All Forum Posts by: John Davis

Section 8 can be a great deal if you stay on top of it. 

Pros - guaranteed direct deposit rent. You know exactly what day your rent check will come in and have no worries of bounced checks. Tenants have to follow (somewhat) strict guidelines if they want the government to keep paying for their rent.  

Cons - The government regulates every aspect of your house. If the house isn't set up ideally for section 8 already, it can be expensive. Also, even though they can lose benefits, a lot of these people are where they are because of poor life choices so you can't trust them taking good care of your property. 

Take a look at "The Section 8 Bible". It's a great book and will definitely help you gauge whether or not it is for you. And if it is, the author has great pointers to help you save money in the process. 

Good luck 

Thanks everyone for the welcome. @Heather W. I'm still keeping it in mind, it may even be a good way to get started since I'll be working with someone with experience in the field. I have read a couple of books on it including the section 8 bible so I'll definitely keep that option open. 

Hello Bigger Pockets! I have been looking around the site for a while now and starting some research in real estate and I'm excited to have found such a great resource in BP.

A little about myself - I am 27 years old and live in Columbus, Ga which is about an hour and a half south of Atlanta. Columbus is a military town which is directly north from Ft Benning. I am a firefighter/EMT on the fire department here. I am getting married in April and we are actively looking for a first house (our residence). I have been working with a master plumber (who also works at my station) to learn as much as I can about plumbing and general maintenance.

As far as investments, real estate has really appealed to me. My schedule is 24 hours on and 48 hours off and I think my schedule could be ideal for managing real estate. A friend of mine started in section 8 housing and at first I thought maybe I would want to jump into business him, but after going in half the houses I go in for work, I decided I didn't want to deal with the headache from that quality of tenant. 

I have started reading through the beginners guide from BP and my interests are leaning towards buy and hold rental properties. I am currently trying to catch up on the podcast show and read as much as I can about the business to hopefully buy my first property by next year.

Anyways, I am excited about learning through BP!