All Forum Posts by: John-Michael Moreno

Hello BiggerPockets! My name is John-Michael and I am from Fort Lauderdale, FL. I have a couple posts but never introduced myself. I have always had an interest in real estate, because I always saw the value in it and it fascinates me. I have been investing in real estate for about 2 years now. I have two duplexes and a SFR and am currently looking to expand. I am of course here to learn as much as possible, network and give back as much as I can. So far this place has been invaluable with the amount of info and resources. I look forward to interacting, and maybe even working with all of you. I do plan to attend my local REIA meetings, and hopefully find a mentor of some kind.

I also like City Data, not only does it give you statistics, but if you're not from that area you will learn a lot about how residents of that area feel about certain neighborhoods. Craigslist is also a good resource because it's updated everyday. So you get a good idea on what rentals are going for as well as real estate prices. I was surprised how much you can learn from Google maps. I use it to check out the area before I even drive it. Might sound silly but riding a bicycle thru a neighborhood lets you see a lot more. Pick an area or neighborhood and look at everything in that area. Rentals, real estate that's for sale (SFR, MFR, Land), foreclosures, etc. Analyze every deal and work the numbers. Even tho we have electronic devices that can do damn near everything, one of the most important things you can do is talk to people. It's hugely valuable, plus you'd be surprised how much they're willing to tell you.

Hi everyone this is actually my first post. We have invested in a couple duplexes in Lauderhill and so far they are doing great. We upgraded one of them and is currently fully occupied, leased and for sale on the market. The other duplex was bought turn key, also fully occupied and leased. Both properties have gone up in value and we have been lucky enough to always get our asking rent. I will admit it is not considered the "best part of town", but if you do your due diligence when screening the tenants you will be fine. I also agree that right now the market has a lot of MFR that are overpriced, but it does not hurt to shoot an offer. Sometimes you have to make a deal when there isn't one. I am looking at properties for our next purchase and am really considering a wholesaler, they have some great deals. The downside is you need cash, so I may need to use a hard money lender.