All Forum Posts by: Rob Brautigam

I can't remember which podcast it was, but you will definitely want to check with your local zoning regulations. Even though it will be a temporary banner, I'm sure you'll get at least one neighbor to complain and it would be beneficial at that point to be playing by the zoning rules.

Just like how you can always find a great market to invest in within an hour or two from where you live, you can always find higher ground. I will not buy a house in a flood zone just given the extra insurance required and liabilities...especially if your plan is to buy and hold.

Even if there has never been history of flooding, there is always a chance. A flooded basement with just 1 inch of water is enough to cause a lot of destruction.

This looks like a standard tax assessor website...you can just search for your property of interest and it should show you the owner's name and mailing address. Those 2 pieces of information should be enough to find a phone number or email address with a Google search.

Props on thinking big from the beginning! But take a step back and take a look at how you will actually accomplish the task.

You would typically be better off financing and renovating 1 house at a time to minimize holding costs (financing, taxes, etc). If you were even able to finance 4 at a time, that means you are putting in 1/4 the amount of energy to each flip, and theoretically will take 4 times longer (and pay 4 times as much in holding costs).

Why not flip one at first, then rent it out or sell it, and take those profits and roll them into your next, creating a bigger portfolio with each completed/successful flip?

Because they just don't get it. They haven't taken the time to sit down and look at the opportunities and the numbers the way you have. They don't understand and would rather spend more energy dragging you down than educating themselves up to your level.

As @Danielle Jonessaid, "People fear what they don't understand, hate what they can't conquer."

Take action.

Hey @Jeffery Neal, welcome to the forums... I think you would definitely enjoy the BP Podcast Show 103 which is all about how to levergage VA loans to your REI advantage.

House hacking a 4-plex sounds like a great idea, especially with 2 incomes, you should have no problem with financing.

Welcome @Woodlyn Love! You say your main focus right now is wholesaling. You should definitely check out the BiggerPockets podcasts, I know there are a whole bunch of interviews that focus on wholesaling directly.

Here is a list of the 5 most recent podcasts related to wholesaling. Good luck!

Podcast 116

Podcast 96

Podcast 91

Podcast 71

Podcast 67

Hey @Chris Shipman, always nice to see another (civil) engineer on the forums. You've got a great plan just coming out of school...I would highly recommend you find a full-time job in your field. Have you considered land-development/construction management? Somewhat related to real estate which will keep you in the loop with the market.

Your job should provide a nice income which you will hopefully be able to save a decent chunk every month. Also, when it comes time for you to buy, the banks will feel very comfortable, given the fact that engineers have relatively stable professions.

It took me about a year of working full time out of college to feel financially comfortable to make my first purchase. If your finances can support it, go for it. If not, an extra year of self-education in real estate is never a bad thing. Just don't fall into the paralysis by analysis trap. Once you have the capital, you gotta pull the trigger!

Hey @Bethany Weinmann, welcome! You may want to look into 5% down FHA loans and also the Homepath program. Both those programs allow for very low down payments.

I'm not sure if NJ has a specific state sponsored loan program like CT has CHFA, but you may want to look into that option as well.