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All Forum Posts by: Jonathan Mednick

Jonathan Mednick has started 16 posts and replied 131 times.

@Talley Haines With the national lender, it was going to be a 30-yr note with 30-yr AM at 5.75%. 

Local bank currently underwriting the loan is only 5-yr note with 20-yr AM at 4.5%.

@Dave DeMarinis could not be more correct. Without a history of investing, it will be very challenging to obtain financing especially on a refi. If you are just getting started with financing turnkeys, expect much tighter lending restrictions even with traditional loans.

We had a pool of 50 houses two weeks away from a refi closing, with a considerable amount of equity to cash out at 75% LTV. The national lender backed out due to the current market uncertainties. We then shifted to local banks and found two. One would not allow us to do a cash out refi but the second bank would based on our track record, experience and solid financials. The underwriting with the local bank is far more extensive than the national lender. Better rates but terms are not as attractive with shorter note period. Obviously we had to compromise to find the right balance for this portfolio. We hope to close by end of this month.

@Shane Gordon Birmingham is still a very solid market and on most turnkey investors radars even in these challenging times. Your BRRRR works if you've got a solid team on the ground and local infrastructure to support your turnkey operation. All in at 75% of ARV and then refi out to return your principal capital. However, most out of state investors trying to turnkey virtually here in Birmingham do not succeed. The horror stories I can share!

Unless you plan on spending considerable time locally, I would not recommend it. Most turnkey properties we sell are at full market value in the $85K-$125K range (we do not discount the price) and most all of our turnkey investors finance through Fannie Mae lenders. 

Our last turnkey we offered last week was priced at $122,500 and went under contract in under an hour. We will have another 4-6 turnkey properties to release for sale later this month (May 2020). They rarely stay on the market for long.

Yes. City enforcement is cracking down on permit issues but we still pull permits for all our renovations. We currently have about 15 projects at various stages in the renovation process.

Post: Birmingham, AL

Jonathan MednickPosted
  • Birmingham, AL
  • Posts 149
  • Votes 44

@Jason Weeks System does not allow me to post my email but it is available on my personal profile.

Post: Birmingham, AL

Jonathan MednickPosted
  • Birmingham, AL
  • Posts 149
  • Votes 44

@Douglas Vogel shoot me an email and we can schedule some time to discuss.

Post: Birmingham, AL

Jonathan MednickPosted
  • Birmingham, AL
  • Posts 149
  • Votes 44

Hi @Douglas Vogel. Yes. Very much indeed continuing to invest in Birmingham. Offering turnkey properties, flips, holding and brokering properties here. Let me know if I can be of further service.

Post: Seeking advice for Biringham Alabama investment

Jonathan MednickPosted
  • Birmingham, AL
  • Posts 149
  • Votes 44

Kim,

Center Point is a popular area for turnkey properties to sell to out of state investors. It's a solid B class area. ROI is dependent on how you approach it. When I hear cap rate, it's a cash transaction and you can expect 7-8% ROI. For cash on cash (bank leverage), it's closer to 12%-14%. Most have a goal of a net cash of $150-$250 monthly.

We price our turnkey properties adhering to the 1% rule. (rent amount equals 1% of purchase price). . For example, one of our turnkey 4 bed/2 bath properties in Center Point rented at $1,100 and it went under contract this week at $110,000. 

Most of the turnkey properties in Center Point will sell in the $85K-$110K range. 

A 3/2 in the area you mention should rent in the $900-$950 range.

The turnkey provider should deliver to you a full renovated maintenance free property cash flowing from day one under property management. They need to provide leases, rent rolls, tenant estoppel letters, photos, inspection reports, termite bond/wood infestation service and a home warranty. The property needs to appraise.

You need to make sure you get your own inspector out to the property. Any issues of concern should be addressed and repaired by the TKP prior to closing with proof of repairs.

Many out of state buyers get in to trouble when they try to buy a discounted "turnkey" property off the MLS using an agent that does not have the experience with these types of assets. It's usually an individual out of state seller who is tired of being a landlord and will not make any additional repairs. Try rehabbing a tenant occupied property. It will get messy.

If there are any structural issues, the home inspector should have it in their report to you. We have dealt with many structural issues. We fix them and also have a foundation expert inspect and provide a letter attesting to structural integrity. If there is a structural issue with a turnkey property found during the inspection that was never fixed, don't buy it. That's a red flag for many of the reasons you can imagine. Structural repairs could typically costs in the $2K-$6K range and that is based on our own experience.

Finally, make sure you've got good property management company lined up. No matter how good the property is (price, renovations, ROI, numbers, etc), if you don't have good management, your turnkey property will not give you the returns you seek. Eventually, those investors inevitably find their way to me and I buy them at a significant discount. I just closed on one yesterday for $32,500. This investor was out of California and bought it from turnkey provider with a poor track record three years ago for $70K. Property was terribly managed and by the time it found it's way to me, it was a wreck. It will be a $30K renovation. Many of these podcasts and turnkey providers often sugarcoat the disadvantages to owning turnkey properties. One very important question to ask them is what is the worst that could happen after purchasing a turnkey property. You want to get all the facts. You want honesty and transparency.

Last piece of advice; I suggest you come to Birmingham if you plan on investing here. Meet your TKP, view properties, meet with property management, closing attorney, etc to make sure you've got a solid team working on your behalf. You want to make sure they are reputable, credible and you have a comfort level with them.

Hope this helps.

Post: WHOLESALERS, I LOVE YOU BUT...

