All Forum Posts by: Alan E.

Im finding myself faced with the decision to reduce 401k deposits in favor of putting aside money for a down payment on a primary residence so i can get a house faster. I currently live in an apartment.

What are your thoughts?

Whats your experience using Craigslist in the Dallas area to buy or sell properties? Does anyone use it to fill vacancies in their rentals or to find contractors?

Just curious because most of my experience with Craigslist has been hit or miss, and because of that I would hesitate to use the website to do any real estate transactions.

Its a 1 hour marketing for Phil Groves big event, followed by half an hour of the event sponsors giving their pitch.

The keynote presentations from Shenoah that I have sat through were very informative, but they only take up half of the advertised time.

And then the nametag is there to remind yourself that you didn't spend $20k (minimum) to get into the 'Big Dog' program which meets in a separate room from the rest of us riff raff.

I want to know if yall find any value from attending. What are your thoughts? 

I still try to attend these meetings, so dont hesitate to say hello!

 Thanks, thats the impression i get from research. However it seems people have had success going through these online sources. 

Am i wasting my time looking at sites like Trulia, Zillow, Redfin, and Realtor.com for investment rental properties?

If so, what online sources should i be focusing on?

Any input on the subject would be appreciated.

I want to invest in real estate, but i dont have enough for a downpayment on a morgage.

I am heavily paying off my student loans, living with roommates, contributing to a 401k, work full time, but i dont have enough cash on hand to get traditional financing.

Im thinking that moving into a seller financed house is my best option to get started with REI. What strategies would i use to find a seller who would be willing to do this?

Id like to take the meantime to research, and build up a down payment, so Im not going to pursue getting out of my lease.

If you dont mind me asking, how do you find these units and what parts of DFW are popular for multiplexes?

Hey Dallas BPers,

My apartment lease is up in spring of 2019. I want to buy a 2-4 multifamily unit using an FHA loan and make it my primary residence.

I work downtown Dallas, so I want to be within a 15 minute drive of a DART train station. Ideal dart stations are Mockingbird, Bachman, Burbank, and Cedars. Anywhere near the red/orange lines south of 635 would also work. I also fly a lot, so West of downtown Dallas, towards the airports, I would also be interested in.

Can you recommend neighborhoods that I should focus my attention on within Dallas city limits? Also, what websites should I search to find available multi family properties?

If you are flipping one of these, or looking to get rid of one, or know of anyone who is, I would be very interested in buying the property.

-Alan E.

Parking in Lower Greenville isn't great but the Truck Yard has an adjacent dirt lot for paying customers from what i remember from the last time i was there.

Do not park in the next door Trader Joe's Parking lot! You will probably get your car towed.

This is an informal event and not sponsored by BiggerPockets. Everyone is responsible for their own bar tab. RSVP appreciated but not needed. Im asking everyone to remember that this is a networking event and not a platform to market their personal business. Thanks!

FYI: The bar is 21 and up only after 9pm

See you there!

-Alan E.

You make your money when you buy, etc.

If I were to buy a 3 br 2 bth single family in a desirable neighborhood, no repairs needed, traditional financing with a 30yr fixed rate mortgage, would i be making a bad investment if I purchased the property through a realtor?

Listening to Brandon's Podcast here makes me think that i need to buy a property that is falling into a sinkhole and covered in black mold and then get my "Justice League" of contractors to fix it up before I can make a profit off of it (using the BRRR strategy).

I desperately want to jump off the high dive into real estate investing but Im deterred because I dont want to buy a property with more cigarette smoke damage than a 1950s casino. Am i being unrealistic? Can i buy something through a realtor and have managed by a professional property manager (assume 10% commission) to make it worth my while?

For discussion lets assume typical Midwest suburbia.