All Forum Posts by: Amber Stout

Welcome, Sharad! Love your energy and focus—Orlando’s a great market, especially for multi-family. I work with a lot of investors as a mortgage broker and am an investor myself. I would be happy to connect if you ever want to talk financing strategies or creative structuring. 

Welcome, Jaylyn! Love the drive—Pensacola’s got some great opportunities, and sounds like you're ready to hit the ground running. If you ever want to connect on financing options when you're ready to buy, I’m an investor and mortgage broker and happy to help however I can.

Seller financing is a great option—no lender fees, more flexibility, and you can negotiate directly with the seller. You wouldn’t receive a 1099 for the interest paid, but you can still deduct it (I’ve bought via seller finance myself).

On the traditional side, if you went conventional, we may be able to offset your existing mortgages with rental income. Another route could be a DSCR loan, which doesn't consider your personal debt to income ratio.

You’ve got a few solid options depending on your goals. I’m a mortgage broker—happy to chat if you want to explore what’s best for your situation!

Hi Haley! My sister in law is an agent and has several listings in Cape Coral and Port Charlotte that she just recently sold. She’s very familiar with the vacation rental market there and could be a great resource if you’re looking to list. Happy to connect you two if you’d like!

Welcome back to the game, Andrea! MTRs are such a smart move right now. I'm an investor and mortgage broker in St.Pete as well if you ever want to connect or chat, feel free to reach out. :) 

Hi Veronica, welcome to Florida investing! I’m a mortgage broker and investor based here, and I’ve worked with clients buying in Palm Bay and across the state.

You’re right — a $340K new build renting for $2K/month doesn’t hit the 1% rule, so it really depends on your long term strategy. If you’re focused on appreciation and lower maintenance, new construction could make sense, but if cash flow is your priority, you might want to explore other areas or price points. 

If you work with an agent/lender that knows investing and can structure a great deal. You can work in seller credits to use toward rate buy down so that the property does cash flow. 

As for HOAs — I personally am not a huge fan of HOA's for two reasons: it's an uncontrollable cost and some are not investor friendly (some limit rentals or add fees). Always good to review the docs.

Reach out if you'd like to chat more. Happy to help however I can!

Hi Abby! I personally own several 2–4 unit properties and also have a 6–8 unit on my radar in the near future. Have you considered attending local investor meetups or real estate events? Those can be a great way to connect with potential partners who are aligned with your goals. What market are you targeting for your 6–8 unit? I'd be happy to connect and give you some ideas/poss make some connections for you. Shoot me a DM if interested. 

Destin is a great STR market with strong demand and solid returns when you buy right. I'm a mortgage broker/investor and work with several agents and investors in the area — happy to connect you with a few agents who specialize in short-term rentals in Destin.

Welcome back to the area! I’m a mortgage broker and investor based in Florida — I work with a lot of buyers looking to build rental portfolios across the state, including Destin/FWB. I also own rentals myself, so always happy to connect and talk strategy or financing when you’re ready to start looking. Feel free to reach out if I can be a resource!

Hi Garrett! Congrats on the move and on taking the first step into house hacking. I'm an investor and mortgage broker in St. Pete and work with a lot of investors and house hackers in the area. I've bought a couple FHA house hacks myself so super familiar with what you're looking to accomplish.

Harbordale and Childs Park are definitely in transition. Personally, I like areas in transition however it depends on what you're most comfortable with being that you'll be living there. 

Code enforcement can be strict with garage conversions, so I’d check zoning and floodplain regs early. I do have a couple investor agents I work with that know zoning well and can help with that. 

For FHA + 203(k) Limited, the lender matters. I've heard of projects stalling from poor draw management or vague scopes. Make sure your contractor bid is detailed *upfront*. Happy to help on the lending side if needed.