Foreign developer looking for investor-friendly agent & contractor in Cleveland (flip

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Foreign developer looking for investor-friendly agent & contractor in Cleveland (flip

Diego Posada
Member since 2026 · 6 posts · 1 vote

Hi everyone, I'm Diego Posada, a real estate developer from Córdoba, Argentina. I run Muros Desarrollos: we build and sell homes in gated communities. I'm currently building 3 houses, and I also have a land portfolio and an industrial project. My background is in architecture and construction.

I'm planning to start fix-and-flips in Cleveland in early 2027. My starting budget is around USD 45–50k of my own capital for the first deal, and I'm open to financing for the rehab. I want to start with one deal to learn the market, and I'm prepared to bring more capital to the US as things work out. Pure flips, not rentals.

I want to be hands-on: I'm willing to travel to Cleveland regularly to meet the team, walk properties and stay involved throughout the rehab and sale.

I'm looking for:

- An investor-friendly agent with real flip experience in Cleveland

- A reliable contractor (I understand construction well and want to stay involved in the rehab)

- Rehab lender recommendations that work with foreign investors

- Title company / inspector recommendations

If you've closed flips in Cleveland, I'd love to see a couple of examples (purchase, rehab, sale). Open to video calls. Thanks!

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Ryan BakerBusiness Member
Lender · Strongsville / Cleveland, OH · Member since 2026 · 103 posts · 26 votes
4d

Diego, welcome, and starting with one Cleveland flip to learn the market is a smart plan. On the rehab financing side, foreign nationals can get flip loans, but expect a larger down payment than a US borrower, so plan on more than your $45-50k covering purchase, rehab draws and carry. Lenders will want to see your entity set up, proof of funds, and a clear scope of work with a rehab budget, and having your own construction background will help your file. Keep a healthy contingency, since older Cleveland housing stock often hides surprises, and build your numbers off conservative resale comps. I do investor lending (fix and flip, bridge, DSCR) and have a local construction and property management team in NE Ohio, so I know how these deals work here. Happy to walk through the numbers on a quick call, my direct line and email are on my profile.

(Drafted with AI assistance.)

[email protected]330-548-3340
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  • Ryan BakerBusiness Member
    Lender · Strongsville / Cleveland, OH · Member since 2026 · 103 posts · 26 votes
    4d

    Diego, welcome, and starting with one Cleveland flip to learn the market is a smart plan. On the rehab financing side, foreign nationals can get flip loans, but expect a larger down payment than a US borrower, so plan on more than your $45-50k covering purchase, rehab draws and carry. Lenders will want to see your entity set up, proof of funds, and a clear scope of work with a rehab budget, and having your own construction background will help your file. Keep a healthy contingency, since older Cleveland housing stock often hides surprises, and build your numbers off conservative resale comps. I do investor lending (fix and flip, bridge, DSCR) and have a local construction and property management team in NE Ohio, so I know how these deals work here. Happy to walk through the numbers on a quick call, my direct line and email are on my profile.

    (Drafted with AI assistance.)

    [email protected]330-548-3340
    1Reply
    • Diego Posada
      OP
      Member since 2026 · 6 posts · 1 vote
      2d

      Thanks Ryan, appreciate the realistic take on the down payment. Before a call, could you share typical terms for a foreign national: max LTC on purchase and rehab, ARV cap, rate and points, and whether you need an ITIN/SSN or just an EIN + US bank account? Also, what purchase price range do you see working for a first flip with ~$50k cash? That would help me calibrate the numbers.

      0Reply
  • Ametria Chaney
    Realtor · Memphis, Shelby County · Member since 2026 · 260 posts · 93 votes
    4d

    Diego, welcome — and good on you for building the team before the deal instead of after. I'm an agent myself (Memphis, not Cleveland, so I'll give you the vetting playbook rather than names). For the agent: ask for their last three investor flips with purchase, rehab, and sale numbers, and how they sourced each deal — an investor-friendly agent should answer that without blinking. For the contractor: get an itemized scope of work before you commit, and talk to two of their recent investor clients, not just homeowners. On rehab lenders for foreign investors, most want your entity and US bank account set up early, so start that paperwork now rather than mid-deal. And one practical tip: interview your inspector with the same rigor as the contractor — a thorough inspection report is your negotiating leverage before closing, and your punch list after.

