All Forum Posts by: Bryan Blankenship

Welcome aboard brother!

You're in the right spot for advice and sustaining the right mindset to achieve your goals.  There's an abundance of resources here on BP, make sure you use them all!  🙂

@Javier Osoria Would you be opposed to buying LTR out-of-state?  

I understand the difficulties of investing in expensive markets. I LOVE helping my out-of-state investors choose which markets are best suited for them whether it's mine or in a market where I have excellent relationships with friends who can help them as well.

As far as realtors go, I would try connecting with investors in your area through Facebook groups, your local REIA, here on BP, etc. @Chris Pereira mentioned some good questions to ask Realtors as well!

Social proof has and always will be the best form of marketing!  🙂

Great idea Anna! I have serviced international clients for quite some time. (:

They LOVE investing here due to our appreciation potential, specifically in my primary market here in southwest Ohio. 

@Matthew McGlead I would be more than happy to answer any questions you have! 🙂

I have been active in both the Cincinnati and Dayton metropolitans for almost TWENTY years!  We have been a hidden gem for quite some time and the secret is not as well kept as it used to be LOL!  

I work with clients from more developed areas of the country all the time that are looking for better ROI without the same bulk of capital the big markets require just to get started. I just sold 4 units to one of my best out-of-state buyers last week. 🙂

No Simon, it is not just you LOL.

It is amateur hour in the real estate world thanks to all the phony YouTube gurus selling bad courses on how to make a quick dime.  We deal with them all the time here in southwest Ohio.

While they are annoying, it makes it that much easier to spot the fantastic people that are good at what they do and wastes less of our time!  

Once this market is fully reset, I'm sure all the dumb daisy chain deals and fake ARVs will be kaput and there will be less hobbyists calling my office... bothering me and my sales team. 🙂

@Daniel Peavey This is always a hot button topic with our team! You can approach this a few different ways, depending on your level of involvement/property management/budget.

We deal mostly in A and B class rentals, so we generally include the refrigerator. However, we do NOT hook up the water line (that is just begging for trouble, especially if your area has hard water at all), and we include in the lease that it's the tenant's responsibility to maintain it and replace it, if that becomes necessary, pretty much like @Jason Hirko does. I've seen some people include an extra "appliance leasing fee" on top of the rent, too, usually 3-5% of the monthly rent.

Ultimately you should look at other similar rental properties in the area. Do they all include refrigerators? :)

@Celia Moore Ah, that is one of the most difficult parts, yes! Of course, you can ask for recommendations here, or you can try Google, etc. It all really comes down to figuring out what your long-term plan is, and then talk to some providers to see if any of them are a great fit. You can do a few basic litmus tests up front, like seeing how long they've been in business, taking a look at their properties and the area they operate from - then schedule a phone call with them (have a prepared list of questions if you can manage it).

Some providers have been around a while, but have such a large clientele base that you're slapped on a waiting list and treated like a number. Some providers are smaller outfits that have great communication and customer service, but don't have a huge online presence because they're busy doing the actual work that they specialize in. Some providers start with a bang and disappear in a flash because they didn't really understand what they were doing and tried to cut too many corners.

There are definitely some great ones out there! Turnkey investing is an awesome way to invest out-of-state. :)

@Miles Fabishak Welcome aboard, sir! There is so much to learn and absorb here, so you're definitely in the right place. :)

Good luck on your first investment, and we look forward to seeing your completed deal diary for it!

Like others have said, finding a good Turnkey provider/partner out in the MidWest is a great option. I know we've been talking to quite a few people from Oregon and California in particular over the past few months. It's best to talk to several of them to see which one best fits you and your overall goals and timeline. Different providers offer different things.

One of our Silicon Valley clients did a 1031 on a property he had out in San Jose last year, and he bought 6 single families, a duplex, and 2 quadplexes from the proceeds. Your dollar goes SO much farther over here. The hardest part is just finding the right person/company to work with. :)

Good luck!

@Cindy Schneider Hey there, welcome aboard! You have a few options, but what I normally do is this: I post photos of the property as it sits with a big ol' "RENOVATION - COMING SOON" label at the top of them (overlaid on the photos themselves, I mean). A lot of people want to see photos, even if they're not current and accurate photos, just to get a feel for the space and the layout. As long as they know upfront that it will be a little different (and BETTER) than what they're seeing, they're typically happy.

Just like @James Mc Ree said, NO photos drives your traffic down. If you're looking to buy a dress, and you see 12 dresses for sale that fit into your budget - are you going to waste time on the one with no pictures, or are you more likely to skip that one and go through the other 11 WITH photos first? :)