All Forum Posts by: Jason King

Hi All, 

There is so much information out there to digest when it come to RE investing, trying to digest all of it is very difficult, especially with a busy schedule.  As is, I am trying to sign up for some newsletters/blogs so that I can have all of the information in one central location (my inbox).  So far, I only have the BiggerPockets newsletter, Antonio Coleman's weekly marketing newsletter and I also follow Mark at InvestFourMore.  I am looking to gain insights from different perspectives on a variety or RE related topics, so I am curious to see who other people subscribe to.  Let me know who your favorite author/publishers are!  As always, much appreciated :)

Jason

@Chris Simmons - Seems like you have a well-designed, well-thought out plan - kudos!  I hope that you are successful in your implementation.  I am still ramping up activity on the investing side, so it is difficult for me to see what a true cost-benefit analysis would look like.  If I can generate enough volume on the investing side of things it will become a no-brainer in my eyes.  Only time will tell.

@Chris Simmons - This was my thought process as well, but it seems finding a brokerage to work with may be a challenge, considering I will mostly be working on my own transactions.  I'm still exploring the option, just trying to figure out what will work best for me.  Thanks for the input though!  I appreciate both sides of the argument.

@Chris Simmons - It appears you are closing in on your goal!  I am jealous!  I have hopes one day of quitting my day-time job to pursue investing full-time, but I'm about 10 years (conservatively) away from that.  Good luck to you in your endeavors!

@Matt M. - Thanks for the advice! IF (and that is a big "if" at this point) I decide to pursue my sales license, I have no expectations of being successful as a part-time agent. I was thinking this could be an option for me to help ease the transition from full-time, non-RE related job to a full-time investor. I do have an agent that I am engaged with, but I don't want to waste his time with deals that he will receive no benefit from, which is why I am exploring my options of obtaining personal access to the MLS.

@James Sestito - Thanks for the tips!  Let me explain a little bit why I want access to the MLS and this might help answer the question.

I am looking for distressed properties that I can buy direct from the seller. In order to feel comfortable about my MAO, I need to have a solid ARV. In order to do this, I need to run the comps (and not just what you can find on Realtor.com, etc.) and since I won't be using an agent, at least on the buying side, I want to have the ability to run the analysis myself.

I also want to run some ad hoc/routine analyses of historical/recent sales data in my area so that I can get a better sense of the market and recent trends, and possibly develop some insights on future performance.  This will allow me to better define/continually redefine my buying strategy.  This will likely require extensive data dumps, something that I don not necessarily want to ask of an agent.  I can get some sales data online through multiple sources, but it does not have the level of granularity that I desire.

Hopefully this helps clarify.

@Joel Owens - Very useful pieces of information. All other information aside, what would you say is the cheapest/easiest way to access the MLS?

@Hawley G.  - thanks for the input!  Any suggestions for identifying which brokers may offer this?  Any specific questions to ask?  

I understand that working as an effective sales agent with a regular full-time job is not very realistic. At most, I would target doing a few deals a year. The money is not what attracts me, it is the exposure to the market and access to the MLS that intrigues me the most. Ultimately, I am more interested in CMA's and BPO's than showing houses and putting deals together. Maybe a sales agent is not the right path for me, as I said I am open to other suggestions.

Good Morning BPers, 

A quick question for all of the more experienced investor/agents out there - has anyone started as a RE Agent while still holding a full-time job? I want to get my RE Agent license, but in my state you must work as an agent in order to gain the license/access to MLS. I am really not too interested in becoming a full-time agent, as my current full-time job has a much higher earning potential (at least to start), more looking for some supplemental experience/income and access to the MLS. Maybe this isn't the right route for me to achieve my goals, so I am open to suggestions. Any feedback you can provide would be much appreciated!

Jason

Marc, 

Sounds good.  I'll look out for you at the meetings (I won't be there tomorrow) and if you ever want to get together for coffee just let me know!  I have done a lot of research on the rental market in RI and I would love to hear more about your goals.

Jason