All Forum Posts by: Joe Norman

I'm not an expert in the DC Metro, but $30-50k doesn't sounds like enough to invest. That should be enough to put down on a turnkey townhouse in a decent Baltimore neighborhood though. Good luck!

I don't have first hand experience with STRs, but from my experience hiring Remote Assistants directly I think that sounds like a decent rate if they provide the advertised services at a high level.

It sounds like you need to hire a professional to handle the eviction process for you. Here in Baltimore there are a few companies that specialize in handling the process for landlords. Good luck!

If you ever need a Realtor in Baltimore then please call someone else!

Here are a couple of things to look for/ask:

1) Are your property managers licensed (not all states require a Real Estate License to manage property, however even in the ones that do not the PM may go the extra mile to acquire one).

2) Are your property managers members of NARMP or another professional organization?

3) What is your manager:property ratio?

4) How do you prefer to communicate with clients, and how often do you do so?

Good luck!

Quote from @Chad Bailey:

Do not get the typical kwikset because then with the simple kwikset tool your tenant could lock you out of your own house.  Instead be sure you get the one with smart key so you have essentially a "master key".

K

wikset 98160-009 816 Key Control Single Cylinder Deadbolt featuring SmartKey in Satin Nickel https://a.co/d/8xkWPu4

 This is good advise! I put this Kwikset Key Control deadbolt on the front door of my units, and a regular Kwikset SmartKey deadbolt on all others.

Can you be a little more specific about what area you are looking in, and what service you're looking for? "Scouting Properties and Running Numbers" could be basic stuff that an agent should be doing (e.g., reviewing listings on the MLS and providing comps), or your expectations could be a little high (e.g., if you expect the agent to be doing your dialing for dollars for you).

 Awesome, good luck Thomas!

There are plenty of Real Estate activities you can do remotely that will allow you to put your license to use, make money, and gain experience in the industry. These include Outside Sales Coordinator (e.g., lead generation), Transaction Coordination, Marketing Assistant, etc. You could absolutely find a real estate team or brokerage who is in need of a licensed individual to fulfill these roles. 

That said, if your goal is to become a Realtor, then why are you going to spend the next 8 years obtaining a PhD that has nothing to do with the role? 

You identify comps based on recent sales in the area that are similar in location, condition, size/layout and features - its doesn't matter whether its a "creative financing deal" or not.

Frankly if you're not comfortable with it then you should seek out the help of a professional - assessing value is a major part of the deal analysis process and you don't want to wing it or make a decision based on the advice of an internet forum. If I were you I would either hire an appraiser or pay an experienced real estate agent for a Broker's Price Opinion.

Good luck!