Morris invest - any insights?

Morris invest - any insights?

Rental Property Investor · Oakland, CA · Member since 2016 · 268 posts · 106 votes

Hi there

I came across morrisinvest.com the other day after listening to Claytons podcast. The whole idea sounds really reasonable, but I still would like to cover all my bases. Does anyone have any experience with them? Good experiences? Bad experiences? I can not find any reviews of them online except the testimonials on their own side. I guess that is because they are pretty new.

Thanks 

Simon

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Clayton MobleyPro Member
Birmingham, AL · Member since 2014 · 875 posts · 947 votes
10y

As the CEO of a turnkey outfit in Birmingham and an experienced buy-and-hold investor, I have to agree with basically all of @Jay Hinrichs' points. If a company is selling rehabbed properties for $40k, then they bought them for around 5-10k, meaning these are C class properties at best. More likely you have some seriously distressed D properties in undesirable neighborhoods, because the sale price has to include a profit margin for these guys, the original seller and the rehab crew. So, no matter how nice the properties look now, no one that can afford to live elsewhere will pay to live in those neighborhoods. You could rehab something to look like the White House and never rent it for a decent amount because the amount of crime in the area (not to mention the condition of the surrounding properties) will deter anyone who has the financial ability to be even remotely choosy about where they live. 

Which leads us to the issue of equity. I see a lot of people talking here about buying below market to get some built-in equity right off the bat, but equity only truly exists when you sell the property - until then it's just 'expected' value. It doesn't matter how much money has gone into a property if you can't sell it. Put 30, 40, even 50k into a distressed property, it won't matter because no one will pay 40-60k to live in the type of neighborhood where you can buy a 5k property to fix up. If you hold a property for a few decades and the area magically gentrifies into the next hot neighborhood, then great, but that's a miiiiighty big bet to make. Appreciation isn't even guaranteed in A and B class areas, so relying on the possibility of appreciation in lower-tier neighborhoods is very risky. 

And regarding the issue of financing, I think that bears a little more scrutiny. Yes, cash is faster and easier, and it does seem that a lot of new investors looking for the next hot deal are keeping this new outfit busy....but when the question 'why do you not work with financing?' receives the answer 'because it's faster and also we don't want to deal with bank red tape like appraisals', I think it's time to dig deeper. Appraisals are important for a number of reason, not least of which because they ensure that the investors knows the value of what they are buying - at least on paper (see my comment above about 'expected' equity on properties with no real resale value). I would hope that this company is encouraging prospective clients to engage the services of a third party appraiser, rather than brushing off the necessity of an appraisal as an unnecessary annoyance.

On the one hand, I'd like to say this is a new outfit that just has more business than they expected. Real estate investing - and turnkey and wholesaling in particular - gets a bad wrap sometimes so we all tend to be a little bit 'on the lookout' for scammers, which is unfortunate. So I'd really like to hope that these guys are as legit as some of the posts here indicate because I like to think that we, as an industry, are learning to separate the wheat from the chaff, leaving only the well-intentioned professionals. Indy can be a great market, and a wholesale-cum-turnkey operation is an inventive model, so I'd like to think these guys are just a little avant-garde. However, I've also seen a lot of posts mentioning how difficult it is to contact them, or to schedule even a simple call in a normal time frame. The fact that the site has little information and that one person wasn't even sure if the guy on the phone was the guy from podcasts gives me pause. A few people have mentioned that it 'seems maybe too good to be true' and, in my experience, that usually means it is. It sounds a little like these guys just want people with cash on hand who will pull the trigger without a lot of questions or checking-in. Whether this is by design or because they are overwhelmed by their own success remains to be seen.

HOWEVER, for those that have spoken to the company and felt that they were on the level, I would say follow your gut but be very sure you take responsibility for doing your own due diligence. Ask them to show you exactly what their ROI numbers are. Ask for a real-world example of their returns on a property similar to the one you are considering. Not with an estimated 40% expense rate, but with the actual expenses incurred for the last year (or however long they've been operating). Don't lump all the costs together, ask for specific expense rates, occupancy, maintenance, move out costs, etc. They should be willing and able to provide these hard figures and they should be happy to walk you through how they add up. Questions from first time investors should never be met with 'tuning out' as one person put it with regard to their mention of financing. Even if they are really busy, an investor with questions, who wants to be educated about their decision, is not an inconvenience and shouldn't be treated as such. If you get the information and the treatment that you deserve and feel confident in the product, then go for it!

Sorry for the ramble ;) Having just read this whole thread, it seemed Jay was a little on his own out there and another experienced perspective might be useful. Take it as you will, and good luck to all in whatever investment niche you choose!

