All Forum Posts by: Amber Stout

Interested if you can send details that would be great. Thank you. 

Hey Paige, great to "meet" you and welcome. Are you in St.Pete or Palm Beach? 

I'm over in St.Pete and invest over here and also am a lender specializing in working with investors. Would love to connect. :) 

Hi Francisco, Always great to see couples jumping into investing together as my husband and I did the same. Biggest thing at the beginning is figuring out what you both want out of real estate and what your goals are. Once you know what you're looking for, it makes it much easier. 

When I started, my husband and I house hacked our first property, saved, and kept buying more deals. Having the right realtor and lender who actively invest themselves will really help to make a difference and guide you. Feel free to reach out with any questions. 

You’re smart to protect that cheap 3% debt. I’d start by reaching out to local portfolio lenders (credit unions are great for this) or a broker (me) who does investor loans – they usually have products designed exactly for this situation and do a 2nd position that'll allow you to tap into the equity without touching your 1st. 

Hey David, You're in a great market to hit that 4 door goal. From my own journey, I'd say first hurdle is getting capital together. You can save, borrow money from a fam member, or tap into equity in your LTR. 

Once you get funds lined up, next piece is about finding the right deal so I would suggest underwriting a ton of deals OR work with a great agent who actually invests themselves. They'll send you solid options or may have off market deals themselves from clients. My husband's a realtor who. mainly works w investors, and that's been a game changer for his clients. 

That said, I saved and then borrowed money from a fam member to get to 4+ units. You can also buy multi family which will get you to your door count MUCH quicker. You can also house hack your way there with minimum funds needed so you have lots of options. Reach out if you want to chat further. :) 

Hey Steven, love your plan — you're ahead of the game at 23. Smart move focusing on non HOA near UCF, student demand is solid and ADUs give you options.

Couple quick tips:

• Definitely find an investor minded agent — I have a couple investor friendly agents I work with in the Orlando area. 

• Financing — some lenders will count projected ADU rent, others won't. Worth talking to an investor friendly loan officer (I am one!)

• Student rentals — check zoning/occupancy rules in Orlando to make sure you're solid 

 You’ve got time before your lease ends, so use it to line up the right team. In my investor experience, it is THE MOST important part of the journey. Finding an agent who invests themselves will save you a ton of time/money/mistakes. I am investor first and got my loan officer license to help others create financial freedom through real estate. Reach out if you'd like to connect. :) 

Hey Lindsay, welcome! I started out house hacking a small multi so I’ll share what helped me when I was new. A few things to dig into when you’re looking at multifamily:

• Numbers first – What are the current rents vs. market rents? Factor in vacancy, repairs, insurance, taxes, and management even if you plan to self manage at first.

• Condition – Roof, plumbing, electrical, HVAC. Factor in Capex if needed.

• Layout – Separate meters for utilities? Shared laundry? Parking? Those little details affect your tenant pool and expenses.

• Location – In your area, flood zones and insurance premiums can make or break a deal. Check that upfront.

• Exit strategy – Could you live in one unit (house hack) or would you keep it fully rented? Think through financing options too, since you may qualify for owner occ loans with lower down payments.

On the sober living piece. The main difference is usually licensing and local zoning/HOA rules. Definitely worth checking city and county regs before you buy with that plan in mind.

Aside from being an investor, I am a mortgage broker specializing in working w investors. Happy to help w your first time MF. 

Great area/s to be looking, Stefanie.  I started out house hacking and it’s still my favorite way to build wealth—it keeps your living costs low and gets you into investing faster.

Between Tampa, St. Pete, and down toward Fort Myers, you’ve got a few different plays:

• Tampa/St. Pete – higher prices but strong rental demand, especially near USF or downtown. House hacks work well here, and STRs can do great in the right pockets if that interests you.

• Bradenton/Sarasota – a little more affordable than St. Pete with steady rental demand. Good mix of long term tenants and STR opportunities closer to the beaches.

• Fort Myers/Cape Coral – seeing a downturn right now and definitely a buyers market, lower entry costs compared to Tampa Bay. The rental market is more challenging down there right now. 

Since you mentioned house hacking, I’d lean toward duplexes/triplexes in Tampa or St. Pete —they hold value and cash flow well. I'm on the mortgage broker side and specialize in working with investors. I also have a couple realtors that work great with house hacker/investors if you need recommendations in any of those specific markets. 

Personally, I'll invest in either or however after having block homes and wood frame rentals, I definitely prefer block. On paper it might look cheaper, but in my experience those savings can get eaten up quick with the additional maintenance. That stuff definitely cuts into returns over time.

I’d rather pay a little more upfront for block and know I’ve got something durable with lower maintenance especially in Florida where storms are always a factor. Peace of mind and lower long term expenses/maintenance are ideal for me. 

Love the drive! At 23 with your first home under your belt and $20k saved, you’re way ahead of where most people start. I kicked things off with house hacking, and IMO that’s still one of the best ways to grow fast while keeping risk lower. Living in one unit and renting the others covers your mortgage and frees up cash for the next deal.

With $20k, you could be in play for FHA or conventional house hack options depending on your market, or even partner up with someone on a bigger deal. I'm a mortgage broker now and work with a lot of house hackers and investors, so if you want to learn what loan programs fit best for where you're at, happy to point you in the right direction.

Are you leaning more toward a house hack, small multifamily, or do you want to jump into flips/STRs?