All Forum Posts by: David Gonzalez

To give you my thoughts I will need to know what you hope to accomplish. Do you want to know how to pass the test to get your licence or to be a successful Real Estate sales agent?

I wouldn't buy in front of a school because of the traffic. Parents want to be near a school not in front of the school. When it comes time to sell you will have to sell at a lower price point compared to your neighbors. 

The only exception I would make is if the home was in a fantastic school district and/or school and it was priced lower then a similar home further away. Parents love great schools and they are willing to live in an expensive home/apartment with substandard/lower quality of life in order to send their kids to the school. Those homes go up in CF and value regardless of the traffic issues.

Hey @Danny Farrell. Congratulations on your purchase!

For SFH and small investment properties (2-4 units) I would suggest you advertise on CL and Zillow. If you go through Zillow they have a free program where you can post your ad and syndicate to a number of sites where I have gotten great response from (i.e. Trulia and Hotpads). You can also use the program to post on CL. So you kill several birds with one stone!

I am not familiar with Westside rentals but I believe they cost money and the other sources will bring you leads for free. You will find out that 98% of your leads will come from either CL, Zillow, Trulia or Hotpads. Today's renters go to several sites to find your home. If you choose CL I would suggest you renew your post every 3 days to stay on top of the search.

Happy Leasing!

Unlike legislation in years past these laws are a requirement for local cities to comply with. Based on what I have read in the local paper it appears that local communities have some leeway with how it is implemented but not much. 

Though I think properties with ADU on them will see an increase in appreciation I do not think it will have much of an impact on the local housing market because:

1) Not every home has space for an ADU

2) Not every home with the space wants an ADU

3) Not every owner who wants an ADU can afford to build one

If ADU took off it would only help a small demographic of the housing market (i.e. those with smaller households [1 to 3 people] ). It wouldn't solve the issues for larger/multi-generational households who need affordable housing.

When considering what your move in money should be consider:

1) Local Laws and what is legal

2) What is customary in your market

3) Your risk level

4) The quality of your home

When in doubt follow the law and charge what other landlords are charging to rent a similar home.

Hey @Stephanie Benjamin I used Duane Gomer and the in person class (along with the MP3) is great! I have used other test prep companies and they are worth the money. If you listen to the MP3 be sure to speed it up as the speaker speaks very slowly. If you have an iPhone you can do it through iTunes by classifying it as an audio book.

Never heard of a reverse 1031 Exchange. Always learning from the Bigger Pockets Forums! Another way to secure the property is to get an option on a property and to exercise that option when you are ready to sell. I think California still has upside but if you find an emerging Real Estate market to invest in and transfer your profits to that area you will see your wealth explode! Just make sure you understand what you are buying and you are well capitalized.

Not sure if the high speed rail will be built and if it will be unsuccessful. For it to be a success it would need to connect at least one large coastal city with the central valley. What I would suggest is you purchase Real Estate that would still be successful even if rail is not built.

Yes you can but the deals that come up will be few and far between. The only way you can guarantee deal flow is to have different lead generating sources you work on.

It's over priced. I would suggest you visit open houses with your competitors to see how the homes look and how it is presented.