All Forum Posts by: Anthony Jimenez

@Joel Bongco 

Aloha! That’s awesome, thank you for the invite. I just booked my tickets, so I’ll definitely be there on October 6th. I really appreciate the information and I’m looking forward to connecting with you and the rest of the LA group in person 😊

I’m thinking about going to the BiggerPockets Conference next month. I really want to learn, network, and start building strong connections as I grow my real estate portfolio. I’m based in Los Angeles and plan to start locally with house hacking before eventually expanding out of state.

Is anyone else from LA planning to attend BP Con? Would love to connect beforehand and possibly link up at the event!

Hi BP community,

I’m looking at a single-family residence in Los Angeles County that has an unpermitted unit (guest house). Before moving forward, I want to better understand what the process of legalizing one of these units looks like in the real world.

Has anyone here successfully obtained retroactive permits (“as-built” permits) to bring an unpermitted unit up to code in Los Angeles?

• What was the process like from start to finish?
• How long did it take?
• What were the major challenges with the city (zoning, inspections, utility hookups, etc.)?
• Roughly what did it cost you to get it legalized?
• Would you do it again, or was it more hassle than it was worth?

I know the technical steps (as-built plans, plan check, inspections, corrections, etc.), but I’d love to hear firsthand experiences from other investors who’ve actually gone through it.

Any insights would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance,

Anthony

@Jason Wray 

Thanks so much for the detailed advice, I really appreciate you taking the time to break it all down. I didn’t realize how important it is to get multiple quotes and push for things like seller concessions — that’s definitely something I’ll keep in mind, especially in a competitive market like L.A. I’m also going to look into the Express Loan Approval you mentioned to make my offers stronger. Thanks again for offering your help and for supporting veterans like me — it really means a lot!

Hey everyone,

I’m active duty Army and recently got pre-approved for a VA home loan — $625K for a single-family and $775K for a multi-family. I’m based in Los Angeles and planning to buy my first property here. I know the market is expensive, but I’m motivated and want to use this opportunity wisely.

I’m leaning toward a multi-family property so I can house hack, but I’m open to creative strategies and advice. My goal is to start building a portfolio that gives me long-term financial freedom.

Has anyone used a VA loan to house hack in L.A.? Any tips on finding good deals, negotiating, or structuring it right? I’m a new Realtor as well, so I’ve been trying to learn as much as possible on the ground.

Appreciate any guidance!

Hey everyone,

I’m active duty Army and recently got pre-approved for a VA home loan — $625K for a single-family and $775K for a multi-family. I’m based in Los Angeles and planning to buy my first property here. I know the market is expensive, but I’m motivated and want to use this opportunity wisely.

I’m leaning toward a multi-family property so I can house hack, but I’m open to creative strategies and advice. My goal is to start building a portfolio that gives me long-term financial freedom.

Has anyone used a VA loan to house hack in L.A.? Any tips on finding good deals, negotiating, or structuring it right? I’m a new Realtor as well, so I’ve been trying to learn as much as possible on the ground.

Appreciate any guidance!