All Forum Posts by: Andrew Postell

@Erick Hennings let's try some local real estate meetup groups. Meetup.com is a good resource for those but some of the groups will also post here on Bigger Pockets Marketplace too. Even facebook might have some good local groups for you. Some of those facebook groups have thousands of members. There are many groups that meet in Houston.  Oh, eventbrite too. You'll get to meet lots of local investors this way.  Good luck!

@Michael Ochoa yeah, this comes down to what income you are showing on your tax returns. Any reasonably confident loan officer should be able to tell you if you can qualify for an FHA loan in about 30 minutes of seeing your tax returns. But that's what it will come down to for the approval.

The last FOMC meeting concluded with the Federal Reserve holding its benchmark interest rate steady at 4.25% to 4.5%, continuing its cautious stance amid mixed economic signals. The decision came despite growing market expectations for a rate cut in September, fueled by a weaker-than-expected July jobs report. In a notable development, Governor Adriana Kugler submitted her resignation effective August 8, 2025, creating a vacancy that has intensified speculation around Fed leadership.

According to Bloomberg and Investing.com, Governor Christopher Waller has emerged as the leading candidate to replace Jerome Powell when his term ends in May 2026. Waller’s policy style—favoring forecasts over lagging indicators—has reportedly impressed President Trump’s advisers. His dissent in the July FOMC meeting, advocating for a 25bps rate cut, further distinguishes him from Powell’s more cautious approach.

Big Data Week

This week is packed with key economic releases that could sway both Fed policy and market sentiment. On Tuesday, July CPI will be released; July core inflation is expected to rise 3.0%, up from 2.9% one month ago, driven by tariff-related price pressures in durable goods. However, cooling rents and used car prices may temper the upside

PPI on Thursday. Producer prices will offer insight into upstream cost pressures, especially relevant for housing and construction sectors. On Friday, markets will get the release of July Retail Sales where consumer spending is projected to remain steady, supported by wage growth despite employment softness. These indicators will be closely watched by traders, policymakers, and mortgage professionals alike, especially as the odds of a September rate cut hover near 90%.

GSEs Preparing to Hit the Trading Floor?

The discussion around ending the conservatorship of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac continues to gain momentum. There is growing interest in transitioning the GSEs toward a more independent structure.

FHFA Director William Pulte recently characterized the enterprises as “obese,” suggesting that operational reform is needed . One proposal under consideration is a public offering within conservatorship, which could generate revenue while maintaining federal oversight. While this hybrid model may preserve liquidity in the TBA and UMBS markets, it could also introduce regulatory uncertainty.

From a market perspective, encouraging competition between Fannie and Freddie may offer meaningful benefits. The shift from an explicit to an implicit guarantee raises valid concerns, but the potential for improved efficiency and innovation could result in lower borrowing costs for consumers.

The GSEs have repaid their Treasury support multiple times. A structured transition to private ownership—with clear capital standards and accountability—could help balance affordability goals with long-term financial stability.

Key Economic Data Releases this Week:

• Tuesday, August 12: CPI Report, Real Avg Hourly Earnings
• Thursday, August 14: PPI Report, Weekly Jobless Claims
• Friday, August 15: Retail Sales, Import Price Index, Empire Manufacturing

WEEKLY INTEREST RATE SNAPSHOT (this is for primary homes)

@Kelly Schroeder yeah, Hard Money all day long. That is the most common techinique for someone just starting out. Once established, once you have assets, experience, etc. then you can get a LOC on your assets, or go to private people for money. HML. That's the most effective way.

@Kolin Goff I see you have a good comment already but don't forget to try some local real estate meetup groups. Meetup.com is a good resource for those but some of the groups will also post here on Bigger Pockets Marketplace too. Even facebook might have some good local groups for you. Some of those facebook groups have thousands of members. The priority is consistent recommendations from active investors. Oh, eventbrite too. But post locally for this. That’s the best bet.

