All Forum Posts by: Austin Wolff

MBAs are worthless. You learn business by doing business. However, I do see merit in getting a degree in Finance.

If you can afford to house-hack where you'd like to live, I'd 100% recommend that first.

Just stumbled across this, this is incredible! Thank you for the research.

I specifically only focused on 2 markets (Indianapolis and Fayetteville, AR) before I found a deal using the BP "deal finder." I only did this because my criteria was so specific that it ruled out at least 95% of on-market properties in each city.

The national median rent-price ratio is about 0.35%. Most quality markets worth investing in for the long-term are seeing 0.50% or below. In my opinion, the 1% rule was a good rule of thumb during the 2010's. But I no longer think it serves the majority of investors in this new market cycle we're in.

 I agree. The underlying dynamics are great for Austin, TX in the long-term (I'm absolutely bullish over a 30-year period). The next five years though? There's quite a bit going against investors (oversupply being the biggest challenge). I'm also not a fan of its high property taxes and rising insurance costs to begin with. It will definitely be interesting to see how the next five years play out! 

Perhaps I should dive deeper and compare the two markets in an upcoming blog post.

Almost feels like a "rage bait" post. 30M+ people live in CA, and many international investors (big money) still invest in CA for a reason. Many solid reasons have already been stated in this forum; ignore at your own will.

 This is exactly what the builders of my first property have done in Fayetteville, AR. They're definitely ahead of the curve, but Northwest Arkansas has very little red-tape when it comes to building. I've actually enjoyed living in this high-density neighborhood -- more privacy than an apartment or townhome, more social and walkable than a suburb. 

 I like this answer so much.

Hey Kegan, I published on article on BiggerPockets specifically to answer this question for people like you (and selfishly for myself):

The 10 Best Markets for Your First House Hack

None of the states you mentioned are on this list, however. After picking up my life in Los Angeles and moving to Fayetteville, AR for a house-hack, I do have a word of wisdom: make sure you like the place you're going to live if you're moving across the country to start your real estate investing journey. House-hacking will be uncomfortable, and that discomfort is multiplied when you live in an unfamiliar place. In my opinion, if you really like one state more than another, try to make the house-hacking work there. If the numbers don't seem to make sense, consider a cheaper (but still growing market) or just keep saving until you can do out-of-state investing.