All Forum Posts by: Jack Gray

@Cal C: Yeah, I work at the JAC, but I don't have any interest in UK real estate.  The market here has just been skyrocketing and the laws are so biased in favor of tenants the owning a rental property seems unacceptably risky.  I prefer to stick to the U.S. 

@Elizabeth C: How did you manage to find a lender that only requires 15% down on investment properties?  

I should probably jump in here and clarify that I'm a U.S. citizen working in the U.K for the next few years.  I can make it back to the states on short notice if need be, or take substantial time off (a month if need be) but I don't want to do the back-and-forth every couple months due to the high cost of plane tickets.  

I'm just getting started in the world of real estate and need help selecting a strategy.  

I work on a military base in the U.K. and so far all the strategies I've come across like wholesaling and rehabbing look borderline impossible long-distance. I like the idea of buy and hold but I only have about $40k to start (plus another $50k I could tap from my TSP). Unfortunately it looks like you have to put 25% down on non-owner occupied buy and hold rental properties. Which means I could only afford like 1 duplex... and then sit around for another 5 years waiting to save up another downpayment? That doesn't seem like a very efficient strategy.

If anyone could lend some advice on how to create a faster plan I'd be hugely appreciative and more than willing to buy you a pint next time you're in merry England =).