All Forum Posts by: Matt Crusinberry

Welcome Dre Meesh! Sounds like you're heading in the right direction. Good luck!

I went the route of legalzoom for one of our llc's. It was simple and worked out fine, but it was for my wife and I. The llc didn't require much, and it was pretty straight forward, so no complaints there. However, I also had my CPA and our lawyer each set one up for us, they charged us approx. the same amount (maybe a little more), but it was a little more complex. So if you're fairly savy with all the legalities, it shouldn't be a problem. Otherwise, I would continue to ask around to see what others are offering. I know this isn't a black and white answer, but I hope it helps in some way. My personal recommendation is seek higher qualified personnel. Good luck!!! 

@Jared Huffman , 

Linda D. is correct. If you're looking at single family homes (SFH), the best way is to look at what has sold in/around the property that you are trying to determine the value of (preferably within last 6 months; location dependent). You're also looking for properties that are nearest to your subject property in size (i.e. 3 bed, 2 bath, 1,800 sqft., and amount of land). There are numerous sites out there you can use to help you to figure this out as well: zillow, trulia, redfin, realtor.com etc.

If you're still just in the preliminary phase and just trying to acquire a base of knowledge, this site will give you all the info you need. Also, Anson Young just wrote a book on here that will help you (Finding & Funding Great Deals). And to be completely honest with you, all the books on here are value add reads.

I hope this helps and I hope you find it rewarding as you continue down this path. Good luck, and keep the questions coming.

Hi Samari, what my wife and I do is simply contact the utility company and ask them for a monthly average on a property we are interested in purchasing. If they have any questions, we just express to them exactly what our intent is, and that we need monthly averages for the year to run numbers. We aren't necessarily concerned with exact, but averages to help us make a sound judgement. Oh, and be prepared for the push button game, just to get someone on the line. I hope this helps and good luck.

Hi Tony, great first post and good question. I personally believe this to be a potential opportunity for you and your family. At the same time, you don't want to put yourself in a predicament that would not allow you to set yourself up for success in your transition to Texas. You have walked into a situation that would allow you to do what everyone talks about: on this site BP's, books, and the RE gurus. Actually, Brandon Turner wrote a book about it, "The Book on Investing in Real Estate with No (and Low) Money Down..." I highly endorse this book; it's a wealth of information for someone entering into real estate investing. 

I recommend you do some research, not just running comp's for quad-plexes, but having a basic understanding of house hacking and what you can do to make this happen for you and your family. Some essentials that you want to consider are: traditional financing vs. creative financing, property management costs and expectations (for when you move), and property expenses (taxes, CapEx, maintenance, and vacancy to list a few).

Good luck to you and your family as you continue down this awesome route of real estate investing.

I like where your head is at... what does right look like though? If you find a great deal and it saves you money, I recommend that you go for it! I too found myself in this situation, and my R/E Agent was awesome. He bent over backwards for us, and my wife and I ended buying something else, somewhere else. I also understood that he put a lot of faith in the fact that we trusted him and that we would do him a solid, and we didn't with the purchase. We are stilling going to tip him though, because he deserves it. I read somewhere (rich dad poor dad) that we all tip waitresses and other local vendors, but what about the people that will appreciate it more or that do more? 

Anyway, we felt that it was appropriate at the time and did what we thought was right. I hope this serves you well. Good luck in your decision and future ventures.

I can't speak to the area, but I can speak to BAH and BAS and what the investor community calls "House Hacking." I recommend that you read the different blogs, the posts questions, and watch every video you can about real estate investing on here. I don't know that the coast guard offers these incentives for being active duty, but nonetheless you can't go wrong taking this route (if you read and learn the best ways to execute the investment part of the strategy). 

In regards to purchasing a duplex/triplex/quadplex as your first investment, I highly recommend it. You are on the brink to greatness, if you stay with it. I did not take this route while serving in the military, but you'll find that you can pay for an investment on the government's dime. You get to double down on the funds via the gov. and the tenants. I doubt that you'll see much deployment time, being in the coast guard and all (not that familiar with the coast guard down range; i.e. IRAQ, AFGHANISTAN, or SYRIA), but I'm sure they give you some kind of living stipend/expense for being gone or deployed (away from home). Good luck, and keep the questions coming, because there are a ton of people on here that have a vast amount of knowledge. Do your own research to make sure you're on track and continue to ask questions if you can't find what you're looking for. Good luck to you...

I am a small-time investor that is always looking to upgrade. My wife and I are flippers and holders, and we are ever expanding. This is my first time writing on Biggerpockets, and I know it won't be my last. I love real estate, but most importantly I love to make money from it. I don't have any questions at the moment because most of the stuff I can think of is/has already been discussed in some form or manner on this site. AWESOME!!!

I currently buy SFR's either to flip or for rental income; however, I am trying to venture out into the commercial field of apartment complexes. So... If anyone out there is in my area and is interested in taking on more, please don't hesitate to contact me or my wife. We presently live in a location that others view as depressed, all I see is opportunity at a lower cost and thus have made gains in this market. Anyway, thank you for taking the time to read my first post here. I hope everyone reading this is doing well, and that you continue on to make your dreams & goals a reality. Thank you...

Matt Crusinberry