All Forum Posts by: Ethan Piani-Hohmann

House hack or try to find off-market. I just cold-called to get my last one. Retail Price is pricy. 

I would recommend reaching out to a property manager. They usually have a list of several vendors per industry. 

Ive seen some good deals down there as well. Ive seen some deals in Groton and New London. Ive heard some mixed things about that area but I'm curious about the longterm appreciation. 

Where is it? I may be interested in buying it. Feel free to email/call

Hey @Anton Filiptsov— I totally get where you're coming from. I’m an agent and investor based here in MA, and trust me, I’ve felt that same frustration. This market is super tight — high prices, high taxes, and not much margin for error, especially if you're strictly chasing cash flow.

That said, a couple thoughts that might help:

1. It is hard to find cash-flowing deals here, especially if you're running conservative numbers or trying to stay fully passive. Even house hacking or room rentals are tough unless you're in exactly the right spot. Try to be close to a college.
   
   
2. Try pivoting your lens — When I got out of analysis paralysis, it was by accepting that the "perfect deal" may not exist. I asked myself: What am I actually trying to do right now? Am I trying to get rich off one deal? Or am I just trying to get in the game, learn, and make my next one better?
   
   
3. Focus on one sub-market — 1 hour from Boston covers a huge area. If you try to analyze Worcester, Fall River, Haverhill, and Lowell all at once, you'll drown in data. Pick one town you like the fundamentals of, and go deep there. I personally like Lowell.
   
   
4. Build your edge — A lot of "deals" that look bad on paper can work if you have a plan to reposition, add value, or get creative with financing. For example, I’m working a seller-financing angle on a 2-family in Belmont right now, and it only makes sense because of the terms.
   
   

Lastly — you don’t have to force a deal in MA if it just doesn’t make sense for your goals. But if you’re newer to investing, buying somewhere you can physically drive to has a lot of value while you’re learning. You’ll feel more confident handling issues and getting hands-on.

Happy to chat more if you ever want to bounce deals around. You're not alone in this.

– Ethan

Hi Moe,

Welcome to BP! Your approach of learning before diving in is smart. Your connections with service providers will be invaluable for both multifamily investing and the BRRRR strategy.

For multifamily, start with house hacking a 2-4 unit property to learn while building equity.

For BRRRR, leverage those contractor relationships to accurately estimate rehab costs - this is where many new investors struggle.

Since you're in New Hampshire, connect with local REI groups to find market-specific opportunities and potential partners.

Best of luck on your journey! You're already on the right track. 

I'm a Boston-based realtor who's watched house hackers turn Greater Boston's high-priced market into a wealth-building machine, but let's be real—this area's cash flow can be tough to crack. I'm dying to hear how you're making it work! For those eyeing your first or next investment, house hacking a 2–4 family (live in one unit, rent the rest) is a solid move to cut living costs and build equity. But with prices steep, I want to know: what's your strategy in this market where cash flow's tight but appreciation and a decent cash flow mix make it tempting? Take spots like Salem, Woburn, or Everett—3–4 families run $500–900k, with rents at $2,000–2,800/unit. You might clear $800–1,500/month after expenses, plus 5–7% yearly appreciation. Lowell's another example, with cheaper multis ($500–700k) and similar rents. My clients have house hacked Woburn 4-families, living rent-free and pocketing $1,000/month, or gone BRRR on fixer-uppers to pull cash out. But what's your approach? Are you chasing off-market deals in Salem for better numbers? Banking on Everett's growth? Or maybe tweaking rehabs to boost rents in Woburn? How are you balancing the slim cash flow with appreciation? Are you cool with breaking even upfront for long-term gains, or do you have tricks to squeeze out more monthly profit? And what markets are you digging into—any hidden gems in Greater Boston? For first-timers, are you stressing about down payments or tenant issues, and how're you tackling those? Seasoned folks, what's your next house hack look like? Spill your game plan—what's working, what's not, and where are you hunting for deals? Let's swap ideas and figure out how to crush it in this crazy market!

Hey Khaled,

I’m a Watertown realtor, and I work with a ton of investors in Massachusetts, so I’m pumped to see you hustling as a wholesaler with two properties already lined up! 🙌 I get your urgency to find active cash buyers, and your questions about BatchLeads and PropStream are spot-on. Here’s some quick value on finding investors, based on what’s worked for my investor clients, plus a nudge to connect since I might be able to help you directly.

