All Forum Posts by: Ryan Landis

@Vincent Townsend the biggest thing you need to do is get in contact with the owners and see if they are willing to sell. Tons of us are glad to figure out a fair agreement with you if you can get something - the hardest part is just getting it :)

MinnGo is looking for a lead property manager to grow out the property management side of the brokerage. We want someone who is entrepreneurial at heart and ready to really run with growing out the business. You will get all of the support in the world in helping you get more business and grow out the firm. You will also be able to do transactions if desired.

Email [email protected] if you have an interest and we can coordinate the process for getting you started right away!

@Osazee Edebiri how much will the value of the property go up if you are able to bump rents? I had someone just last week talk to me about a 4 unit they have out in Oakland where buyouts probably make a ton of sense.

@Simon Gill and @Mary Ann Casey not sure if it matters, but I would say 99% of the people that I work with actually never go and "hang out" with their CPA but do most things over the phone/skype/virtually. If you are open to working with someone not in the area, @Brandon Hall is amazing and specializes in RE.

@Jonathan Pflueger you are in one of the last places in the Bay Area where you can use FHA loans (and USDA loans in some parts) and still get great schools. I head out there once a month and love it - cool spot to be in. I think the biggest trick @Shane Pearlman brought up a big is knowing the different pockets and the people that want to be in those pockets. It is not uncommon for a SFer to think "it is less expensive out there" and then have no idea what they are doing when they see propane tanks and have to deal with septic systems.

@Steven Pitchford as others have mentioned, Sac is an interesting market (and the first one the Bay Area folk go to when looking for investments). I don't think there is every going to be a rhyme or reason why one area will be better than the next unless you are willing to put in the ground work to meet with the people that will help you pull off your investment plan (i.e. going to TX won't do you any good if you do not have the systems and management in place to make it successful). 

As @Chris Mason mentioned there are some areas closer to home that might be able to pull off something close to what those other markets offer - but you will "understand" these markets a bit better most likely (assuming you understand the general Bay Area market).

@Joe D. welcome! Good to hear you have done it in the past (successfully too)! Smart move to let people know you are ready to take action - be careful now and make sure you put your money into something smart! Good luck!

@Ashok Aletty I am not an attorney, so take this with a grain of salt, but honestly if you are worried about liability an Umbrella Insurance policy is significantly cheaper than the $800 LLC filing fee you will pay each year and you do not need to transfer title, etc. In addition, you will almost certainly save money on your auto insurance, etc.

But, what I would say 99% of people fail to do (even if the property is in an LLC) is to capitalize the company enough, ensure management is done well, etc. Also, talk to your CPA because they will almost certainly charge you more for the additional paperwork from the LLC. There is no "unit" threshold but I think too many people worry about this when they should just be focusing on building out their business!

@Raj G. listen to every BP Podcast. I have a Master's in Real Estate and I leverage what I learn from BP more than that everyday when I am talking to prospects. 

In terms of lead generation, just listen to the podcasts about direct mail, etc. They do the exact same thing with different content than what you are going to need to do to be successful.

@Coby Herzog people switch all of the time - at the end of the day I would just evaluate why you want the things you think you need to see if you really do in order to be successful. For example, some people need the office space to focus and get work done while others crush it working from home or Starbucks - the brokerage will not make you any better or worst, it will be the people that HELP you (if the Top Producers aren't going to let you learn from them at the new place that won't help either). If you do decide to switch, I would focus on the things you KNOW you need instead of what you think you might need. Good luck!