All Forum Posts by: Ben Valentin

@Lynne Ha Are you referring to purchasing off market or selling off market? As far as I know, purchasing a property off market is so you can get it as cheap as possible. Then selling it publicly like you're saying is to get the highest sale price possible. But I'm a newbie as well, so I wouldn't know for sure!

Thanks @Michael Lee for all the advice! We're looking forward to everything, and I'll hopefully be able to share the journey with BP along the way! 

@Charlie John that makes a lot of sense. I'm seeing that the big win situation here is on off market deals with no realtor or wholesaler. But just so I'm aware, when wholesalers give me a "list price" is that a raw number or does it include their wholesale fee? I'm assuming not, which is why I was figuring these numbers weren't conservative enough. 

Cornelius Garland I've heard about the bad wholesalers out there. Hoping to find some of the few good ones around here! But I appreciate the advice on marketing! I think you're right about that, and I'll be looking into that over the next week!

Cornelius Garland Great pointers! Makes a lot of sense. I haven't started my own marketing yet. I was hoping to be able to get one deal under my belt using a realtor or wholesaler, then use the money from that deal to start a full marketing campaign. Looks like I may have thought that through backwards.

Thanks for the feedback Kenneth Garrett ! I'll keep the research going and wait for the right deals!

Here's my problem:

I've been working with Realtors, Wholesalers, and just looking at my own deals online. 

I've been looking over a lot of deals, and their numbers show their ARV estimates, Rehab estimates, etc.

Not one single deal has shown anywhere near the 70% rule of expenses, and that's only considering purchase price and rehab estimates. These numbers haven't taken into account the wholesale or realtor fees, holding costs, closing costs, etc. 

Every single deal has been between 75% and upwards of 90% of ARV.

Could someone please let me know if I'm missing something? Are these list prices from wholesalers including their fees? Maybe I'm getting concerned before looking long enough, or maybe I'm confusing my numbers. I refuse to let my first deal be a loss due to settling for something above the 70% rule. I just need some help understanding how it all gets pieced together in a legitimate deal. 

Thanks, guys!

Hi guys, 

My name's Ben, and I'm excited to be here! Living in Davenport, FL currently, but I grew up in Cookeville, TN. I spent most of my life pursing a career in music until I was about 20, when I discovered how much I loved business.

 I'm brand new to real estate, but I have a background in business management and a serious entrepreneurial drive. About 2 months ago my wife and I quit our jobs to relocate, so I began driving full time for Uber to cover the bills after moving to Davenport, FL. I decided to download Audible and listen to Rich Dad Poor Dad (Which my dad has been telling me to read since I was 12 - Imagine how frustrated I was to find out I wasted over 10 years of what could've been real estate experience). I was hooked, found the Bigger Pockets Podcast, and thanks to Uber's non-stop sitting in the car environment, I've listened to over 100 episodes of the podcast in just 3 weeks. 

I'll be honest that I've learned more from Josh, Brandon and the guests in the past few weeks than I have anywhere else in the past few years. 

Now I'm absolutely committed to building a real estate business. I told myself when I quit my last job that I never wanted to be an employee again, and I'm really hoping that Uber can hold us over until real estate takes over the bills.

Really looking forward to connecting with local investors, both mentors and peers to work along side!

Great to meet everyone!

- Ben Valentin

I'm looking for my first fix-and-flip project right now in the south Orlando area (Davenport, FL). Before I even get a deal flow going, I'm really hoping to connect with a few general contractors so that I can have them give me estimates before making any offers. 

Are there any local investors that have any suggestions or advice on this?

Thanks!

Stephen Anderson - I'm looking to purchase a property to flip here in the Orlando area (preferably south of Orlando). Please reach out to me so we can discuss opportunities to work together. Thanks!