All Forum Posts by: Ashley Lesieur

Hi @Andy Ferrell,

This sounds really interesting!  I'm sorry I can't help answer myself, but I will be interested to see if anyone confirms this!  Thanks for posting.

My zip and the surrounding seemed pretty spot-on.  I think it's a great idea to use it as a tool to get the big picture on zips you may be unfamiliar with before investing there.  Thanks for sharing!

Hi Connor,

As a real estate agent in Hudson County, NJ, I've seen many homes damaged by Sandy.  The home you are looking at will most likely need to be gutted, especially anywhere the water touched.  Some things to consider in addition to the renovation:

Where is it located on the flood map? Is it likely to flood again?  This may help you decide how to finish the lower level.  In downtown Jersey City, homes that were flooded by Sandy have put in new draining systems and renovated with tile in the lower level instead of carpet or wood, and raised their utilities up off the floor so a couple inches of water won't reach them.

It may be more difficult to get insurance and you may be required to get flood insurance so there may be some extra expenses there.  

Just a couple things I see daily where I'm at.  Hope that helps you with your decision! 

@Travis H. I really appreciate your response to this post!  I am putting together my business plan and got stuck on the "why" so I have been reading many forum posts.  I was feeling like I had to come up with one amazing, all-encompassing "why", but really there are so many different reasons I have to invest in real estate.  Thank you for showing there are "business-y" and also very personal reasons we all have to enter this business and they are all important enough to put in the plan.

@Douglas Larson Thanks for the tip about shadowing the technicians!  If not to do the work on my own, then to at least be able to negotiate a fair price for the work and be able to understand if it's being done right or wrong.

@Jeremy Pace  Thanks for the book referral, and @Michael McCartney and @Matthew Cole I'll venture on YouTube for sure, but it's it a bit difficult to tell who is give legit advice?

Thanks everyone, and I will definitely be documenting the progress of my renovation here on BP so look out for it ;)

Hi all,

I am planning on renovating my 650sqft pre-war condo within the next year.  Before I joined this community, DIY would not have entered my mind.  But now that I have read about others doing it, I am considering it.

Are there any specific books or sites to learn about the overall process of DIY as well as the details?  I am willing to learn...just have no idea where to even begin.  Thanks for any information!

Thanks everyone! I appreciate all the tips and encouragement.

@Kenneth B. I'll definitely look out for those meet ups! Glad to hear NJ is well-represented here :)

Hi everyone!

I just found this amazing community and I'm very excited to learn and network with everyone! I'm a real estate agent in Hudson county NJ. Just from reading a few blogs and listening to a couple podcasts I already have ideas for my first investment! Mindy Jensen has inspired me to consider a live-in flip and doing some work on my own when I never had considered it an option before. I look forward to more "ah-ha" moments for myself and also being able to share my knowledge of the market with others in this community as we all grow as real estate investors.