All Forum Posts by: J. Martin

 Felicia,

Normally I'd be happy to meet up, but I'm on a cross-country road trip until late July or early August. I'm organizing the Summit (with the help of others!) and managing my RE biz on the road, but I'll be back about 4 weeks before the event. Or give me a ring while I'm driving! ;) 

Having a meetup tonight in Phoenix, then camping in Sedona, and over to Austin!! Hopefully @Bryan Hancock , @Lynn Currie , and maybe @John Fedro will have some time to hang out! Maybe plan a meetup..? Probably week after Memorial Day..?

 Whatever works best for you Ofer. I used Kaplan (online) because I have used them for other education training. Although I've heard First Tuesday is good. I personally would not take a class in a building, but that's because my main business goal is to not have to be physically present to do things or make money. This is the same. It's all online.. That may differ from your goals. But it's just a piece of paper to me. I don't have grand educational or networking goals associated purely with getting my license. Just another money-making tool in the tool belt.. ;)

Welcome @Solomon Young!

BP is definitely the place to be!! I invest in Oakland and Richmond and own properties in West Oakland, East Oakland, Richmond, and have furnished rentals by Lake Merritt (a place I extra love!) and North Oakland near Temescal. So I'm pretty familiar with the Oakland area if you want to tag me on the forums (send a colleague request..)

I used to work the 9-5 just like you, until I quit a couple months ago, and am now traveling around the country, enjoying life, managing my RE & furnished rental business, and getting lots of real estate investors to network together, make more money, and have a blast!! :)

You can definitely do it if you work hard at it. And there is so much opportunity in the Bay Area, in so many different ways, that you have potential at your fingertips.. Just go do it!!! ;)

Hopefully meet you in August at the big event after I get back from some travels. Check out all the local REIA / meetup events, and talk to @Johnson H. about the SF meetup and @Juan Diaz about his Oakland meetup... 

Good luck Solomon! :)

 Rachel, I got a much bigger venue, so it will be easier to handle overflow. Tickets are cheaper earlier, but jump in if/when you can, or call in sick!!! lol

Here is the link for BAWB, up closer to you.. They are an active group with about 20-35 investors each month, if it's the same as when I went last year.. 

http://www.bawb.info/monthly.html

The next meetup is this Thursday, 5/19. So go check it out! I don't know the leader, Michael Morrongiello, except for meeting him a couple times. But he seemed pretty sharp, and was even considering selling his personal residence up there because of how overheated/low affordability Marin is getting. Not sure where that's gone, but let me know! ;) And bring Travis with you!

 Jill, I saw you are in Scottsdale! We're meeting up tomorrow, Wed, 5/18 in Tempe. Come say hi!
https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/521/topics/31...

Michael Hacker will be there, and will be having his original meetup also on Thurs, 5/26.
https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/521/topics/31...

And a few other folks... Hopefully will see you there!

@Michael Upshur,

I think the timing on this is really interesting. As a former bank regulator for more than 7 years, I can tell you that if regulators have already identified a risk, discussed it internally, then produced a formally issued document and press release that they were in agreement on internally, the issue has usually already been around for a while, and is probably past where it should be!!! lol

As an example, the federal banking regulators, including the OCC, last issued a big written warning about CRE concentrations in December 12, 2006, when the most commonly referred-to guidance regarding CRE concentrations was written:
https://www.fdic.gov/news/news/financial/2006/fil0...
By then, it was too late to turn back...

The only reason I would know that this announcement is not even MORE later than it should be, is if all 3 federal regulators - OCC, FDIC, & Federal Reserve - had agreed. Even one agency takes a long time to agree enough to publicly discuss and publish it. 3 are halfway to impossible! lol

Will be interesting to see what happens in the next few years..! ;)

Hi @Felicia Nitu,

And welcome out to BP! Congrats on going back for architecture, and sounds like you enjoy it!! You should connect with the SF crew @Amit M., @Account Closed said, a huge group of us (a bunch of speakers from the podcasts, and hundreds of investors) will be getting together for the weekend to exchange ideas, ask questions, and make some deeper connections to expand our business in late August here in the Bay - so you lucked out with your location! Don't event have to fly out! ;)  (check out the tinyURL link at the bottom right of this text - thanks for the shout out Cassie!)

Feel free to tag me on the forums if you're looking for some feedback, and likewise!! 
Welcome to BP! It's a great site!! :)

 Ofer, I know @Daniel S. above, and is a good guy. I would recommend him. Danny, did you get the tiny home built out yet? I need a place to stay when I drop in to grass valley later this summer!!! lol

 Raquel, the info is in the tinyURL link at the bottom right of my signature after each one of my posts on BP. @Sean OToole    is the bright and data-driven founder of (formerly Foreclosure Radar) Property Radar. I am a subscriber. I'm hoping to be able to get Sean to come out to the Summit in August along with Bruce Norris - two of the best CA real estate guys. What do you think Sean? Did you see the speaker list? (see tinyURL link in my profile). And thanks for the shout out @Jay Hinrichs

It's interesting that you say you want to evaluate your situation in regards to the market cycle, then say you want to buy something sooner than later. Is it better to buy in the Bay Area when unemployment is at its lowest? Or at its highest?..

https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/311/topics/26...

@Travis R. knows Fairfield and Vallejo well, among others. Maybe those have a bit more cash than where you are at, but still not too far.. 

Best of luck with everything! And tag me out on the forums if you need some help or someone else to tag! ;)