All Forum Posts by: Vala Shahabi

Welcome @Yahnick Martin to BP! 

From Marcy to Madison Square, to the only thing that matters in just a matter of year...

Welcome @Andrew Beauchemin to BP!

Lots of great info on this site and many experts in REI. One of my favorite blogs for newbies is http://www.biggerpockets.com/renewsblog/2014/08/18...

Best of luck!

Vala

@Tom Scott this is a dilemma we come across all the time, especially when the market had more inventory. Now that it is tight the decision is easier. Tom and Craig have provided some good advice. you can definitely do both as long as you have enough capital to keep going. Sometimes we come across a great property that fits nicely into our long term goal so we end up holding on to. 

hope that helps!

Hey @Ken Bryant try some A/B testing. Depending on target market, we've found the "crappier" bandit signs work better. Handwritten on cardboard...just make sure it's legible.  How to A/B test? use different google voice numbers.

Good luck!

Welcome @Bharat Medasani to BP!

I hope last night's rumble in Napa didn't affect you. 

A wealth of knowledge here and people to network it. If you're interested in rental investments I highly recommend this BP blog: Top 8 Mistakes made by Rookie Landlords. 

Best of luck!

Vala

Welcome to BP @Lisa Perez!

You got some great feedback here from Darrin, Derrick, and Jay. I agree with Derrick, we love Chicago and Cleveland for buy and holds and Darrin nailed it with the "Drama" comment for that price range. We believe $55-$90k is the sweet spot for those markets.

Best of luck!

Welcome @Tony Jordan! The Chicago area is a great place to invest right now. Best of luck!

Hey @Arash Kiankhooy welcome to BP!

I live in southern California as well and real estate here is so expensive and the price/rent ratio sucks! All of my investments have been out of state, mostly in the midwest area where we see the best cap rates. 

BP recently released a blog about rookie mistakes new investors make, I highly recommend you reading it. 

As a first time investor, since you're investing out of state, I would recommend you go with a turn key property from a well reputable company in the Milwaukee area. This way you get a good leasing agent, property manager, contractor, etc...basically the entire team of people you'll need to be successful. We don't cover that area so I can't help you there but I'm sure there are plenty of people here on BP that can.

Best of luck!

Vala

Welcome @A.J. Bolding!

We adopted our beautiful puppy from Fontana! There are some great people on this site that can help you with anything. Good luck with your first SFR!

Cheers,

Vala

Welcome @Corey Peck,

I think a multi-unit is a great way for you to start. My only advice is to properly vet out your tenants. Take the extra effort and check employment, verify employment, and go see where/how they live today because you are going to be not only neighbors through this but also reliant on their rent to subsidize your mortgage. 

Best of luck!

Cheers,

Vala