All Forum Posts by: Matt Dingus

Hey Tyson - That's really cool you've gotten started so early. I think that's a great way to go about your goals; by getting some experience through a few deals and then eventually getting involved into larger ventures like mobile home parks. I'd be happy to connect at all regarding flips/BRRRRs. I would suggest reaching out to @Kirk Zandier to start learning more about the mobile home park space in Pittsburgh. 

Hey Kevon, 

I agree with what Joseph mentioned above. As you start putting your team together, it really helps to surround yourself with people who understand what you’re trying to do and have been through it themselves. That’s been a big advantage for me—my main contractor also invests in real estate, so he knows what’s actually necessary in a rehab versus what just looks nice. Same thing with my main lender—he invests too, so he’s able to structure deals creatively and navigate the challenges that come up in this business. Having that alignment has made a huge difference.

Thank you for your service, Kevin. I'd be more than happy to connect with you at any point to help in any way I can. I focus on flips and buy and holds personally and help my clients do the same. As much as you can soak in now for the next year would be key - I'd start underwriting active deals now as a suggestion. Helps get your expectations in line for when you're ready to buy. 

Hey Craig - I work with quite a few investors who buy in Pittsburgh without ever setting foot here—some even self-manage remotely but everyone has a different appetite for that. It really comes down to building the right team (agent, contractors, property manager if you want one) and using tech to handle the rest. Pittsburgh’s a great market to look into because entry prices are still affordable, rental demand is strong, and you can find neighborhoods that hit both cash flow and appreciation. Once you have local boots on the ground you trust, you don’t need to travel much—most of my clients only visit once in a while, if at all. I think for an agent I would find one that at least invests themselves and/or has solid experience with investors using different strategies. For researching a market to jump into, you want to be excited about growth of the area and ensure the #s can make sense. 

Hey @William Breymann

You’re definitely asking the right questions here. A lot of us wrestle with the balance of “do I like this place” vs. “does it actually make sense financially.” At the end of the day, the numbers need to work first as an investment (cash flow, appreciation potential, stability, safety, etc), but I’ve also found that being at least somewhat excited about the market helps you stay motivated, especially if you’re investing out of state. You mentioned Ohio, NC, and some spots in the Northeast — all have pros and cons I'm sure — but I’d also encourage you to take a look at Pittsburgh (Yes I am biased). It’s one of the few markets where you can still find solid cash flow opportunities while also getting long-term appreciation. The job market is strong with healthcare, tech, and universities (great for your idea around MTRs for traveling healthcare workers if you go that route), and there are plenty of safe B-class neighborhoods with good schools, parks, and a lot of growth happening.  

Like any city there are areas you’d avoid, but if you target the right pockets, it’s a really investor-friendly place with steady demand from both renters and buyers. I’ve personally had a lot of success here helping clients and building my own portfolio, and I can honestly say Pittsburgh has been one of the most balanced markets I’ve seen for both cash flow and appreciation. And when I have clients visit here, they end up loving it every time. While Pittsburgh isn’t a “beach” destination, it’s surrounded by lakes, rivers, ski areas, and outdoorsy recreation, so it does check that box of having natural attractions nearby.

 Long story short — don’t overthink needing to personally love the nightlife or vibe of a city, but if you can find a market that has strong numbers and you would enjoy visiting, you’ll feel way better about pulling the trigger on the first offers. 

Hey @Sireno Mattie - 

From my experience with these types of properties—if it’s anywhere close to a “gut” renovation, you’re realistically in the $70K–$80K+ range at the very least, especially if your end plan is to flip-to-sell. Once you start tackling the big-ticket items, the costs stack up quickly. It’s becoming rare to finish these projects in the $40K–$50K range anymore.

Without more details it’s hard to nail down exact numbers, but I’d make sure you’ve got a healthy buffer built into your budget and that you’re accounting for everything. Best move is having someone on the ground walk it and outline all the work needed—then line that up with comps in the area so you know what scope you’ll need to hit resale numbers.

Hey AJ, congrats on the BRRRR! House hacking is hands-down the perfect next step. I've done three house hacks myself and I'm currently looking for my fourth here in Pittsburgh.

You can go FHA, but there are also lenders who offer 5–10% down conventional loans—those will help you avoid the big PMI payment that comes with FHA. Personally, I prefer those over FHA but it also depends on the deal and what you qualify for.

As for LLC vs. personal name, all of my house hack properties are titled in my personal name. However, I have an LLC that I run all the leases, income, and expenses through. This is something my CPA (who's also an investor) advised—it helps with taxes and liability without having to pay transfer taxes and other costs to move the property into an LLC. I'm no expert in that space, I just listen to my mentors around me, so I'd recommend going over the details with your CPA or attorney.

Bottom line—don’t get stuck on this decision and let it slow you down. Just do it! House hacking is a tried-and-true cheat code for building wealth in RE.

Hey what's up Andrew. I'd welcome the opportunity to connect with you on what you had in mind for buying in the Pittsburgh region. I love hunting for solid deals for buy-and-holds, and also thoroughly enjoy working with beginner investors learning the game. There's a lot of good opportunities here to achieve good returns if you know what areas to target. 

Hey @Naa Asomaning - Pittsburgh is quite an STR friendly city. No major regulations in place. The only thing I have heard is that if you're operating an STR within the city, that will need to go through the city's rental permit program (occupancy permit) just like your standard rentals. Which is a new requirement being enforced by the city as of this year. If you need help on areas to target for STRs, just shoot me a message.

Hey @Travis Boyd - I wish I could help your situation there, but this is obviously a more legal matter since there is signed documentation.  

I wish I could be of more help here, but given there’s signed documentation involved, it seems to be more of a legal matter at this point.

That said, as an investor-focused buyer agent here in Pittsburgh who works with a number of out-of-state clients, it’s wild to hear that some agencies are including terms like that in their contracts. I assume their goal is to avoid spending time chasing down low-priced deals for clients who may never close—but in my opinion, if that’s the concern, an upfront retainer makes more sense.

Frankly, it feels short-sighted. Instead of building long-term trust and repeat business, they’ve damaged the relationship over $2K—especially after failing to deliver a deal that beat what you could’ve found in your own market. You might’ve gone on to buy several properties with them, but now they’ve made that outcome unlikely.