All Forum Posts by: Anna Watkins

Hi @Diego Howard - somebody needing a place ASAP is a red flag (looming eviction, running from something or somebody?).  There are a ton of great resources here on BP -- Tenant Screening: The Ultimate Guide that Brandon posted is the first thing you should read (that's the ASAP to pay attention to now!).  

First you need to develop a pre-screening questionnaire, for when you're talking to prospectives on the phone.  If you tell them up front you need a credit report, or no prior evictions allowed, that you will be checking references, what the deposits are, etc, you will weed out folks who won't be a good fit for your properties anyway.  Then you have time to proceed with a thorough screening.  

Especially if this is your first time out managing a property for someone else, take the time to do it right and get a top-quality tenant for your owner.  Be timely and efficient, but not speedy. Best of luck! 

@Julian Jackson -- very cool.  Success the first time around (and the lessons you've learned) are a great boost to your new career.  Knowing you CAN do it will keep you going even if a future deal doesn't work out so well.  Congratulations!

@Mike Watkins - Thanks for the shout out, 'bro'!  I'll see if I can make it. Weekdays are hard for us part-timers, but I'd love to be there if I can.  Guest list looks top notch :-)

Wow @Tom Burns - that's impressive.  I'm in the same area-ish (Oakhurst) but am strictly part-time, have a few rentals of the same vintage, but all south of the City of Decatur.  Welcome (or, glad you're speaking up!)

Thanks, @Ethan Atkinson!

As a beginner, you really should go with an experienced RE agent  -- one that specializes in working with investors.  Don't choose an agent who is excellent with couples wanting to buy a house to live in -- the priorities are radically different.

"Invest" the time trying to find this person, and you will learn SO much about the whole process of buying a house as a business investment, and what's important and not so important for flipping, rentals, etc.   The right RE agent will save you from a bad deal, and with a good working relationship, can help you find good deals down the road.  And if you're a flipper, you can return the favor by listing your finished product with the same agent (and paying the commission at sale).

@Erika Stokes - I have 3 single family rentals in unincorporated DeKalb (inside the perimeter in the East Lake/Belvedere area) and two in my Tennessee hometown. I went on a buying jag in 2015, and am working hard to let the dust settle in 2016 -- with so many ideas and opportunities, it's hard to hold back!

@Luis Montanez - I'm singing with the crowd -- the concrete work is awesome, but probably going to be a tougher sell in East Cobb that it would be in a Midtown loft.  The exterior work, though -- a tradition interior with a fabulous backyard, drive or entry walk would really pop.  If you want to try the concrete inside, go small with a first try.  Maybe just a bathroom, or a basement where tile might otherwise be used.  The idea of concrete countertops is a good one too -- a custom high-end alternative to granite?

Stay away from concrete in the kitchen.  It seems like a no-brainer to use it, but as the primary cook and kitchen user, I absolutely do not want to stand on concrete for an hour or two a day.  I don't like tile in the kitchen either, for what it's worth.

Good luck and be sure to post pics of the finished work.

Hi   @Erika Stokes -- there are a few other forum discussions that cover this topic and have great info.  Do a forum search and you'll find lots!  And welcome to BP.

My high school senior is applying to Columbus State for Fall 2016, and we're headed down for a campus tour at the end of January.  I'm a buy-and-hold landlord here in Metro Atlanta (Decatur/DeKalb area) and would love to do some neighborhood drive-throughs while in town.  I don't know much about living in Columbus -- which are the "nice" neighborhoods and which are considered "scary" by locals.

What are good areas for B-ish class SFR rentals -- where do young professionals rent, and where do students who want to live off-campus rent? What's the differential for folks choosing to live on the Georgia side, and those who choose to live in Phenix City (Alabama). How do investors in the Columbus area network? Is there a source you can point me to so I can try to educate myself?

If The Young Man decides on CSU (I'm very hopeful!), it could well be a great area for me to get involved in (and to start getting him interested in real estate too -- cross your fingers).

Thanks all!