Welcome In. Pull Up a Chair.

[Joshua Hardin]

For those I haven't met yet, I'm Joshua, although you'll probably see me around here as Sarge. 

Army veteran, husband, dad, homesteader, real estate investor, and probably most importantly, still a student.

I've spent a lot of time learning that real estate isn't something we ever completely "figure out."

We take reps. It takes time. It requires patience, and trust and faith.. But that doesn't mean it'll always unfold how we imagine it and that's the GOLD.

We analyze deals. Ask questions. Meet lenders. Talk with agents. Learn from contractors. Build relationships. Make offers. Occasionally get something completely wrong, dust ourselves off, and carry what we learned into the next opportunity.

So, for anyone joining this community wondering where you're supposed to begin, here's something I wish more people had told me early:

You don't have to know everything before you participate.

^Read that line again...^

It's easy to scroll through an investor community and think everyone else already knows what they're doing.

Someone owns 100 doors.

Someone else, just closed another flip.

Another someone raises millions in private capital.

Meanwhile, you might be sitting there wondering what DSCR means or whether your first deal analysis is even remotely correct.

Ask.

Seriously.

That's how we learn, ALL OF US!

Opportunity often follows participation.

Analyze the property even if you don't buy it. Ask the lender how they arrived at their terms. Walk the house with the contractor and ask why they're estimating what they're estimating. Let another investor challenge your numbers.

And when something doesn't work, don't immediately throw the entire experience into the "failure" bucket.

Process it.

Maybe the property didn't pencil, but you learned something about underwriting.

Maybe your offer wasn't accepted, but you built a relationship with an agent.

Maybe financing fell apart, but you learned what lenders actually need from you.

Maybe someone simply told you, "No."

Good.

Now you have more information than you had yesterday.

That's data.

Use it.

Real estate isn't about finding some magical perfect deal where nothing can possibly go wrong. We're working with properties, markets, financing, contractors and people. Variables move.

Our responsibility is to learn how to move responsibly with them.

Sometimes that means moving forward.

Sometimes it means adjusting the strategy.

Sometimes good stewardship means walking away completely.

All of those are reps.

And none of us need to take those reps alone.

That's one reason I enjoy communities like this. The person asking their first question today may eventually teach something to the investor who's been doing this for twenty years.

We all see through different lenses.

So if you're new here, welcome.

Tell us who you are.

Tell us what you're learning.

Tell us what you're trying to build.

And don't worry about making the perfect introduction or asking the perfect question.

Pull up a chair and participate.

I'll do the same.

I'm still learning, still growing, still building relationships and still figuring plenty of this out alongside everyone else.

That's where opportunity gets interesting.

Glad you're here.

Sarge

[James Jones]

Quote from @Kacey Betts:

Quote from @James Jones:

Sarge — one of the best intro posts I've seen on here in a while. Fellow TN investor (Memphis/Nashville side for me), and everything you said about taking reps before you feel ready is spot on. Appreciate your service, and glad to have another Tennessee guy in here.

@Kacey Betts jumping in since you're in the thick of it — a duplex under contract AND a triplex cash-flowing 2x the mortgage is a great spot to be in. On the triplex, creative finance (seller financing / subject-to) can absolutely work if the seller's motivated; the key is understanding their real "why" before you structure anything. Just don't stretch so thin on reserves that both deals get risky — the deals keep coming. Happy to talk through how I'd structure the triplex if it helps.

 I'm here to gather wisdom,  I'm listening please tell me the strategy. And thank you! First and foremost I'm encouraged by the help I'm receiving.  I love to learn more, it's what's going to change everything! 

Love the energy Kacey. Here's how I'd think about the triplex.

Start with the seller's why, not the structure. Free-and-clear owner who's tired and wants passive income is a seller finance candidate. Someone with a loan who just wants out is more of a subject-to conversation. You can't pick the tool until you know what problem they're trying to solve, so ask what they'd do with the money and why they're selling. Let them tell you the structure.

If it's seller financing, the terms matter more than price. I'll pay closer to ask if I get a low rate, low down, and a long enough balloon that I'm not refinancing under pressure. Price is what you negotiate when you're out of other levers. On a note, rate and terms beat price every time.

On subject-to, understand the risk before you fall for how clean it looks. The loan stays in the seller's name, the due-on-sale clause is real even if it rarely gets called, and you need the seller to actually understand what they're signing. Done sloppy it burns the seller and your reputation. Done right with everyone clear-eyed, it works.

Biggest thing, and it's what I told Sarge: don't let the second deal put the first one at risk. Keep real reserves on both. A triplex creative deal with no cushion is how one bad month takes down two properties. The deals keep coming, so you never have to reach for one.

Happy to walk through the actual numbers if you want to post them. Easier to be useful with real figures than in the abstract.