All Forum Posts by: Ryan Guthrie

Hey y'all,

What service/website do you use to screen a potential tenant with a background and credit check? How long does it take? What is the fee? I am in the process of renting my first house, and any tips on screening tenants is appreciated! I have been using the tenant screening guide on this forum.

Thanks,

Ryan

Hi all,

I am about to rent my first home, and have a few questions.

1. I move out in March, so the home will be available in April. How early should I start to market my rental property?

2. I will be living about 4 hours away from the rental property, is it worth it to hire a property manager? Is there a "market standard" cost for property managers?

Any advice is appreciated. Thank you!

Great advice @Shawn Thom, eventually I would like to own a few rentals, and I think the paint being all the same in each one is a great idea. Will definitely look into the tile counter, those do seem more durable than other options and less expensive than granite. I'll check out my competition and identify a few areas to make better with my property.

@John Moore Thanks for the insight, since this is my first property, I know what I think the cost will be to reno and what it actually will be may be slightly off. I'm trying to estimate higher on the upgrades rather than lower so I'm not caught off guard by anything.

Hi all,

Looking at a SFH that needs new flooring, kitchen needs to be updated, paint, etc. Does anyone have any experience purchasing a rental property and renovating? I don't want to load the house with stainless steel, granite, hardwood, etc but I also want it to look nice and be competitive in the rental market.

If it helps, the neighborhood is middle class, and homes are around ~150k. This home is about 1200 sq ft, 3/2.

Any tips regarding updating a SFH? This is my first renovation. I am going to try to do as much as possible myself. Any and all insight about rental properties, renovation, etc is appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Very helpful, thanks @Cal C.

Hi all,

Just had a few questions on HUD homes- hopefully they will make sense as I'm totally new to real estate investing.

1. Viewing homes on hudhomestore- how would I go about submitting an offer? Must you always use a HUD broker? If so, what is there commission?

2. What is a competitive offer? I know it will vary depending on the property, but is there a good baseline percentage to work from?

Any other information about HUD homes that you think would be good for a new investor to know would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

Ryan

If she works at a prison full time she is most definitely not active duty, must be National Guard or a Reservist. To my knowledge, excluding deployment, the longest a NG/RES Soldier has training in a YR is 14 consecutive days and then obviously drill once a month (on a weekend).

Like previous posters have said ask the tenant to provide a copy of orders. In my opinion it sounds like the tenant is using the military as an excuse to break the lease.

Source: Current active duty military

Thanks Joel!

Currently interested in single family homes/ townhomes.

Hey y'all,

Anyone have any experience with rental properties in GA? I'm looking to purchase my first investment property and was looking to hear from some investors who have rental properties in GA. Any insight is appreciated!

Hello all,

My name is Ryan- currently living in Richmond Hill, Ga just south of Savannah. I have little experience with real estate, and am looking to use BP to educate myself on the "ins and outs" of the business! To be honest I have no experience investing in Real Estate, and the only purchase I have made is my primary home here in Georgia. Currently I serve in the United States Army and would love to start investing in my free time.

I have read a few books about real estate investments, and the free PDF offered on this website. I think I would prefer to start purchasing rental properties, specifically in the GA area. If anyone has any experience with rentals in GA I'd love to hear any insight you can provide. Anyways, thanks for reading and I look forward to learning from y'all.

Ryan