All the best,

Clayton

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  • Rental Property Investor · Estero, FL · Member since 2016 · 195 posts · 105 votes
    9y

    Thought I would share this video from @Account Closed and if you read the comments there are many people who invested in below $60k homes even with out Morris Invest and say they have been successful in that price range. Also some that grew up in similar neighborhoods that once the homes were rehabbed value went up in the neighborhood.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfmYxXIROY4

  • Dallas, TX · Member since 2017 · 1 post · 0 votes
    9y

    Anyone have an update after buying a Morris property?

  • Rental Property Investor · Ronkonkoma, NY · Member since 2017 · 8 posts · 6 votes
    9y

    Hey Richard,  I purchased one in late July, and the rehab was just finished last week.  Waiting to get a tenant in there now.    A good buddy has two duplexes he purchased from MI, and he is 3/4 of the way rented. 

  • Rental Property Investor · Estero, FL · Member since 2016 · 195 posts · 105 votes
    9y

    @Hector Ortiz how long has your friend owned those two duplexes?

  • Rental Property Investor · Ronkonkoma, NY · Member since 2017 · 8 posts · 6 votes
    9y

    @Will Zena

    Around late May. It was a major rehab.   He is getting checks in the mail.   

  • Fredericksburg, VA · Member since 2016 · 190 posts · 64 votes
    9y

    I saw @Account Closed resigned from Fox News. I wonder if he made his "Freedom Number" and is now a full-time REI?

  • Woodland Park, NJ · Member since 2017 · 22 posts · 12 votes
    9y

    @Patrick Shawn Faherty

    I think he made his freedom number a long time ago  :)

  • Fredericksburg, VA · Member since 2016 · 190 posts · 64 votes
    9y

    I just listened to his podcast (#205) on the way to work today. He in fact has and is officially out of the workforce.  Congrats to him.

  • Professional · Aurora, CO · Member since 2015 · 71 posts · 40 votes
    9y

    I talked to James at Morris Invest last Tuesday.  They sell properties and close before rehabbing.  He says they sell their properties within 3-6 hours.  They make a list of items to rehab on each property.  You can't have an inspection before buying so you don't know if their rehab is covering the necessary items.  Of course, you can get an inspection done after rehab (you already own the property) but there could be major expenses that weren't included.  They don't give out referrals anymore as their references were getting too many calls but you can read the testimonials on their website.  James told me they use Natalie at Ocean Point (Property Management in IN) and was going to email her info so I could contact her.  He was also going to email the property he had available and before and after pictures of other properties they've completed.  I haven't received an email yet.  Just wanted to find out who is buying on these conditions or did I just get a lot of incorrect info?

  • Lowell, MA · Member since 2017 · 143 posts · 37 votes
    9y
    Following
  • San Francisco, CA · Member since 2017 · 33 posts · 5 votes
    9y

    I wish  people that are posting video reviews on his youtube channel would join BP  

  • Investor · Moscow Mills, MO · Member since 2017 · 7 posts · 1 vote
    9y

    I have a call scheduled for Oct 12.  Speaking with Larry so I guess  Clayton doesn't have time to screen or pitch.  This would be my first purchase and the key for me would be tk and hands off.   Can't find much on reviews.  

  • Pilot · Marlboro, NY · Member since 2016 · 3 posts · 3 votes
    9y

    I just went through the purchase process through Morris Invest for a property in Jacksonville. I'll post details soon. So far the team has been responsive and the process has been smooth.

  • Hoboken, NJ · Member since 2017 · 7 posts · 1 vote
    9y

    @Hector Ortiz Hey Hector, can you PM me the zipcode of your property if you don't mind? Can't really pinpoint the neighborhood that Morris is selling. Some people are saying it is B, some say C, some even D! I really want to just find out myself and be my own judge.

  • Investor · Keller, TX · Member since 2017 · 9 posts · 8 votes
    9y

    I'll chime in and say that I bought my first property with MI as well. It's in Indianapolis, IN. I did some research ahead of time but hadn't found BP yet. Yes, I could/should have done more. 

    I jumped in feet first and closed on a property on 4/21. Rehab was delayed some but was complete in late July or early August (I don't have the exact date). I was informed that it was rented on 8/8 but didn't actually receive a copy of the lease until 9/6 and it was actually signed 9/1.  I have yet to receive my first rent check but have been in communication with the PM (Oceanpointe) and they say I should see it by COB today. They are supposedly running late on paperwork this last month which is causing the delays. 

    I am currently looking to purchase my 2nd turn-key property and will not be using MI for it. The two main reasons, aside from the poor communication, are the lack of an inspection and the purchase before the rehab is complete.

    Clayton does put out a lot of good info in his podcast, and it's because of him that I'm even looking at real estate, but his business model is just not for me. 

