All Forum Posts by: Gabe C.

@Elizabeth Sawyer

I went through this recently and ended up going with a lawyer and CPA nowhere near my area to be able to get a higher level of expertise and excitement about REI as you mentioned. My CPA is on the other side of the country, but it hasn't presented any issues. My previous one was a block away from work, but seeing him face to face didn't really buy me anything. These days, you can do most of your stuff over email/skype/dropbox. Just a thought if you run dry locally.

I just had an HVAC put in a couple of months ago and used a recommendation from my property manager. He had great customer service, solid work quality and gave me a good price. His name is Kondwani Lodge. I think he lives in North Raleigh, but I doubt South Raleigh would be a problem. PM me if you want his contact info.

I would suggest talking to an attorney that specializes in asset protection. They will usually clear up these sorts of questions in no time, Much easier than trying to distill a million forum threads. I recently did this after trying to sort things out for months, and in 5 minutes in a free consultation, I had a plan and an understanding of my exposure and what my state laws are. Now I just have to decide whether or not to pony up. 

Welcome @Archie Hayes ! You definitely came to the right place to learn. Good luck with your first property!

I'm finding deals, but it's taking twice as much work and they get snapped up twice as fast. It's also an opportunity to build up more reserves, so when things die down, I can do more. Or maybe do some forced appreciation if I get turnover. I haven't seen much that hits the 1% rule here either. Generally a lot closer to the .85% rule. 

Looks like prices are continuing to climb... I saw they're about to drop some $700k brownstones downtown. Catching up to SF! 

http://www.bizjournals.com/triangle/blog/real-estate/2016/09/new-york-style-brownstones-with-rooftop.html

#152 by a long shot for me. Simple, readable shapes. Not more complex than it needs to be. The rest of them look nice, but have too much going on.

@Davis Bunn Welcome! I actually just found this site below while googling something else, but was surprised to see that downtown had the highest rents. Not sure how reputable/quality that site is yet...

https://www.rentjungle.com/average-rent-in-raleigh-rent-trends/

@Saikat Bhadra The MLS is available to everyone, but it doesn't analyze deals for you. You want your competition to still have to put in the work.

@Saikat Bhadra I don't have any experience hacking, but I would mention one quick thing... be careful sharing links to any potential deals publicly unless you've already gotten it under contract. Most people on here are helpful and have integrity, but if what you have is truly a deal, you've just shown it to your competition. Investors have varying degrees of scruples. Better to just share pertinent details. ;)

RE: AirBnB, this is currently a potentially lucrative option, but I'd definitely have some backup strategies. This is a new business that cities are trying to figure out how to regulate. The laws could easily change on you.

Good luck!

Welcome @Andrew P.! Which other markets are you considering? I live in SF and invest in NC where costs are roughly 1/10.