    0Reply
    • Diego Posada
      OP
      Member since 2026 · 6 posts · 1 vote
      2d

      Thank you Ametria, that's a really useful checklist. Asking for the last three flips with full numbers is going straight into my agent interviews. I'm starting the entity and banking paperwork now based on your advice. Appreciate it!

      0Reply
  • Kyle Jones
    Chicago, Cook County · Member since 2026 · 32 posts · 12 votes
    3d

    Diego, the thing I'd worry about most on a first Cleveland flip is the old housing stock, not the finishes. A lot of those houses are 80 to 120 years old, and the money disappears in the parts you can't see on a showing: the sewer line, the basement, the roof, and the wiring.

    - Before you make an offer, get a sewer camera run from the house to the street. Old clay and cast iron lines are common there, and a bad one can eat a big piece of a $45-50K budget by itself.

    - Spend real time in the basement. Look for water lines on the walls, efflorescence (white crust), fresh paint or patching on the foundation, and sagging or sistered joists. The basement tells you how the house has really been treated.

    - Ask for the age of the roof, furnace, water heater, and electrical panel on every deal, and price anything near the end of its life as a replacement, not a "maybe."

    - Get bids from at least two contractors on the same written scope, so you're comparing the same work. Your architecture and construction background helps a lot here: write the scope yourself, line by line, and make them price it.

    - Since you won't be there every week, set up the draw schedule so each payment is tied to finished work with dated photos and, where it applies, a passed permit inspection. Hold back a set amount for the punch list until the final walk.

    - Check the city's permit and violation history on any address before you buy. Open violations can follow the property.

    Starting with one deal to learn the market is the right call.

    Kyle

    0Reply
    • Diego Posada
      OP
      Member since 2026 · 6 posts · 1 vote
      2d

      Kyle, this is gold, thank you. Sewer scope and basement checks are now non-negotiable on my list. I'll write the scope myself and tie every draw to dated photos and inspections, exactly as you said. Out of curiosity, have you flipped in Cleveland yourself? If so, are there neighborhoods or suburbs you'd focus on (or avoid) for a first deal?

      0Reply
  • Jeremy White
    Member since 2026 · 56 posts · 21 votes
    2d

    Welcome, Diego, and starting with one Cleveland flip to learn the market is a sensible plan. The agent, lender and contractor pieces will get plenty of answers here, but finding the property itself is the part that stays hard from a distance. For the city of Cleveland we gather board up notices and residential permit filings from official records, one time, not a subscription, so you can see where owners are under pressure and where renovation work is starting. How do you plan to find your first property?

    0Reply
  • Diego Posada
    OP
    Member since 2026 · 6 posts · 1 vote
    2d

    Thanks for reaching out. I'm planning to be on-site regularly, traveling to Cleveland to walk properties and meet the team in person, so for my first deal I'll source through an investor-friendly agent (MLS and vetted wholesalers). Once I know the market better I may look at off-market data, and I'll keep you in mind.

    0Reply
    • Jeremy White
      Member since 2026 · 56 posts · 21 votes
      2d

      That is a sensible way to start, Diego, and an investor friendly agent plus vetted wholesalers will cover your first deal well. When you are ready to look beyond the MLS, a free one page Cleveland sample of board up notices and residential permit filings from official records is available, and it would show you what the data looks like before you decide anything.

      0Reply
  • Jordan FioreBusiness Member
    Real Estate Agent · Cincinnati, OH · Member since 2020 · 199 posts · 150 votes
    2d

    Hi Diego — I will be upfront: I am based in Cincinnati and focused on buy-and-hold multifamily, so I am not your Cleveland flip agent, and I will not pitch you as if I were. But the vetting questions matter more than the city here, so here is how I would interview for the team you described.

