All Forum Posts by: Kevin Choi

Dude that's awesome man! Cant believe you're only 16 too!!

How do townhomes compare to other properties like condos or SF homes? Are they a good investment property to get started in renting and becoming a landlord? I feel that they don't have as much fees as condos do, though both do have HOA fees. The only bad thing is that you're sharing a wall with other property owners, but like condos, they're generally less expensive compared to SF homes, which starting out as a new investor without much capital to begin with seems like a good option for me.

@Samuel DeMass Your other post does make a lot of sense, and I never actually considered that HOAs may not take care of structural components or other issues until they become a huge problem. That's some really great insight. In Houston, however, small-multifamilies to house-hack is pretty hard to find because they're either in the really poor/shady areas or are way too expensive. I so badly want to begin my investment using house-hacking but it doesn't seem to be an option here. But yes, I completely agree with you and will most likely be delaying my investment. I appreciate the time you took to respond to my post, as well as the input from everyone else!

So I've read a lot about how condos are not good for investment rental properties because of their HOA fees and the special assessments that may sometimes come up. But are condos really that bad for being a rental property, even if it's just my first one? They're generally not as expensive as single-family homes, and as a new investor without a lot of capital to invest in most SF homes that aren't in the ghetto, wouldn't this be a good way to get my foot in the door?

Thank you all for the encouraging words! I will definitely look out for you guys and see if I can ever be of any help myself!

Hi ya'll! My name is Kevin Choi and I am 23 years old. I recently graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in December, 2014. I have lived in Houston, TX all my life and am now currently working at an 8-5 job for a pipe manufacturing company. However, the stressful lifestyle that comes with an 8-5 job is something I've come to... dislike. I truly believe that real estate investing can be a vehicle towards the true financial freedom I seek, which is why I am doing everything I can to learn about the industry.

Since I currently graduated from college and just started out at my new job, I am living at home so I have not bought or owned any properties before. Luckily, I have no student debts or any mortgages to pay off so I feel I am off to a good start at least. I am currently trying to learn as much as I can through reading books, listening to audiobooks and podcasts, and am also pursuing a real estate agent's license to further educate myself on the legal side of things. I'd like to learn as much as I can before making any moves and would appreciate any help I can get to get my foot in thpe door.

My goal in real estate was to begin investing in small multi-family properties and move my way towards larger multi-family properties like apartment complexes. However, living in Houston, small multi-family properties is not something that Houston has much to offer. Single-family homes look like my best bet so my investments will probably begin there. But in the future, I hope to be able to move to larger unit apartment complexes, even if I never get started in small multi-family properties.

Anyways, I am glad to be part of this community and hope to engage with everyone going through this journey in real estate investing, especially with other local investors in the area. Thanks for taking the time to read my introduction, and I look forward to seeing you guys around the forum!