesaler. And the thing that is holding me back from making my 1st deal is finding the discounted and distressed property owners.

User Stats

130
Posts
110
Votes
Charlie John
  • Investor
  • Twin Cities, MN
110
Votes |
130
Posts
Charlie John
  • Investor
  • Twin Cities, MN
Replied Jul 30 2016, 14:20

Fear = False Evidence Appeaing Real

User Stats

205
Posts
47
Votes
Jared Smith
  • Medford, MA
47
Votes |
205
Posts
Jared Smith
  • Medford, MA
Replied Jul 30 2016, 14:24

My biggest struggles are locating deals in the neighborhoods near where I live for my price point. (Greater Boston Area). By finding deals I mean finding and understanding how to analyze them appropriately. Currently I'm reading many books but the targets in my price point don't seem to be available.

User Stats

554
Posts
153
Votes
Sterling White
Pro Member
  • Rental Property Investor
  • Indianapolis, IN
153
Votes |
554
Posts
Sterling White
Pro Member
  • Rental Property Investor
  • Indianapolis, IN
Replied Jul 30 2016, 14:33

What type of marketing are you doing @Glenn Wilkins? There's direct mail, bandit signs, fsbo's, door knocking. Its a numbers game. 

Are you saying the entry price points are too high, @Jared Smith

User Stats

67
Posts
24
Votes
Antonio Artusa
  • Rental Property Investor
  • Oakalla, TX
24
Votes |
67
Posts
Antonio Artusa
  • Rental Property Investor
  • Oakalla, TX
Replied Jul 30 2016, 14:37

Fear and analysis paralysis.

User Stats

50
Posts
51
Votes
Rob McGahen
  • Pensacola, FL
51
Votes |
50
Posts
Rob McGahen
  • Pensacola, FL
Replied Jul 30 2016, 15:06

@Sterling White My wife is just nervous about doing something along these lines. Plus, we just bought a SFH, so money is tight anyways...

Account Closed
  • West Farmington, OH
1
Votes |
2
Posts
Account Closed
  • West Farmington, OH
Replied Jul 30 2016, 15:51

Fear. I am struggling to find private money lenders, and the rehab I've identified has great profit margins, but will take longer than the time allowed with the hard money lender I'm approved with to complete the rehab and sell the house. 

User Stats

16
Posts
6
Votes
Steve Gunasingh
  • Military(Navy)
  • Olympia, WA
6
Votes |
16
Posts
Steve Gunasingh
  • Military(Navy)
  • Olympia, WA
Replied Jul 30 2016, 16:30

I have $10 k saved but I have no idea where to start. I am in the military so I am constantly moving. I wish I could passively invest with someone as a partner.

User Stats

205
Posts
47
Votes
Jared Smith
  • Medford, MA
47
Votes |
205
Posts
Jared Smith
  • Medford, MA
Replied Jul 30 2016, 16:35

@Sterling White Yes I believe the entry price points are too high. From what I can tell after viewing 25 properties in person, and also looking for hundreds on sites like Zillow, redfin etc. Bedrooms rents for about 750-1200. While this is high in my opinion the cost of obtaining duplexs for example are around 500-750k.

User Stats

8
Posts
9
Votes
Andre Cummings
  • Red Springs, NC
9
Votes |
8
Posts
Andre Cummings
  • Red Springs, NC
Replied Jul 30 2016, 16:54

My goals are Fix /Flip and rentals. I need more knowledge, what's a great source to study from? There's a lot of junk out there mainly high pitches/sales pitches.

User Stats

26
Posts
7
Votes
Neil Browne
  • Real Estate Professional
  • Tarrytown, NY
7
Votes |
26
Posts
Neil Browne
  • Real Estate Professional
  • Tarrytown, NY
Replied Jul 30 2016, 17:54

Not trying to one out of pocket. The rental rates here are great. My credit is less than stellar? And hard money will loan 60-70 percent need to find the rest.

User Stats

7
Posts
2
Votes
Tom Carroll
  • Green Bay, WI
2
Votes |
7
Posts
Tom Carroll
  • Green Bay, WI
Replied Jul 30 2016, 18:33

I'm part way thru my first deal right now - 3 building 14 units.  Accepted offer of $450,000; financing in place; appraised value at $420,000 due in part to excessively low tax assessment (20 years since the last tax assessment raise).  On the surface it appeared to need only minor repairs and one roof.  I could drop up to $15,000 in repairs and it would still cash flow $6,000 a year assuming an expense rate of 55%.

During the inspection it was discovered that the roof I thought needed to be replaced has 4 layers of shingles, a crappy repair job around the chimney flashing, and we're pretty sure most (if not all) of the sheathing is damaged.  That building has individual gas space heaters in each unit and they are all venting into the same (unlined) chimney along with the gas hot water heaters, there is a second chimney that will need to be seriously rebuilt or removed.  The second building needs a new roof, it's hvac exhaust is missing a two foot section in the attic, and the gutters are draining wrong so the foundation is being washed out.  The third building has 4 jack stands in a 10 square foot area supporting a crushed pole (and some wood rot on the outside staircases but that's an easy fix).