Jonathan MednickPosted
  • Birmingham, AL
  • Posts 149
  • Votes 44

Each week I get at least 20+ properties sent to me from wholesalers. It's Monday and I've already received more than 10.

Wholesalers are a vital source of deal flow for our operations. These folks spend a lot of time doing the heavy lifting of marketing, finding and negotiating the deals. They are an extension of our business. They bring the deal, we negotiate the final process, we close. They make it simple. Don't they?

It's supposed to be a simple process but many wholesalers have their own way of advertising, promoting, and offering information on properties. I get it. They learned one way but it doesn't mean it's the most efficient.

While I highly value wholesalers efforts to engage with me every day, expectations need to be clearly defined. When they are not aligned, distractions occur reducing overall effectiveness through poor time management ultimately leading to loss revenue. It's a cascading host of issues that affects our focus. Efficiency is the lifeblood of our operation, which is why we can do so much volume with fewer people.

In the spirit of cooperation and efficiency, I offer the following:

1. COMMUNICATIONS
Texting me an overview of your deal is fine but it lacks all the details required so make sure to send a follow up email with complete details.

2. INCLUDE THE ADDRESS
Some of you learn not to include the address because you want to generate responses. I don't have time to chase you for the address so if you don't include it, do not expect a response. Second, you may think by disclosing the address other investors will try to go behind your back to steal the deal. If you have it under contract, you have absolutely no worries unless you terminate the contract, in which case, nothing was there to steal. I suggest you keep two mailing lists. One for preferred buyers to include the address (active and repeat buyers) and the other for tire kickers who receive the address upon request. Once you convert a tire kicker to a buyer, move them to the preferred buyers list.

3. INCLUDE YOUR PRICE
I never respond to a a wholesaler who wants me to give them a number. It's an absolute waste of my time. No price. No response.

4. INCLUDE A PHOTO LINK
Dropbox of Google Drive usually are the preferred methods. A few photos do not tell the whole story. You need to make sure you take a lot of photos. That tells me you have been to the property and can discuss it in detail. Do not provide a link to video in lieu of photos. Video is nice but I cannot spend time watching your YouTube videos. I never do.

5. INCLUDE PROPERTY DETAILS
Number of bed and bathrooms and items of concern that the seller told you. That's pretty much it. Absolutely do NOT tell me your ARV or your rehab quote. Unless you have access to the MLS, can provide me with comps specific to my criteria and have a construction background, DON'T DO IT! Those that do so show either inexperience with their analysis or at worst, are being misleading. Fancy spreadsheets from Bigger Pockets or other Web sites look nice but are for evaluating your own fix and flip profit, not when you are wholesaling. Everyone has their own way of evaluating and analyzing costs. Believe it or not, your asking price is plenty sufficient.

6. CONSTRUCTION COSTS
Unfortunately, this is the weakest link in the wholesale process. In order to come up with your asking price, you need to have a general idea of costs. Wait! Didn't I just say don't tell me what the repair costs are? Yes, I did. That doesn't mean that you can't ask questions from experienced investors on their costs, hit up the Home Depot guys and start keeping a running list of general expenses. For example, you should at least know what a 3-ton HVAC unit installed with a cage will cost. Remember, the renovation costs will ultimately determine the buyer's final offer price to you.

7. ESTIMATING YOUR PRICE
An excellent topic for a future post but I will say that your buyer's exit strategy will drive their offer price. A fix and flip exit has different costs, then a turnkey flip or buy and hold. A property you are wholesaling at $20,000 most likely will bring interest primarily from buy and hold investors. That means the focus is on cash flow and they will require a certain cap rate. The cap rate will be another factor along with renovation costs in determining the offer price on a buy and hold. Price it accordingly. Learn these exit strategies and the numbers.

8. RESPONDING TO EMAILS
Rule of thumb. I don't respond to an email unless it's a property I have an interest. If I do, I will email you for the access instructions. Trying to set a time to meet at the property is impossible since I my schedule is pretty full each day. I really do not know when I will stop by the property. Put a lock box and provide the code. After I visit, I will call with my feedback and usually an offer. :>)

9. SETTING THE TERMS
Most wholesalers learn to set the terms and try their best to control the deal. However, the experienced volume buyers have their own set terms and closing process and rarely deviate. They use the same title company, same deposit amount and same number of days to close. If I had to use every wholesalers closing process, it would be a full time job tracking deposits, people, and closings.

From mid-March through April, we will have a total of 17 closings. We have one process to rule them all. Learn it, love it and we both make money and do more deals.

10. BUILD RELATIONSHIPS
The best wholesalers I work with (and you know who you are) know exactly what I am looking for once they hit my sweet spot. They track my responses, areas of interest, my exit strategies, offer prices and terms. They are the best of the best. 

Post: Any suggestions on areas in Alabama to invest in

Jonathan MednickPosted
  • Birmingham, AL
  • Posts 149
  • Votes 44

We service Birmingham area and do 100+ projects each year. The market here is strong for passive income investing. It's a solid stable market, solid B class properties and you can expect returns in the 8% cap range from most of the turnkey providers in this market (disclosure: we are one of them). The focus here is cash flow with less emphasis on building equity. Some growth is possible but it's a bonus, not the focus.

Amazon is opening up a $325 fulfillment center south of Downtown next year and that will spur economic growth and housing in the lower end C class properties in that area. 

Happy to assist with any questions you may have about Birmingham.

Post: Newbie Out of State Investor Living in LA

Jonathan MednickPosted
  • Birmingham, AL
  • Posts 149
  • Votes 44

@Tabari Williams If you are interested in Birmingham, happy to assist with any questions you may have.