Fort Worth, Texas is the 11th largest city in the US and part of the Dallas - Fort Worth Metroplex (the 4th largest metro in the country).  Because of it's strong economy and lower cost of living it has made a great place to hold rental properties for many years.  Below are the monthly housing numbers for Fort Worth, and it surrounding cities. Don't be distracted by Granbury's large swing. When a city or town only has 19 sales the numbers can be skewed. However, in other areas on the Fort Worth side of DFW prices were down slightly even though the inventory is spiking. There are still scenarios where a seller can get a good price but their home needs to be perfect. In every other case, buyers have the upper hand.  If you are a buyer you are getting the best deals currently.

@Gabriella Zettelmeyer so, it might be possible to find this type of a product but it would not come from a "normal" outlet. We would need some work to find it.  It is true that finding a "blanket" loan would be easier but it might be possible to find what you are looking for but from a local outlet.

1. Visit your local REI groups. There are many groups that meet across the country. Some post here on the Bigger Pockets Marketplace. Many post on meetup.com. Eventbrite.com too. Even facebook will have some. Networking is always a great practice and you never know who you might meet there and what good information they have to share. Would certainly recommend visiting if one is close to you. Ask other investors in your market if there is such a lender. They would know better than other other source.
2. Calling - and then there's this option. Which is what I have had to do. I had to call about 200 lenders (no exaggeration) to learn of 4 lenders who did this and I have some tips. First, when calling banks target the smallest most community based banks you can first. If you have never heard of them, and they have one location - that's a good candidate. No big, national, publicly traded banks will do this loan type. Second, try to ask for "LINES OF CREDIT" instead of "HELOC". I know it sounds like I'm splitting hairs but some banks write HELOCs in their residential department....which won't write Investment Properties. And that residential department will often not speak to the commercial department. So they'll just say "sorry, we don't do it"....not even knowing that they really do! So if you ask for a "line of credit on an investment property" that should get you to the COMMERCIAL division. That's the section of the bank we want. Now, most of these smaller banks may only have 12 employees or so. So, don't get frustrated if they don't return your call or aren't in the office. Just call back and be friendly. Maybe play dumb a little "I don't know if I'm in the right place..." "I'm sorry to disturb you, you may not be the right person for this....", etc. Maybe someone can get you to the right person. Again, be prepared to call A LOT.

Anyways, it might take some work but I think it's possible to find.  Our at least, worth trying to find.

Reach out if you need anything.  Thanks!

@William Montalto hmmm, the way you are describing this transaction this would not be a BRRRR transaction. If it's turnkey, then there's no rehab. And if there's no rehab, then there's no "value add" step to refinance out of later. Now, this doesn't mean it's not a good deal but it just may not be a formal "BRRRR" transaction. Usually, your ROI should be a little higher even with a turnkey transaction. In a forum like this, we may not be able to analyze all the numbers with the deal but the way I would encourage you to think about the property is the value after 5 years and factor in the appreciation rate and the principle buy down. Not sure if this is making sense how I am describing it in this forum but feel free to reach out with any questions. This article might help some too HERE  Thanks!

@Brent Campbell I think this is something that August REI can do HERE

@Christopher Ramirez Babinski this is a super important question and it doesn't just apply to contractors. How do you know that a lender is any good? An electrician? A title company? Anything? Even if they do have 20 years experience...how do you know really? And while nothing is foolproof the most consistent method of finding good vendors is relying on OTHER real estate investors that have worked with those vendors. This is why we network with other real estate investors - kind of like what you are doing here!  We just need it more local for you.

So, let's try some local real estate meetup groups. Meetup.com is a good resource for those but some of the groups will also post here on Bigger Pockets Marketplace too. Even facebook might have some good local groups for you. Some of those facebook groups have thousands of members. The priority is consistent recommendations from active investors. Oh, eventbrite too. But post locally for this. That’s the best bet.