    For the agent, ask for their last three investor flips with purchase, rehab, and sale numbers, and how each deal was sourced. An investor-friendly agent should answer that without hesitating. For the contractor, get an itemized scope of work before you commit, talk to two of their recent investor clients (not just homeowners), and tie every draw to finished work with dated photos and, where it applies, a passed permit inspection.

    Two practical adds for Cleveland specifically: get a sewer scope on every deal — a bad line can eat a big piece of a $45–50K budget on its own — and keep a real contingency, because older Cleveland stock hides surprises in the basement, roof, and wiring that do not show up on a walkthrough.

    Happy to share the interview checklist I give out-of-state buyers if it helps, and to compare notes on Ohio generally as you get closer to early 2027

    [email protected]513-646-1038
    Jordan Fiore, Realtor - eXp Realty568 Reviews
    WebsiteView Page
    1Reply
  • Samuel DioufBusiness Member
    Real Estate Agent · Columbus & Cleveland, OH · Member since 2023 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    1d

    Cleveland is a great market to invest in.

    I started investing here after moving from Florida for the growing market  about 4 years ago. I spend all day sourcing deals now.

    I'd be happy to send you a graded map of the area and share a list of useful contacts.

    [email protected]614-662-1652
    Reafco - Samuel Diouf528 Reviews
    WebsiteView Page
    0Reply
    • Diego Posada
      OP
      Member since 2026 · 6 posts · 1 vote
      1d

      Thanks Samuel, I'd appreciate the graded map and the contact list. A few questions so I understand how you work:

      Do you represent buyers on MLS purchases, or mostly sell deals you source yourself (wholesale/off-market)?

      Could you share 2–3 recent flips you've been involved in, with purchase, rehab and sale numbers?

      Which neighborhoods would you target for a first flip with around $45–50k of my own capital plus rehab financing?

      I'll be traveling to Cleveland to walk properties in person, so I'd be glad to meet when I'm there.

      0Reply
  • Elizabeth Riggs
    Wholesaler · South Bend, IN · Member since 2026 · 26 posts · 0 votes
    22h

    Hey Diego!

    You are looking for a deal at the exact right time! While most people are slowing down, this is the best time to find excellent deals and have them ready to list when the market warms back up in the spring.

    My team helps out of state investors find their first or next deal through local trusted professionals and off market deal sourcing. I'd love to chat and see how we can help you get that first deal before the year wraps up!

    0Reply
  • Arman AhmedPro Member
    Real Estate Agent · Columbus Cleveland Dayton, OH · Member since 2024 · 2k+ posts · 969 votes
    19h
    Quote from @Diego Posada:

    Hi everyone, I'm Diego Posada, a real estate developer from Córdoba, Argentina. I run Muros Desarrollos: we build and sell homes in gated communities. I'm currently building 3 houses, and I also have a land portfolio and an industrial project. My background is in architecture and construction.

    I'm planning to start fix-and-flips in Cleveland in early 2027. My starting budget is around USD 45–50k of my own capital for the first deal, and I'm open to financing for the rehab. I want to start with one deal to learn the market, and I'm prepared to bring more capital to the US as things work out. Pure flips, not rentals.

    I want to be hands-on: I'm willing to travel to Cleveland regularly to meet the team, walk properties and stay involved throughout the rehab and sale.

    I'm looking for:

    - An investor-friendly agent with real flip experience in Cleveland

    - A reliable contractor (I understand construction well and want to stay involved in the rehab)

    - Rehab lender recommendations that work with foreign investors

    - Title company / inspector recommendations

    If you've closed flips in Cleveland, I'd love to see a couple of examples (purchase, rehab, sale). Open to video calls. Thanks!

    Hey Diego! With your background in architecture and construction, you already have a good foundation for getting into flips. The Midwest is worth exploring for your first deal, especially if you're looking for affordable entry points and value-add opportunities. Having the right local agent, rehab lenders, and contractors is key, even when you're hands-on and traveling in for projects. Happy to connect and share some insight from my experience working with investors in the Midwest!

    [email protected]614-418-6081
    0Reply
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