Newbie from Orange County, CA (investor and attorney)

Newbie from Orange County, CA (investor and attorney)

Anaheim, CA · Member since 2014 · 2 posts · 2 votes

Hello all,

Hello everyone!  My name is Jonathan Bond.  I've been lurking around the site for several months now - basically trying to find a way to break into investing.

Presently I am a real estate attorney - about three years now - practicing in Orange County, CA.  Undergraduate at UC Irvine and law school at USC - so always relatively local!  I have experience with landlord/tenant, foreclosure, title issues, lender defense, buyer/seller suits, and bankruptcy (creditor).  Also some experience in general litigation, but real estate has always been my draw.  I worked in these fields even before becoming an attorney. 

Interested in investing because it is painfully obvious that my career compensates for minutes spent in a chair.  The faster I work (more work per hour) I give a raise to my clients.  The longer I work (more work per day) I give a raise to my employer because I am salary.  So, I would like to develop a passive income stream that doesn't suffer from similar drawbacks.

As far as what interests me for investing - I am pretty much open to everything.  My experience with foreclosure and landlord/tenant issues makes me very comfortable with the issues that pop up in these deal structures.  The primary issue for me is just taking the initial plunge.  Of particular interest would be mobile home investing (first with units, then with parks) because I have a great deal of experience litigating similar cases and the "start price" is seemingly closer to what I can do.

All this to say, happy to be here, and looking for a mentor in buy and hold or mobile home investing in the Southern California area.  Definitely willing to consider out of state investing with proper guidance. 

Looking forward to getting involved and learning more!

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Attorney · Shawnee, OK · Member since 2013 · 350 posts · 230 votes
12y

Welcome! I am another attorney in the same boat. Keep seeing lawyers at Court in their 70's and don't want to be in that boat.

This place is awesome for real people and concrete info. 

Good luck!

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  • Attorney · Shawnee, OK · Member since 2013 · 350 posts · 230 votes
    12y

    Welcome! I am another attorney in the same boat. Keep seeing lawyers at Court in their 70's and don't want to be in that boat.

    This place is awesome for real people and concrete info. 

    Good luck!

  • Karen MargraveBusiness Member
    Moderator
    Realtor, General Contractor, and Developer · Redding, CA · Member since 2009 · 7k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    12y

    @Jonathan Bond Welcome to BP! Though if you've been lurking for some time, you already know the ropes so I won't bore you with those. Where are you wanting to invest in mobile home parks? You probably already know the players here on BP that are investing in that space. In fact, one had the FIBI meetups in Costa Mesa. 

    As far as foreclosures, I'm sure having an inside track would really help, because they go FAST!  Just about anything in Orange County, especially the coastal areas are probably going to appreciate, so if you want to keep a lower entry level, there's always condos, etc. 

    Whatever you do, Good luck! See you around the forums. 

  • Investor · Newport Beach, CA · Member since 2012 · 129 posts · 102 votes
    12y

    Welcome.  I am also a real estate attorney turned real estate developer and investor.

  • Real Estate Investor · Santa Monica, CA · Member since 2014 · 199 posts · 32 votes
    12y

    @Jonathan Bond Welcome to site Mr. Bond. :) sorry couldn't resist! Best of luck.

  • Specialist · Rockland, MA · Member since 2010 · 7k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    12y

    @Jonathan Bond 

    Welcome. Take a good look at student housing see below. Fill in the foundation below.

    Check out the Start Here page http://www.biggerpockets.com/starthere

    Check out BiggerPockets Ultimate Beginner's Guide - A fantastic free book that walks through many of the key topics of real estate investing.

    Check out the free BiggerPockets Podcast - A weekly podcast with interviews and a ton of great advice. And you get the benefit of having over 80 past ones to catch up on.

    Locate and attend 3 different local REIA club meetings great place to meet people gather resources and info. Here you will meet wholesalers who provide deals and rehabbers.

    Two Great reads, I bought both J. Scott The Book on Flipping Houses, The Book on Estimating ReHab Costs http://www.biggerpockets.com/flippingbook

    You might consider Niche or Specialized Housing like student housing. Rents can be 2-4 times more. Remember you don't have to own a property to control it.

    Download BP’s newest book here some good due diligence in Chapter 10. Real Estate Rewind Starting over

    http://www.biggerpockets.com/files/user/brandonatbp/file/real-estate-rewind-a-biggerpockets-community-book

    Good Luck

    Paul

  • Joe HomsBusiness Member
    Flipper · Mission Viejo, CA · Member since 2014 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    12y

    @Jonathan 

    @Jonathan Bond welcome to BP.  We have a meet-up every month in Lake Forest if you are interested.  I am sure you would be very popular with questions from the group.  Join us if you wish.

  • Brandon TurnerPro Member
    Investor · Maui, HI · Member since 2009 · 13k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    12y

    Hey @Jonathan Bond thanks for introducing yourself! It's great to have you here! Don't miss The BiggerPockets Podcast - they are great for learning how others are finding success.

    Oh - and be sure to set up some Keyword Alerts- especially for "Irvine" so you'll be notified when people mention it here in the forums.

    Thanks again for introducing yourself!

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