All Forum Posts by: Kenneth McKeown

@Stephanie Weathers welcome! As Colton mentioned above - there are so many different ways to invest. Have you got any idea where you may start?

@Justin M. any reason you're not investing locally in SA?

@Stephanie Money welcome and GIG EM! From a fellow Aggie to another I will be as transparent as anyone ever will be.

I left A&M to go work in San Antonio rather than Dallas for a better of a relationship which ended mere weeks later. I fell into real estate after that - Rich Dad Poor Dad, BP, books galore - you name it. I've been into real estate investing for just about 4 years - but I didn't jump in until I moved to DFW about 2.5 years ago (financing reasons). I've since purchased multiple MFH and SFH and it's taken me down a crazy path. I no longer use my Bachelors & Masters and still have the opportunity to enjoy my 20's (and now 30's having just turned 30).

With all of that being said - I definitely believe that the bigger your sacrifice... the bigger your overall return will be. I've lived in a duplex and a 4-plex... and I would have to admit that not many people my age would have wanted to live where they're located. But now I have two tremendous cash flowing MFH's. I've also been able to travel to Peru, NZ, Australia, Europe and plenty around the states. I believe there is a fine mix of pleasure and sacrifice that you will have to find in your life. The issue I see with a lot of people is they are so stuck in analyzing deals that they never take the foot forward and invest. I actually know someone off of BP who asked me to help them invest, then got pregnant, then moved in with their parents... fast forward 2.5 years and they're pregnant again and are going to be renting for the foreseeable future. It's unfortunate but that's the life path they choose - and NOTHING wrong with that!

Honestly the easiest way to jump in is to purchase a primary residence (MFH or SFH) as long as it's a smart purchase. That's how I got started.

@Dominic Daoust welcome! Are you staying in San Diego or are you moving to DFW? I was stationed in Pendleton and then went to SDSU for a year but then went back home to Washington State to finish up undergrad. After that is when I moved to Texas and eventually wound up in DFW. It's a lot easier to invest in DFW then in San Diego or back home - but just curious what your plan is!

@Mike Ingles the BRRRR strategy is great - if you can find a house that will follow suit. It's advertised plenty on BP and is an option especially if you're able to be out there finding great deals. The issue is - if you're finding a BRRRR from someone else, family, friend, wholesaler - they're an idiot to not finance it themselves & keep it themselves. I know I've came across one myself direct to the seller and I didn't have the finances to purchase it.. so I FOUND a way to finance it.

Buy & holds are definitely the route I invest in - a lot of people are out there flipping.. it's just not my forte. I'd rather have the longevity of rentals. 

@Account Closed my favorite place is going to be where I have the most knowledge and understanding in. Where I live. Where I have the best network of individuals. You are only as great as your team is. 

All of this is personally in DFW for me - as I live here, have a tremendous network & great team, know the market like no other and most of all I can personally GO TO my properties at any given time if I feel the need to. I may someday invest in ONE or TWO properties out of state more as a STR/AirBnB but my buy & hold strategy will always be local for me.. personally.

@Ryan Knapp I actually use to live in San Diego for five years so I can definitely relate. I actually moved out of CA because of the cost of living. I knew I wanted a better quality of life and not be house poor my entire life. Fort Worth is definitely affordable and has pockets throughout that would be great for investing. What I tell most of my investors - it's dependent on what you're wanting to do. Will you be moving permanently and house hacking? Will you be buying an outright investment? Are you concerned about mostly cash flow or would you like more potential appreciation & better tenants? There are a lot of factors that come into play. The biggest I think right now is your capital. Unless you're buying a primary house - and even then you're a little short - you're going to have to work on saving a decent amount more to purchase your first property. BUT - you're here, and that's a great start!

@Bill Plymouth I'm not purchasing half a duplex myself as an investor unless I can foresee myself being able to acquire the other half. Too many issues with shared fences, shared foundation, roof, etc that if something needs done... trying to work with another owner is difficult. I'm also not a fan of townhomes and condos myself. I own a duplex though and have considered at some point many years down the road to maybe separate them and sell individually. This will usually net you a higher sales price if sold individually. But then again I'm also really in this for the long haul & enjoy the cash flow my duplex gives me so I'll likely never sell lol.

@Ron Trombetti plenty of people leave eXp... but the numbers are what matters. For every one agent that leaves eXp - 5 to 10 more are joining. Every brokerage is different and offers different amounts of opportunities based on the agent and their needs. However, eXp is setup to be a successful brokerage and RETAIN it's agents. 

@Joseph Bongiardina not sure if you've gotten a response after a month - but I joined eXp a little over 2 years ago as a brand new agent in a brand new city and have faired well. It truly comes down to how much hustle and grind you have. Business will never come TO YOU - but rather you must go out and find it. 

@Joanna M. Wilson I see that you were considering eXp 2 months ago. Did you end up making a decision on what brokerage you went with? Either way - hope you're doing well!

@Mariah Talicuran wholesaling is a broad topic and it truly depends on what avenue you're going. A lot of the practices that wholesalers (at least in my market) do aren't ethical and wouldn't be allowed by any broker. Now if you're talking about 'assigning' a contract to an end buyer and receiving a share of it, you cannot. However, if I ever come across something that can be wholesaled I just end up either being the 'buyers agent' or 'sellers agent' and receive a set amount of commission at the end of the deal.