All Forum Posts by: Ken M.

Yeah, we've definitely been noticing that here in Phoenix too. A lot of sellers still have unrealistic expectations left over from the COVID boom, and they’re not adjusting to what today’s buyers are willing to pay. On top of that, many homeowners are sitting on super low interest rates, so unless they have to sell, they’re only going to consider top-dollar offers.

It’s creating this weird standstill — not enough motivation to lower prices, but not enough affordability for buyers to jump either. That said, it does create some interesting opportunities for follow-up once listings expire or sellers start to soften. Definitely worth keeping an eye on.

residential inventory is getting back to normal imo...

AI:

Housing inventory across the U.S. has surged, with active listings reaching approximately 1.08 million in June 2025—up 28.9% from a year ago—marking the highest level since before the pandemic. New listings are also up, and homes are sitting on the market longer, averaging 53 days (five more than last year). While median list prices remain stable around $440K–$449K, sellers are increasingly cutting prices or pulling listings altogether—delistings rose 47% year-over-year in May. Mobile markets like Denver, Austin, and Las Vegas saw inventory growth as high as 60–80%. The rise in supply is giving buyers more options and bargaining power, signaling a slow shift toward a more balanced or even buyer-friendly market.

Hello all.

Real Estate Newbie who would love to get into the game. However, I am having both analysis paralysis and hesitation. It's part of my personality to function systematically, observing both sides of the coin, and come to a consensus knowing the potential outcomes with it's risks. As of now, I was hoping to get your thoughts on the following ideas:

1. Using a 401k towards investment, specifically, using a old/stagnant 401k from a former employee. Is it worth rolling it over as a solo 401k, LLC versus withdrawing?

2. Starting off with single family rental homes or utilize creative financing to obtain a larger acquisition such as an apartment complex (multifamily home)?

Hope to hear from you all. 

Thanks!

-Cassandra

One important item if these are owner occuppied situations.. FEDERAL LAW requires the Bank or holder of the note to arrange a meeting with the homeowner and a decision maker in person to work on a work out plan this is Law. Everyone is entitled to this meeting.. this is one reason there are not as many homes going to sale the loans get worked out in any number of methods.

Now you still have owners that just have their head in the sand and wont go to the meeting and or if they do they dont bring the docs that are required..

But bottom line is this service is available by federal law.

We’re currently building out our CRM

Real estate is a relationship business and follow-up is everything.

Your memory isn't built for scale.

That’s where a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system comes in:
1) Tracks every interaction
2) Keeps follow-ups from falling through the cracks
3) Automates reminders, emails, and tasks
4) Helps your entire team stay on the same page

We’ve been building out pipelines in HubSpot for:

- Investor leads

- Land acquisitions

- Homebuyer journeys

It will help us stay more consistent, clear, and scalable.

Our future self will thank us.

What CRM are you using?

Why does it seem as if every guru teaches new flippers to do swing a hammer and demo kitchen cabinets when there is often much more to do?

none of the gurus teach how to inspect a property and what to lookout for?

is the formula always to get a half decent looking female and ask her to choose countertops and tile?

why do they suggest that a flip can be done in ten days?

Hey BP fam,

I’m a new investor just getting started, and I’m trying to learn about all the different strategies out there — especially creative financing methods like seller financing, subject-to, lease options, etc.

The problem is, every time I try to look something up on YouTube, it seems like it’s always from a guru who’s just trying to funnel you into a $1,000+ course. I don’t mind investing a little in my education, but I’m cautious about dropping that kind of money when I don’t know what I’m actually getting — especially with so many upsells and mixed reviews.

I read posts here on BP all the time, and I constantly see people saying that you don’t need to pay a guru — that all the information they’re selling is already out there for free, if you just know where to look. That sounds great… but I’m still not sure where to actually find that info and learn it in a way that’s structured and beginner-friendly.

So my question is: Where can I truly learn creative real estate strategies without spending a fortune?

Books, YouTube channels that are actually educational, podcasts, blogs, courses under $100 — I’m open to any solid, no-BS resources that can help me build a real foundation.

Thanks in advance for any help you can give. I really appreciate how helpful this community is and I’m excited to get going the right way.

No, that’s not what I wrote. I did not use the words, “non-personal reason,” which could be anything. “Personal, family, or household purposes” is the literal definition in Dodd-Frank (and used by most other states).

Unfortunately, Dodd-Frank says there is no precise test for what constitutes a personal, family, or household purpose, so you’d be wise to take the road of conservatism. I suspect this is why most P/HMLs will not lend on an owner-occupied property, even though they could. That, or they don’t understand the law either, which is as likely.

Sidestepping the rules of consumer-purpose loan origination by labeling it a business-purpose loan has lately become one of the most common lawsuits in lending. This is not an area to mess with.

Nor did I address usury or licensing. These are defined by your state. In CA, for example, interest on any loan exceeding 10% APR is considered usurious. The good news is that the state provides dozens of exemptions. For example, real estate loans originated by a licensed CA DRE Real Estate Broker or DFPI CFL are exempt from usury and have no limit on the interest rate. Your state might have exemptions as well.

I’ll add that, since the max interest rate seems important to you—and usury aside—you do not set your maximum interest rate. The market does.

My strong suggestion, Joshua, is to spend an hour with a knowledgeable lending attorney in your state and go over licensing, usury, business-purpose versus consumer-purpose lending, and private money loan origination in general. Lending attorneys are not the same as real estate attorneys, so choose wisely. Perhaps ask a local, friendly P/HML who they use.

Appreciate you jumping in, Chris—completely agree on the owner psychology front.

What’s wild is how many owners are burning carry while waiting for the “rate reset” that may never come. That $10K/month interest drag you mentioned is exactly the kind of quiet distress I think we’ll see more of—where the pain is real but the denial is louder.

And you’re right—it’s often folks who entered in the last cycle, underwrote tight, and assumed tailwinds would last forever. Now they’re stuck between a bloated valuation and the hard math of today’s rates.

What’s your move when someone’s that far out of touch? You ever find success getting them to reality—or is it more about waiting until the asset forces the issue?