Rough math says between $30-40,000 in repairs once you add in all the minor stuff.  Even at $30,000 in repairs the deal no longer makes sense with a $450,000 purchase price.  Even if I thought it would still work my lender almost had kittens when he saw the inspection report.  Seller thinks he's giving me the deal of a lifetime right now and doesn't want to negotiate.

This is what's been stopping me from completing my first deal.  I have no desire to fix and flip/hold as my schedule doesn't really allow for dealing with the rehab so I need properties that are in decent shape.  Most of the properties that fall into that category in my area are way over priced for multi-family (duplexes and up) or in need of too much rehab (and still overpriced)

User Stats

190
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64
Votes
Patrick Shawn Faherty
  • Fredericksburg, VA
64
Votes |
190
Posts
Patrick Shawn Faherty
  • Fredericksburg, VA
Replied Jul 30 2016, 18:39

Uncertainty of how to get to the funds to make a down payment (HELOC vs IRA LLC vs solo-401k. Still doing lots of reading and listening to podcasts, etc. also trying to decide what market. I'm leaning towards a turn-key property.

User Stats

2
Posts
4
Votes
Jarett Bragg
  • Trenton, NJ
4
Votes |
2
Posts
Jarett Bragg
  • Trenton, NJ
Replied Jul 30 2016, 18:44

My credit and no money for down payment. I want to buy a 2 or 3 family house for less than 100k in Trenton, NJ.. Everything seem so overwhelming right now. I don't know where to start.

User Stats

118
Posts
61
Votes
Armando Payano
  • Developer
  • Tampa, FL
61
Votes |
118
Posts
Armando Payano
  • Developer
  • Tampa, FL
Replied Jul 30 2016, 19:38

Not sure if this applies to the info your compiling but what the heck....

We are searching in the 1-1.5mm price range. What is stopping us from making our first MULTI-FAMILY deal? (We own several other single unit investment properties and prepared to scale up)

First it took some time for us to get to a point where we knew we had earned the experience necessary to acquire such an investment. Entirely different ball game.

Here is the issue we face. Inventory and yield. Currently in our target market, Tampa, there is a lack of inventory in this price range that supports such a low yield. Cap rates are in the 6-8 range for the buildings that fit our criteria.  

Our model will only allow us to buy in C areas. A few we've looked at are D- areas and asking C+ prices. So what we are doing is studying different strategy's to add value but haven't found any that we can. In a few the value has already been added and is priced in by the seller. Although there is always the "potential upside in rents" broker statement. We know enough to to know that it's a red flag if any owner adds value and doesn't capitalize on it.

At these percentages we just have to be more patient and stick to our plan. So now we are looking to add a small multi family 4-10 units to our portfolio as there seems to be more opportunities in that space. 

Any suggestions/comments are always appreciated.

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617
Posts
456
Votes
Karen O.
  • NYC, NY
456
Votes |
617
Posts
Karen O.
  • NYC, NY
Replied Jul 30 2016, 19:43

Deciding on the right direction.  And Location, Location, Location. 

My interests include fix/flip, buy & hold, as HMLer or a note buyer.  

I noticed that other ppl from the NY metro area are having similar issues as they all probably know, it costs a mint to break into the NY metro markets in the areas I listed above unless you have a fairly large bank or access to a bank.  Finding an alternative location within 1 hour is proving elusive too.  

Still looking though.  And hopeful that something will pop.  

User Stats

17
Posts
11
Votes
Glenn Wilkins
  • Blue Springs, MO
11
Votes |
17
Posts
Glenn Wilkins
  • Blue Springs, MO
Replied Jul 30 2016, 20:09

Sterling White Starting out I don't have much of a marketing budget. So I've been using Craigslist, Redfin and Zillow. And I am working with a couple of Agents. But I'm still working on making my first deal.

User Stats

554
Posts
153
Votes
Sterling White
Pro Member
  • Rental Property Investor
  • Indianapolis, IN
153
Votes |
554
Posts
Sterling White
Pro Member
  • Rental Property Investor
  • Indianapolis, IN
Replied Jul 30 2016, 20:26

Are you able to pay more for a more reputable crew to get the job done quicker, @Account Closed. Out of those 4 you suggested above if you could only choose one model to start out with which one would it be?

User Stats

18
Posts
11
Votes
Sammie J. Bell
  • Shreveport, LA
11
Votes |
18
Posts
Sammie J. Bell
  • Shreveport, LA
Replied Jul 30 2016, 20:30

I'm was a renter, now I am waiting to close on my first home/first BRRRR investment. It's a work in progress, but I'm getting there!

User Stats

617
Posts
456
Votes
Karen O.
  • NYC, NY
456
Votes |
617
Posts
Karen O.
  • NYC, NY
Replied Jul 30 2016, 20:42
Originally posted by @Sterling White:

Sounds like you're stretching yourself in various directions @Karen O.. Out of those 4 you suggested above if you could only choose one model to start out with which one would it be?

I'm sure you're right Sterling. There's something to be said for each. HML and Note buying are probably the least appealing because they are passive and I'd probably want to pursue those with a SDIRA which I don't have at this time. So F/F and B&H are running neck and neck. But if pressed, I'd say F/F would be my first wish. And the goal would be to use the net profits to buy B&H rental properties.