All Forum Posts by: Jacob Derksen

I've never been to an Investor Summit, but I just moved to Belize and I have to say that a trip here is ALWAYS worth it. It's an awesome country. Where is the summit taking place exactly?

Thanks for the guidance Mark!

As I indicated in my response to Neal, I am having a hard time determining what "closer to home" really means right now. My parents are real estate investors and have used property managers my whole life since they have always taught overseas. I know how much this can eat out of one's profits but I am hoping that if I have a similarly nomadic lifestyle that I will be able to find a reliable property manager. Of course, this means I will still try to limit myself to one region so that I don't have to juggle multiple property managers.  

Right now I living close to a small town that has a pretty expensive real estate market. It is a seasonally busy place with a very old permanent population. I am also close to a larger town (Bend, OR) but this town has experienced quite the boom in recent years. This combined with high property taxes and renter-friendly laws in Oregon makes me nervous to get my feet wet in this particular pond.

Thanks again Mark!

Hey Neal!

Thanks so much for your thoughtful response. I love the idea of being "aggressively patient". Having spent the last 6 years in Accademia and working with the federal and state government in the environmental sector I am quite practiced at being patient as the goings-on in science and government are notoriously slow. 

Having grown up overseas and then moving around quite a bit since coming to the states I don't really know any market particularly well. I feel very much in limbo at the moment. I have been trying to consume all of the knowledge I can about personal finances and real estate so that I have more agency in my life during these turbulent times. 

It is becoming increasingly apparent to me that I am trying to fight an uphill battle by trying to figure out where to buy real estate while also trying to get a job. I appreciate your validation of this sentiment.  

I tend to be much better at keeping up with international news and the chatter coming out of DC than I am at maintaining a good understanding of municipal happenings but will take your suggestion to heart and try to shift my knowledge base to the local.

I see that you are from Portland! That's awesome. Do you have any Oregon specific advice in case I am lucky enough to stay in this beautiful place? 

Thanks again Neal!

Hi Everyone,

My name is Jake Derksen and I recently graduated with a master's degree in environmental science from Oregon State University and the job hunt has been taking longer than anticipated. I am not sure where I will end up but there is a high chance I will be starting my professional life out of state or even out of the country. 

Does anyone have advice for a prospective real estate investor that has not figured out where home is yet? Where to buy?  How to Analyse a property from afar? How to pick a neighborhood? Just to name a few of the questions running through my mind.

Any thoughts from a seasoned investor or newbie going through a similar situation would be very much appreciated.
Thanks!