All Forum Posts by: Jim Robertson

Welcome to Bigger Pockets! There is a pretty large Austin Presence on the site. I have done an Austin deal as well. What part of town do you have the duplexes?

I occasionally browse redfin or realtor.com for areas that I dont have access to the MLS. You can find what your looking for in a lot of mid-size cities in Texas. Im in the Austin Area and you might get lucky at that price, but you will need to do work on the property.

Take a look at the Waco, Temple, Belton area. You should be able to find properties in that price range that do not require too much work. 

@Carrie Hiner Thanks for the UFCU recommendation. I will have to check them out. 

@David Ivy I am currently looking to pull cash out of the property I have in Austin. I would greatly appreciate any introductions. I have been trying to go through the conventional process to refinance, and it has been like trying to get a square peg into a round hole.  I can PM you details of my deal if that helps. 

I have just moved my Austin Texas rental property into an LLC and would like to set up business bank accounts for the LLC. Does anyone have any recommendations on local banks? I would like to use a credit union or local bank to begin building a relationship for future deals.

I am looking to set up a business checking and business saving (6 month reserve account). 

I offer my tenants an upgrade each time the lease renewal comes around. New interior doors, or cabinet hardware in the unit, I've also done new mirror and vanity in the bathroom. Anything that improves the property and makes the tenant happy is a win for both of us. I offer three or four upgrades in a similar price range (that I wanted to do anyway) and let them chose. Nothing too invasive that would take more than a few hours to install or upgrade. 

Its tough to find a duplex in Austin at a good price to rent ratio. I used the MLS since its unlikely that multi family properties make it into the foreclosure process. The market is hot and its too easy to sell.

I would keep an eye out for small multi families that need updates and renovations. You would get in at a lower price point. I looked for several months before getting my first property. Don't get discouraged. 

Thanks for the advice guys. @Jeff Gates I will look into money gram. 

I was rejected from pay near me for being a little guy (2 properties). I received a very nicely worded email stating that they were not accepting clients of that size, and they recommend I check out appfolio, their property management software.

Does anyone know of any competitors or alternatives to pay near me? I really like the idea of this service. 

Welcome to BP! I highly recommend starting with the beginner's guide and the podcasts but that's what got me into the real estate game, so I am a bit biased. Let me know if you need help navigating the site or have any questions about the Austin market.

Thanks for all of the suggestions everyone. 

@Sterling White I tried the cash for keys approach. Tenant told me "that was not an option." I was very confused, but they were adamant that they would have full rent and late fees by the end of the notice period.