All Forum Posts by: Matthew Morrow

We're excited to host this month's REI Partners Meet Up at our new location!

This session will focus on a Deal Analysis Tool and Demo designed to help you confidently evaluate real estate opportunities.
We’ll cover:
• How to break down the numbers that matter most
• A live demo of our analysis tool in action
• Tips to avoid common mistakes when reviewing deals

As always, this is also about networking and building connections—expect a room full of like-minded investors, from beginners to experienced professionals.

Come ready to learn, share, and connect. Let’s grow together!
Sponsor - Town Settlement Group

RSVP HERE

https://www.meetup.com/rei-partners/events/311174474/?utm_me...

Every investor has a story about a deal that didn’t go the way they planned. The truth is, those “failures” often carry the most valuable lessons—if you know how to unpack them.

At our upcoming REI Partners Meetup in Allentown, we’ll be breaking down real deals that went sideways and showing how investors turned challenges into momentum for their next wins.

Here’s what you can expect:

Real Lessons From Real Deals
Learn from real-world examples where things didn’t go as expected, and how those lessons created better opportunities.

Connect With Other Investors
Meet and network with both new and experienced investors who are building businesses, not just buying properties.

Strategies to Pivot & Protect
Discover practical ways to adapt quickly and turn setbacks into stepping stones for growth.

Event Details:
📍 Allentown, PA
📅 Tuesday, September 16th | 6:00–8:30 PM
🔗RSVP Required via meetup www.meetup.com/rei-partners/events/310833503/?utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=share-btn_savedevents_share_modal&utm_source=link&utm_version=v2

Don’t miss this one—your next big win might come from learning about what didn’t work.

We hope to see you there,

Hey @Max Pfeifer— great questions, and definitely the kind of stuff a lot of investors wrestle with early on.

1. If you're using an FHA loan, the property must be in your personal name — not in an LLC. So yeah, if your plan is to buy with FHA, you'll need to hold off on putting it in an LLC for now. That can always come later with proper structure and legal advice (think: trust or title transfer with lender approval).

2. DSCR and most conventional investment loans require the property to be non-owner-occupied. So those typically aren’t the best choice if you're planning to live in the property. However, if it’s truly a business/investment play, and you won’t be living there, DSCR can be a great tool.

3. Personally, I'm a big fan of using the FHA 3.5% down on a 3-4 unit when you're just starting out — especially if you can live in one and rent the others. That's how you get in with less money and build equity through forced appreciation. A duplex with more equity day one is nice too, but if your goal is long-term wealth, more units early gives you more leverage and cash flow potential. Just make sure you're not buying a money pit and have a plan for the work if it's a fixer.

Our team’s based in the Lehigh Valley and we’ve helped a bunch of clients navigate this exact scenario — happy to connect if you ever want to run numbers or talk strategy. Shoot me a DM or hit my profile.

 Hey @Jacob Groh
Totally get where you’re at — it happens more than people realize, and it’s good you’re looking at the numbers now instead of later.

If you’re only a little negative each month, renting might still work out long-term, especially if you’re building equity and someone else is mostly covering the mortgage. But if it’s a bigger monthly hit or just stressing you out, selling and taking a small loss now might be cleaner and give you a fresh start.

Our team works daily in Allentown and the surrounding markets — all of my personal deals are here too — so if you want to talk it out or run the numbers a different way, happy to help however I can. Sometimes there’s a creative fix you haven’t thought of yet.

Hit me up if youd like to talk thru it. My contact info is in my profile or send me a DM here. 
Cheers

 All good points. eventually they become an annoyance if a heavily trafficked area. even the most "secure" areas still have bad actors and cameras could help in identification or deterrence. 

 Hey @Mark Bennett-  most of my portfolio is mixed-use properties around the Lehigh Valley. They can be great cash flow plays, especially when the commercial side is stable, but there are definitely some local curveballs to watch out for with zoning and lending.

Happy to talk through what I’ve seen work (and not work) if you’re seriously looking at one. Feel free to shoot me a message anytime.

 @Kurt Meehan 

Love seeing this level of drive at 19 — seriously impressive. You're already thinking the way a lot of successful investors do after their first few properties.

Our team is based in the Lehigh Valley and I actually built my whole portfolio here starting with house hacks, so you're definitely headed in the right direction. A 4-unit is an awesome first move if you can find one that pencils out — especially with the right financing and reserves. It’s a great balance of scale and risk.

As for your other questions: we can’t give financial advice, but many of our clients start shifting from stocks to cash or liquid assets when they get serious about buying — just helps with down payments and lender seasoning. Getting pre-approved before full-time employment is tough but not impossible, especially with a co-signer or creative loan programs. A real estate license can be a great tool if you want to stay in the business long-term, but it’s not required to get started. And hiring a PM while you live on-site? Not a bad idea at all — some of our clients do it just to set clear boundaries and keep it professional with tenants from day one.

If you want to run your numbers by us or talk through local options, feel free to reach out through our portfolio info — happy to help however we can.

 @Dozar Real Totally reasonable — as the owner, you can absolutely install exterior security cameras, especially for ongoing protection once you’re no longer living on-site. Just make sure they’re pointed only at common areas or exterior spaces (like entrances, driveways, etc.) and not at any private windows or inside the units. That should keep you compliant with privacy laws and avoids tenant complaints.

I have cameras on multiple properties in the Lehigh Valley. make sure your leases state that footage is yours and yours alone, and be prepared to provide it to law enforcement if something happens nearby.  Obviously consult your attorney on all this but just based on our experince you are clearly permitted as long as you are not in any private areas.