Both BatchLeads and PropStream are solid for finding cash buyers, but I’d lean toward DealMachine or PropWire for your needs. Here’s the play: use DealMachine or PropWire to search recent cash sales in Massachusetts, then filter for folks owning 4+ properties—those are your serious investors. You can pull their contact info (names, phones, emails) with their skip-tracing tools (DealMachine’s is free, PropWire’s is $0.12/record). Reach out with your deals via calls, texts, or postcards. My clients have built killer buyer lists this way, flipping deals fast. DealMachine’s mobile app is great for on-the-go searches, while PropWire’s free data pulls (up to 10k/day) are awesome for big lists, though owner info can be hit-or-miss.

Facebook groups are a good start, but direct outreach to proven buyers is where the magic happens. Since I work with a lot of cash buyers in MA, let’s connect—I might have investors who’d vibe with your properties. DM me to chat about your deals or get tips on reaching those buyers. Happy to dive deeper! 💪

Thanks,

Ethan

Hey Cameron,

Watertown realtor here, do a ton in Lowell. Stoked you found a 2-unit in your $400–500k range—nice! Those tenants at $800–850 are way below Lowell’s $2,000–2,450 market for 2-beds, and I feel you on whether a light rehab to hit $1,700–1,900 makes it worth it. Foundation’s a concern too. Here’s quick value on handling those low rents, based on my Lowell clients.

- Lowell Market: Your rehab plan’s solid—$1,700–1,900/unit is doable with basic updates (paint, flooring, fixtures). I’m seeing $1,800–2,100 rents post-rehab. Check that foundation tho—could cost $5–20k. What’s your reno budget?

- Tenant Strategies:

- Bump Rents Post-Rehab: Rehab, then pitch tenants $1,700–1,900 leases. My clients pull this off in Lowell, keeping tenants with nicer units. MA laws are strict, so check leases.

- Cash for Keys: Offer $2–4k to bounce. A client paid $3k, re-rented at $2,000, and made it back fast. Wanna talk how to do this?

- Vacant Contingency: Push for vacant delivery in your offer, but sellers might say no unless they’re eager. I’ve made it work for clients. Curious how to write it up?

- Worth It? At $450k + $20k rehab, $1,800/unit ($3,600/month) gives ~$2,500/month cash flow—7–8% return, decent for Lowell. If tenants stick at $800, it’s rough till you reset rents. Skip it if foundation’s a mess or tenants are locked in. A client flipped a Lowell 2-family like this, hit $2,000/unit after $15k rehab.

Sounds like you’re worried about tenants tanking the deal. If foundation’s cheap and you can reset rents in 6–12 months, it’s a winner. DM me to run numbers, sort tenant plans, or scope other Lowell deals—happy to chat! 🤙

Best,

Ethan

Hey Juliette,

I’m a Watertown realtor, just down the road from Cambridge, where I handle a ton of rentals. I’m kinda surprised your 1-bed apartment is only bringing in $750/month—that’s low for Cambridge. Here’s how you can make more from this place without selling. Selling’s an option too if you can get the trustee to agree.

- Cambridge Rental Market: After the August reno, you could probably get $3,200–3,500/month with updated finishes. I see that a lot with Cambridge rentals. If you want to keep costs down, things like new lighting, cabinet refacing, or fresh paint might bump rents to $2,800 before the reno, pushing your $15–20k NOI closer to $25k/year. You DO NOT want to miss the peak rental season so try to get this done ASAP.

- Trust Attorney: A trust attorney could help figure out loans or partial payouts to keep the beneficiaries and trustee on the same page.

- Cash-Out Refinance: You could pull $300–400k (50–60% LTV) to cover the reno or invest elsewhere, keeping the property. I've had clients use Cambridge Trust for trust-owned properties like this.

- Private Lenders: If you need reno cash quick, private lenders can offer loans, paid back with higher rents after the reno. I know a few reliable ones if you need names.

- HELOC: A home equity line could give you flexible funds for upgrades with low payments early on, which works well for trusts.

- Cambridge Incentives: The Affordable Housing Trust Fund might offer reno grants if you’re open to including some affordable housing, since Cambridge supports that.

Selling? Cambridge's market is really strong—your $600–650k estimate might be closer to $700k+ now. I've sold 1-beds sell above comps lately. If you can convince the trustee, I can run a quick CMA to show what it's worth. Otherwise, I can share some low-cost upgrade ideas or help get you better rent. DM me to talk rentals, renos, lenders, or a market update—I'm nearby in Watertown and happy to help.

Cheers,

Ethan Piani-Hohmann