All Forum Posts by: Jon Klaus
Jon Klaus has started 322 posts and replied 7794 times.
Post: Growing your portfolio

- Developer
- Garland, TX
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Originally posted by Jon Holdman:
Jon, what if you pay cash for a home and rehab it? What kind of of terms can you get after the rehab? Say you pay $30K, rehab for $20K, and it then appraises for $100K. Any seasoning required if you paid cash?
Post: Process for buying a home for cash

- Developer
- Garland, TX
- Posts 8,666
- Votes 4,015
Why not call a few local title companies and ask your questions?
What are you planning to buy?
Post: * * Your New Year's Real Estate Goals for 2009 * *

- Developer
- Garland, TX
- Posts 8,666
- Votes 4,015
Read 25 books on RE investing.
Post: How did you get started in CR?

- Developer
- Garland, TX
- Posts 8,666
- Votes 4,015
My story is similar to Christian's; my business was the tenant so we found a building that would work. We have an IT services business that paid close to a million dollars in rent since we started in 1990. Two years ago we lease/optioned an office building and exercised the option in 2008. We got a pretty good deal since the area began redevelopment after we signed the lease/option. Now our business pays out LLC the rent.
Would you stage a $65K house? I have one I overdid the rehab on, and it will compete very well in the neighborhood. Should I stage it? If I go to the trouble, why not market it as furnishesd and throw all the Craigslist furnishings into the deal? That way I won't have to move and store the furnishings afterwards. Thoughts?
Post: Hello from Ecuador

- Developer
- Garland, TX
- Posts 8,666
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Welcome Alton!
How much do homes sell for in Ecuador?
How about rent?
Thanks
Post: Condo conversion?

- Developer
- Garland, TX
- Posts 8,666
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Thanks for the good info Ingrid. I agree that this is not a great time for a residential condo conversion. What I have in mind is a commercial office building conversion targeting health care practitioners; dentists, doctors, chiropractors, etc. Health care seems to be "healthy." I see condo shells (new) on the market for $200/SF and I think if we marketed a quality product in a good location at $125/SF we might sell them within a couple of years.
Post: Realtor Commissions

- Developer
- Garland, TX
- Posts 8,666
- Votes 4,015
"we would see a huge compression in prices, and that expensive properties would see larger percentage falls than lower priced ones"
Especially true in the outlying areas, and Alabama is seriously outlying for $5mm properties, let alone $13mm properties.
Post: Cash Flow is king, right?

- Developer
- Garland, TX
- Posts 8,666
- Votes 4,015
"What type of vacancy rate are you using?" Like you say, it depends on locale. My city is 6%, but I had a townhome that would rent within a couple hours each time I did an open house, as that complex was 100% occupied (for ready units).
Post: How would you put $100K to work now?

- Developer
- Garland, TX
- Posts 8,666
- Votes 4,015
Just one month to put your "money" to work. Anyone...?