All Forum Posts by: Aubrey Maldonado

@Lynne Gregorio, you have great questions and I think an attorney would be the best person to ask. My husband and I set up our LLC as managing members (50/50). I would recommend discussing all your questions with a legal professional. You can usually set up a consultation with an attorney and they can help you sort through what's swimming around in your head and know the legal implications of what you choose. Sorry, I can't be of more help!

@Samson Hollmérus, thanks for sharing! I enjoyed reading your story and can relate to wanting to keep the anonymity. It took me several months to get up the guts to introduce myself on BP haha but I'm glad I did. Best wishes to you!

@Corey McNabb, welcome to BP! Definitely keep reading and learning. Meetups have been a great way for me and my husband to meet other real estate professionals and investors. I highly recommend finding some type of meetup, even if it's virtual, to get to know people. Meetup.com and BiggerPockets are the places I discovered REI groups, but Facebook is also a good place to look. Best wishes on your journey!

@Lupe Diaz, I definitely see how being an investor-friendly agent is a strength. Also, I don't know how strict your area is with social gatherings, but meetups have been a great way for me to get to know other investors and learn from what they are doing. You also may end up finding potential partners or clients. 

@Mal'Lica Benton, awesome! Thank you for sharing! 

@Jake Ernst As I'm sure you've experienced, sellers have a ton of confidence right now and are not allowing a lot of wiggle room. But, you never know when you might get the right one who just needs cash quickly. I just spoke with someone the other day who found a great deal on a property because the owner is a flipper and needs to free up cash. 

If you're concerned about burning out another agent, maybe consider paying the agent a small amount every time you submit an offer. I know I'm an agent saying this, but it could help keep your relationships with investor-friendly agents going if you're constantly submitting offers with no idea of the end. Consider it a type of transaction fee for the agent doing the paperwork and negotiation for you. Another option in place of the transaction fee is adding a bonus on your end when a transaction does go through. You could discuss it with your agent ahead of time to provide an incentive. If you have a good agent, they're doing quite a bit of work before they ever get paid by anyone.  

Also, there are plenty of wholesalers out there doing the leg work of searching for off-market deals. You might consider that option if you're not confident in your own direct mail right now. 

@Sheldon Santos I missed that you said you're headed to the Sacramento area. Depending on when you leave, the meetups might help you talk through options with fellow military members and investors before you head on your way.

@Sheldon Santos, I'm a real estate agent and investor in the Camp Lejeune area. @Sean McDonnell is a colleague and friend of mine who hosts a Pints & Properties REI meetup in Surf City every month. Here is the link to the event if you're interested: https://www.biggerpockets.com/...

I'm also a member of a Jacksonville REI Meetup group: https://www.meetup.com/ENC-Rea....   
Hope to see you around!

@Sannibel Carter, If meetups/networking events are an option for you (not sure how restrictive your area is right now),  I recommend networking with other investors and real estate professionals to get to know who they are and possibly be able to work for them. I recommend finding a friend or family member who can go with you. You may be able to find someone who needs help with paperwork, yard work, or anything like that that you can jump in and start doing right away. I didn't realize how instrumental meetups would be in my real estate career until I started going to them. I've been able to make important connections and friendships through the meetups in my area. Also, now is a great time to find virtual meetups if in-person events are not an option. 

Additionally, being willing to work for free is a great suggestion multiple people have already made here. But don't let people take advantage of you either. I wish I had been willing to work for free earlier in my life; on the other hand, I'm also grateful for the advice someone once told me, "they'll take advantage of you if you let them." I hope you come across generous, kind people who look out for you but watch out for those who only want to advance themselves.

Finally, if you haven't read it yet, read The Miracle Morning: The Not-So-Obvious Secret Guaranteed to Transform Your Life (Before 8 AM) by Hal Elrod. If you can start structuring your mornings and your days as Hal Elrod recommends, you will be leaps and bounds ahead of the people around you. 

I'm looking forward to it!