All Forum Posts by: John Casmon

Just get new units. The money you save on fixing it will be offset by the time you waste searching for and coordinating the fix. Newer washers and dryers are more energy-efficient and can save you money on your utilities than the old units. Plus, it will be more appealing to residents.

No, we sometimes go live on FB from the group page, but not sure if we will for this one.  

Every 3rd Monday, the Chicago Multifamily Club meets to discuss multifamily investing. This is all about education and networking with no sales pitch or upsell. This month, I will be sharing information on "How to Syndicate Deals" which has been a highly requested topic. Look forward to seeing new faces, along with our regualr attendees.

@Yonah Weiss thanks for the tag

@Andrew Brecher I've done extensive research and talked to over 100 investors on how to find the best places to invest. There is no magic shortcut, especilaly without more specific details on your investment criteria. However, with a little work, you can find the best markets and submarkets. A couple highlights from all of those conversations:

- Determine if you are focusing on single-family and small multifamily (2-4) units, or commercial multifamily (5+ units)

- Population and job growth are important for both segments. You want to be in a place where people and jobs are going. You can use the US Census, Bureau of Labor for data or simply Google top growth markets or cities with the most new jobs.

- For single-family and small multifamily, you want to see home prices increasing in the metro, 

- In addition, look for submarkets that are in the path of progress, I strongly prefer areas where there is a key attraction/hub on both sides. As an example, I love the Bronzeville neighborhood in Chicago because you have University of Chicago to the South and the Loop/Downtown to the north. The Loop is seeing explosive growth and people will naturally migrate out for value. The college will bring in a continuous pipeline of young renters seeking the excitement of downtown nightlife, without the downtown rents. 

- Pay attention to inventory/supply and time on market if you plan to flip properties

- For multifamily, look for submarkets that are seeing rent growth and appeal to a strong renter demographic, strong schools, nightlife, low crime, etc. Typically amenities like nightlife and great schools don't go together, so decide which is most important to you

- New developments will give you a clue on where the growth is headed. Almost every city has an economic council that looks to lure new business. Find the one for the area and see what projects are approved, and what incentives they have in place to attract business development. 

Hey @Luke Shakur welcome to the site. Hope you can make it out next month for the meetup. 

For wholesaling, there are some great resources on this site and excellent people to follow. Be sure to check out the wholesaling forum - https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/93-wholesaling

I'm in Cincy and investing in the market. Happy to connect. 

Also, @Michael Ealy, @Slocomb Reed, and @Heshel Mangel just to name a few. 

The best way to promote your podcast is to be a guest on other people's podcast. 

The one thing impacting most of the Chicago MSA is taxes, but even that is based on the submarket. The south side isn't seeing the increases that the northside and suburbs are facing.

My understanding is single-families are softening, but 2-4 units are still going strong in most of the city. Pay attention to development plans and you will have a better sense of the trends. 

Thanks for the tag @Jonathan Klemm. 

@Mitchell J. we post our events here on BP and have a big network that like the neighborhoods you have in mind.  

It's a great event if you want to connect with some of the top minds playing at an elite level.