  • Mike D'ArrigoPro Member
    Turn key provider · San Jose, CA · Member since 2010 · 4k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    9y

    You are not buying a turn key property if you have to close before the rehab is done. By doing so, you are taking on all of the liability and getting little in return. Plus, you should NEVER by a property without an independent inspection. I know the Indianapolis market well and know that what they sell is in the low end neighborhoods which tend to be pretty rough.

  • Rental Property Investor · Estero, FL · Member since 2016 · 195 posts · 105 votes
    9y

    @Rob Willson who do you plan on using for your next turn key property? 

  • Investor · Keller, TX · Member since 2017 · 9 posts · 8 votes
    9y

    @Mike D'Arrigo Agree with your points completely. I'm chalking this up to one of life's lessons, but will keep moving forward learning from my mistakes. I fully expect this particular property to be a giant headache and if it turns out to perform decent then I will consider myself lucky. 

    @Will Zena At this point I'm not sure. I've been looking at a few providers in different markets. The problem I keep running into is when I dig into their provided PM companies I am finding complaint after complaint. I realize I can choose my own PM company with these providers and not use the one they suggest. When I am able to find a reliable PM company it will likely be a determining factor to which market I will be investing in.

  • Rental Property Investor · Estero, FL · Member since 2016 · 195 posts · 105 votes
    9y

    @Rob Willson are you finding a decent ROI?

  • Investor · Springtown, TX · Member since 2017 · 8 posts · 5 votes
    9y

    @Rob Willson I agree with a lot of your insights on the Morris Invest process so far. I am in the middle of the process with a purchase and have experienced their communications, updates and follow-through to be an area they really need to work on. 

    I really want them to pull through and have not completed the process yet so I have kept details out of the public forums up to this point and most likely will keep my experience off the forums unless there are huge findings that go uncorrected when we have an independent inspection after the rehab is done.

    I am a rookie so by no means a pro and know all the steps \ needed some hand holding at steps. I took a chance on them so I hope they deliver. 

    It would be great to talk with Clayton and provide a some constructive feedback. I think the service he sells on videos and podcasts is great but has a misalignment with what Morris Invest provides.  

    Again, I am hopeful for a positive success story when it is all done. My plan was to be a repeat customer if the experience IS what Clayton sells. 

  • San Francisco, CA · Member since 2017 · 33 posts · 5 votes
    9y

    Thank you for your input.  

  • Morrisonville, NY · Member since 2013 · 61 posts · 46 votes
    9y

    I closed on a house on Friday. So far it has been smooth. I just got the property insured and completed the paperwork with the recommended PM. Now the fun begins. I will report back.

  • Investor · Seattle, WA · Member since 2017 · 2 posts · 0 votes
    9y

    Awesome, going through it now.

  • Los Angeles, CA · Member since 2017 · 20 posts · 35 votes
    9y

    I purchased a home with Morris Invest over 3 months ago.  Rehab was delayed, which is fine as I understand that can happen.  Then now that it is done, they are working on getting it rented.  That part still hasn't happened.

    I would echo some of the points made by others on this thread.  The #1, #2, and #3 problem with this organization is that the communication is probably the worst I have ever come across from what is supposed to be a "turnkey" real estate company (and I have worked with 2 others in other markets to purchase investment property).  It literally takes 6-10 emails and/or at least 4 calls to get anything done with this group.  Even when you email Clayton a question, half the time he doesn't respond and requires a repeat email.  I understand he may be busy, but this company, at least in my experience, treats you like they are doing you a favor by giving you a deal on a property...so if they don't get back to you, just deal with it because once you buy from them as an out-of-state investor, you sort of need them to follow through on this promise of the high returns.  Also, in my limited conversations with them, there have been a couple of times where they offer you a deal, and then they say "we usually offer this deal to our VIP clients."  I'm not sure what that means, but I assume that would mean the people that buy 10 fixer-upper houses from them at a time or something.  Sure makes me, the guy who bought one, feel like I'm not important in their book of business at all.  Also, if they have VIP clients and non-VIP clients, do the save the best deals for the VIP's and leave everything else to the rest?  Just makes you wonder.

    I sincerely hope I have a chance to update this review in the next couple months with more positive feedback, but at this point, the experience has been so poor and the communication has been so unbelievably poor that I would rather opt for a lower return in a different market with a different 'turnkey' real estate provider than work with these guys again.

    To end on a positive note, they do have a lot of good information on their youtube videos that is worth a look as a lot of this info can be applied to real estate investing in general.

  • Philadelphia, PA · Member since 2014 · 129 posts · 29 votes
    9y

    A year later!! Wondering if  anybody ha s any  reviews or  insights on your  experience?? I  also booked a call.

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