All Forum Posts by: Janet Voss

@J. Martin, like everyone else, I'm thrilled for you.  You've already been a help to me, and we've barely met, but I have my first travel nurse (booked through Airbnb) moving in at 5:30 pm today.

I was just discussing with another friend last night investing and what our actual goals are.  She and I are both in the medical device field and like what we do, and we each have 15 years or so left until traditional retirement.  BECAUSE I really get a lot of fulfillment from my regular job, I don't think my RE goal is ever to quit and live off that, but I would never rule out that possibility.

I know you've already got a lot of travel planned, but my friend and I are headed to Italy (and then on the France for me) at the end of June and first bit of July.  You're welcome to tag along.

@Jessie Boyce I carry "personal cards" and have for years.  When I travel for pleasure, and meet people I'd like to keep in touch with, I give them a card.  When I go to an event, and network, I give them a card.  It's up to you what you want on the card.  I usually have my name, address, email and phone.

@Mary lou L., in the SF Bay Area, when you see these scam ads posted, they're usually lifted straight from some legitimate "home for sale" listing (on Craigslist or elsewhere).  If you respond, you get an email that tells you that they are out of town, and can't show the home, but if you send some money, they'll send the keys.  People are so desperate to find affordable housing in the SF Bay Area that this ploy catches folks all of the time (many times people who are moving in from other areas, and trying to line something up before they get here).  Thanks for flagging them when you see them!

Awesome work Mackal!  I'm also 55 (well, will be in Sept.), and still trying to get a handle on my goals, and formulate a plan.  I have some things I'm working on now that will put me in a better position when I decide to start investing.

I'm a newbie, but I've read a lot about the strategies, and I have a few comments and questions.

1)  Check your math.  I think your numbers are off beginning in Year 7.

2)  Why would you put the whole $100000 as a down payment into one $250K home?  You could put $50000 (20%) on that one, and $50000 on another.  And your $50000 - $56000 (or maybe $62000 with 2 properties) at the end of the year into a 3rd property.

3) If you're using conventional mortgages, I think you'll max out at 10, although if you're married, I think you can do 10 in your name alone and 10 in her name alone.  Above 10, you'd move into commercial lending, which could have different down payment requirements.

I'm sure other, more experienced investors will have other points to make, but those were the things I saw.

 I sold my property in San Francisco in 2012, and my realtor advised me to move out, and allow them to stage the property completely from scratch.  It was a considerable cost, but I definitely feel that it increased the eventual selling price by much more than what it cost.  When I was buying my house in Oakland, I would say everything that I looked at was staged.  I saw so many houses that were staged by one particular person that I came to recognize his style (and props).  I could walk in a house, and know that he staged it.

I'd owned two other properties in other areas of the country, back in the '80s and '90s and staging wasn't a big thing on the buying end or selling end.  When I bought my San Francisco house in 2003, we viewed it empty, but I remember some properties were staged back then.  It's a big business in CA now, and pretty much expected.