All Forum Posts by: Bryan Blankenship

@Debbie Wilcox Welcome aboard! :) The MidWest is a GREAT option for purchasing some OOS rentals. We have several clients from Honolulu, Kapolei, etc. I hope you find what you're looking for and are able to dive right in!

Best of luck :)

@Patrice Bocci Welcome aboard! There's SO much to learn and do in real estate, and it's a blast! There's nothing quite like doing it all yourself with your own hands, but as you mentioned, that isn't always a great option depending on where you're located, the knowledge and experience you have, and the CONNECTIONS you have. It's a ton of work, honestly. Quite a few of us here have been doing this for well over a decade, and there's a lot to be said for that much trial and error and networking!

@James Wise has given you really solid advice, so I won't repeat all of it and ramble like I normally would. :) Find some providers in areas you might be interested in, and talk to them. Ask questions. Do your due diligence so you're sure it's someone you can trust. Even the best rental property in the world can lose you money if you have terrible property management that is either unfamiliar with best practices or with the area... or if they are skewed more towards just taking your money rather than correctly managing your property for you. Property management is often underappreciated, but anyone here will tell you how important it is to get right!

The MidWest and SouthEast are great places to begin due to the low cost-of-living and stable, blue collar economies. STAY AWAY from anything less than a C class. Those will eat away at your returns with costly repairs and high turnovers, so don't be fooled by a shiny paper with a sweet-looking CAP.

Good luck! :)

@Yandry Mastromihalis Welcome aboard! We all have a real passion for real estate here, so dive right in and learn even more!

Best of luck :)

@Vic Valera Welcome aboard, sir! There's a ton to learn and absorb here, and a vast depth of resources to tap into and grow from. Podcasts, networking, etc. Chances are that for every question you have, there are a hundred people who can answer!

Best of luck, sir! :)

@Antonio Ramos Yup, what @Mike D'Arrigo said. Your best bets are the MidWest and Southeast. You can get solid, cashflowing properties here that don't break the bank to buy into. Ohio is fantastic! You just have to watch out for buying anything below a C+ class property anywhere. Those will eat up your returns much faster than you think.

Best of luck, sir! :)

@Austin Clements Welcome aboard, sir! Rentals are a GREAT way to invest. There's a ton of information and knowledge here, and plenty of resources, too. Podcasts to listen to, networking to complete... you get the idea!

Best of luck :)

@Jenna Columbus We've always made them pay an application fee. Ours is currently $40 per adult. Sometimes we'll cut them some slack and only make a family pay for one application, but since we have to run screening on each adult individually, we generally charge each one separately. We've found that the fee helps us know people are serious, though, and that keeps us from wasting our time on people who are just fishing and applying to everything in sight without real interest in it, who then ghost on you.

We rent A and B class properties, though, so it may be different once you dip into lower income levels. Then I can definitely see the app fee scaring off some potential tenants.

@Alex Holt Great work, sir! Love to see neighborhoods close to home made better. :)

@Ricardo Valdez Yup! We recently toured a military couple who have been buying where they're stationed, living there, then turn it into a rental when they move to another place/base. Pretty great strategy if you can find property management you trust everywhere you go, and don't get too caught up in trying to make a place tailored to your tastes rather than treating it as an investment. 

Best of luck, sir :)

@Brian Boyd Cincinnati and Dayton for sure. I've invested all over Ohio and find that I prefer this part of the state over any other. It's the part I know best, though, so that's a big reason why! There are still a lot of great deals to be had here if you know where and how to look.

We just sold several 4-units and we're getting ready to sell several more. Solid returns for MidWest prices. As @Jaron Walling mentioned, Cincinnati is on a great, steady upward trend. Downtown has luxury apartments by the river that are surrounded by fantastic restaurants, and there's a LOT to do. Dayton has been undervalued for quite a while, and it seems like people are finally taking notice of it. There are pockets of opportunity all over around here, so as long as you have someone you can trust on the ground, overall great place to invest! :)