All Forum Posts by: Alexander Ball

Good luck Sebastian.  Being able to judge the value of a property well must be a huge advantage.  

I think this might be a "load" type of issue for you, Ben. Not a "burden". Good luck to you in all your endeavors. 

Benjamin Timmins Hello Benjamin, Are you referencing my original post and my distaste for the sales guy that came to my house -- so you wouldn't do business with me? I'd be really interested to hearing more about what you have to say about that.

Hi Michael! Welcome to bigger pockets. I'm new here myself and working to take at least one action every day towards success in real estate. If today is your first day on BP that is a great first day of action. There are lot of people in SoCal on BP. Find some of them and network with people smarter than you. Strategies that work in my neck of the woods may not work for you and visa versa. Good luck!

This thread has been incredible for me.  It is exactly what I wanted to hear.  I really appreciated all of the time and thought put into this from everyone who read and responded.

This makes me think about what is my "competitive advantage".  I'm not rich, I can't swing a hammer, I don't have experience -- but I do believe I have a very strong sense of empathy.  I hope that when I am a landlord I have a competitive advantage in the way I relate to people, tenants, vendors, or otherwise, that help them to feel appreciated and part of the success.

I will work out my no muscle.  I will not shirk off other's burdens, but I will remind them their loads are their own.

Hi BP members,

I am in the process of selling my house.  Just yesterday I had a sale guy come out to give me an estimate on some work.  I found the gentleman quite offensive (racist, sexist, homophobic) and the product was far outside of my budget.

Even still, I had such a strong compulsion to pay more, to help this guy out.  He drove out to my place, he's trying to make a sale, and maybe I should just sign the contract for the estimate he gave.  Even for someone who I had a strong personal distaste for, I often find myself just trying to make everyone happy.

I am not afraid of conflict, I used to compete in martial arts, I debate, I say my piece, I stand up for myself at work -- however I just want people to be happy.

How do you get better at telling people no?  Is it a learned skill like anything else, or is there a particular mindset you get yourself into when you need to disappoint someone?

I'm looking to invest in Ypsilanti as well. I love it there and many do. Depot town and the surrounding neighborhoods are lovely. EMU is charming. As a single male I would honestly feel safe living anywhere in Ypsi city, and there is crime everywhere you just have to me smart and careful. Random violent crime isn't a real problem -- just bored kids stealing stuff. The shootings are certainly disconcerting but that is not random bystanders getting shot. The school district isn't great but Ypsi attracts lots of young professionals. And then f course the students. Mr. Beal has many student rentals and his name is every where in Ypsi. You could do much worse than Ypsi. Joe Villeneuve -- what does CF mean?

Hi Chris,

You'll find great information here if you stick with it.  Good luck!

Everyone here as great advice. Here is something not bored yet. Which one allows you the ability to create value? Is the fourplex under market rents because it needs updating? Is the duplex inefficiently split up and could easily be made a triplex? Good luck. Working on getting my first deal under my belt myself.

Thanks @Jesse Vipond.  I requested the rental multiplier from my agent and received a market analysis from her based on leasing prices per sq/ft and an estimate on rent for the building based on that.

We don't know yet the numbers of bedrooms per unit, but that is very important to figuring out the rental amount of the units.

Is there another way to find the rental multiplier besides asking my buyer's agent, or should I ask again at the risk of sounding pushy?

Thanks for all your input and help with this, as well as anyone else who is reading and has input for me.