All Forum Posts by: Matthew B.

@Jonathan Minerick and @Jorge Zea are absolutely correct! Find a local, flat fee MLS broker, who has access to the CORRECT local MLS. Once the property is listed you'll have done 90% what a typical full-service agent does. Open house are a thing of the past and the paperwork is nothing like what full-service agents want you to believe. Flat fee MLS listings are the way to sell for any experienced seller or real estate investor.

We've been trying to find a decent handyman for months now. It's unbelievably difficult.

So, far we've been looking in local "word of mouth" type Facebook groups. Any other suggestions on where to look?

Also, any suggestions on how to properly vet these people?

And what's the going rate for a handyman?

I would appreciate any suggestions and advice!

I'm in the Orlando/Clermont area and we say the same things up here. Everything is crazy expensive. Margins on flips are so tight you'd be better off becoming a real estate agent and listing properties. Cap rates are so low you'd be better off investing in the stock market. You just have to keep grinding and if you're lucky you'll come across that rare opportunity that makes financial sense.

Just wondering what others are doing. Do you make offers without seeing the house, or do you make an appointment before throwing out numbers? Do you give the seller a ballpark estimate or range and then narrow it down after an inspection? What works best for you?

NREI does not offer named storm coverage - important for those of us in hurricane areas. Their product seemed perfect for me until I found that out.

@Chris Martin Nice truck! My business vehicle is an older (2001) Dodge as well.

 I've considered this before... I always thought it would be more trouble than it's worth, but maybe the tax deductions would make it worthwhile. Also, my business mileage is split between several different businesses so I'm not sure how that would work.

 I'm not kidding when I say close to 100% of my miles are for business... The only reason I leave the house in this vehicle is for business. I take photos of the odometer before and after and I have detailed logs of my trips. I'd rather take the chance of audit over paying more in taxes. I do everything (mostly) by the book, so an audit doesn't scare me. Also, I live my life by the odds, and the odds of an audit are quite slim, at least I think so :)

@Carl Fischer It's definitely the truth! I feel like it's unfair to be audited just because I happen to use my personal vehicle almost exclusively for business purposes. My accountant says it's not worth it?

@Mark Holencik I do use it almost only for business... That's the issue.

@Matt Sisk Good to know you're deducting all of that mileage and not getting audited. Sometimes I feel like my accountant is too conservative. 

I have a personal vehicle that I use almost exclusively for business. If I put 10,000 miles on it in a year, 9,500 are for business. I track my mileage religiously, but accountant always tells me I can't report all of that business mileage because it will trigger an IRS red flag. He usually reports the business mileage somewhere below 50%. I feel like I'm getting cheated out of a larger deduction. My business miles are legitimate! Does anyone else have this problem or do I need a new accountant?