All Forum Posts by: Brandon Krieg

Welcome @Alex Ortiz!  There is an excellent community of investors here in Grand Rapids, and many of them are here on BiggerPockets.  Make sure to reach out and say hi... a lot of folks are very willing to help if you ask.

I'm a little biased, but I think starting with a small flip can be a great idea... it's how I did my first deal.  If I had any advice, it would be to start focusing in on one type of investing.  It is very hard to learn flipping, rentals, seller financing, wholesaling, mobile homes, etcetera at once.  If you pick one and dive in, you may find quicker success.

Good luck!

Hi @Jackson Maitner - Great to have you!

First, you already seem way ahead of most people at 16 in terms of planning.  Nice work.

Second, keep your enthusiasm, and plan for the long game.  You have a huge advantage in terms of time, and starting early.  You have a (possible) disadvantage with people not taking you seriously due to your age.  I am many years older than you, and still see disbelief when I tell people in their 60s that I can purchase their home with cash.  You can counter this by being serious, and getting some time in the industry.

If I were you, I would try to find a 'nights and weekends' job in a real estate related field.  Property manager, realtor's office, appraiser, inspector, anything really.  This will allow you to earn more money and learn a ton about the industry.

After that, I would start going to networking meetings, and offer your skills to help people out.  Offer to cut lawns and paint for a house flipper.  Offer to go take pictures of a property for a landlord.  Whatever it takes to get your foot in the door, and to start making connections.

With connections, you can turn $1000 into a lot more than that.  

Also, protect that money!  It's amazing how quickly you can spend money that you spent months earning.  If you're serious about investing, ONLY use it for investing.  Marketing, research, books, gas to look at houses, etcetera.  Otherwise, it'll be gone before you know it.

Good luck, and keep at it!

Talk to Gary Apps for a Real Estate Attorney in Kalamazoo.

Devon Title will work fine for assignments, although I think I gave another, lengthier answer as a follow up to another post (:

@Samuel Coicou, @Jeffrey Townsend

I apologize!  I must have missed this message.  The last couple I used were America's One Title in GR and Devon Title in Kalamazoo  However, I don't think these places were remarkable... 

Once you assign the contract, the buyer is the one who closes.  They bring the funds, they get the title insurance, etcetera.  None of that goes into your (the wholesaler's) name.

I've gotten to the point where I jut give the documentation to the seller after they've signed it, and they bring it to whatever title company they want.  A couple of them call for follow up questions, but once it is clearly visible that the buyer is taking your place in the agreement, there's no issue.

I have heard good things about Sun Title and Essential Title as well, but haven't worked with them yet.  

Unless you're doing a double close, in which case you will need transactional funding, I wouldn't worry about this concern too much.  Just find good deals, and the rest will fall into place!  (:

And to @Thomas Borrego's point, what I said only applies to wholesaling deals.  If you're trying to do a subject-to or something like that, it gets more complicated, as you have to send notice to the mortgage company, etcetera.

@Pedro Oliva - Hi Pedro,

I have not had trouble in Grand Rapids with this.  I've have used multiple title companies without issue... to the point where I just let the seller or buyer pick the title company.

Most people, when you ask them on the phone, won't know what it is you're talking about.  However, if you bring in a solid sales agreement and a separate assignment agreement, they are able to handle it just fine.  Just make sure your documents are legal and good, and explain it while looking at the paperwork.  You should be all set!

Hi @Noah Moss - welcome!

West Michigan is great, and there are a lot of excellent folks from the area here on BP.  I think @Ned Carey is right... there are almost always ways to make money in a given RE market - you may just have to switch up your strategies.

It's kind of like the stock market... if you know your stuff, you can make money whether it's going up, down, or sideways.

Good luck!

Great to have you @Danielle Vincent!

It sounds like you're on the right track.  I think @Tim VandenToorn has it right... reach out, make connections, and get help when you need it.  There is a good community of West Michigan folks here on BP, so don't be afraid to ask for a hand.

Good luck, and keep at it!

Hi @Andy Schreuder - welcome!  There's a great community of people from Kalamazoo on here.  I recommend setting your keyword alerts, and keeping an eye out for the monthly meetup.  @Josiah Swartz and @Nate Miersma are two good people to get in touch with, among many, many others.

Good luck, and great start!

Welcome @Diana Snyder!  I've found this site to be a fantastic resource.  I have done business with many people that I first met here, and have gotten excellent references from others.

As a nice bonus, there are a lot of great people on here from Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, and the surrounding areas.  It's a common recommendation, but setting your keyword alerts is an excellent way to stay on top of forum posts that are relevant to you.

I am glad to meet you here, and hope to meet you in person soon.  Have a great one!

Brandon