All Forum Posts by: Meghan McCallum

@Allison Massey EVERYONE wants houses in those areas. The investors there are already peppering the hell out of the market. I have a far better tip for you as to what works in that area. *shhhh and its FREE

 As usual, Rod makes some really crucial points NOT to be ignored. But, I am a contrarian at heart and like to be defiant. This is where I have found MUCH MUCH more opportunity. SO,consider this. In a small/medium market (500K people in the Metropolitan Statistical Area)  a small town (6000 people) has the BEST if not one of the top two school districts. EVERYONE fights to get into the school district and it has a huge 200 acre development going in.

Is this small town a bad place to rent? NO! everyone is fighting over your property. Low crime, diverse employment, and a down home feeling with a small commercial district with cool breweries, pubs, and stores is SERIOUSLY attractive. I just moved away from one such small town and I'm selling my portfolio as I moved back to Chicago and would love to be able to be closer to my properties. If anyone is looking into small town investing...let me know. I even have a fantastic and inexpensive property manager/CPA/Investor who has been tending to it once I moved.

Shameless plug for @Michael Pease!!!

@Brie Schmidt This event is going to be AMAZING. How this event is planned to shake out with all of the forethought of putting attendees in front of the people they need to network with, I mean, this is unprecedented and I expect all future conference to move this direction. It really is an amazing networking opportunity.

I am MOST looking forward to 

• Passive Investing with @Yan P. & @Dave Van Horn & Midland @Sam Sharp & @Vincent Pace & Bank of the West    (can't wait until I'm only passive investing)
• Creative Financing with @Sterling White & Renovo Financial & RealtyShares.com (I'm ALWAYS looking for new ways)
• Syndication / Multifamily with @Joe Fairless (This guy is a beast!!)
• Rehabbing / Flipping with @Joshua Inglis & @Ron Plonis & Frank Montro  (I just started a partnership with a local flipper and we are looking to ramp up the business)
• Property Management with @Mark Ainley and @Linda Liberatore (don't we ALL need to know how to find the better ones)
• Short Term Rentals / AirBnB with @Syed Lateef and AllSet Property Management (I LOVE SHORT TERM RENTALS)
• Tax & Legal with my GREAT Friend @Linda Weygant & @Bill Exeter & Castle Law (So much money is lost by investors here!)

There is just so much amazing information I feel I will get out of it despite my experience and success. These guys are such amazing specialists. I'll be there with my notepad picking up all the amazing nuggets of information.

Alex,

I've been speaking to multiple people about getting the meetings set back up with the policies and procedures that are shared with the other groups around the midwest. I have a couple people willing to participate in a leadership role. We just got the Chicago Club connected and talking with the Madison Club. I'm on a meeting this week in regards to getting the QC connected next. Do you want to be one of the Club Champions?

Shane,

The QC is difficult. Sooo many micro communities...this is something that makes investing there hard for out of state investors. Contact an investor friendly realtor to do a comp analysis on it. If you are flipping...use this agent to sell in exchange for the work it takes them to get that to you. Or, ask them to and buy them lunch monthly to continue your professional symbiotic relationship. As they get to know what it is you are looking for you will find that they will start bringing you deals from their sellers that meet what it is you are looking for. This business is 1000x more about relationships than numbers, location, or financing alone.

Hi @Shane Seeley, I'm currently sitting in Geneseo, IL. I started my full-time investing portfolio while living here. I moved to Chicago a few months ago. I'm actually looking to sell some of my Geneseo properties if you are interested in picking some up.

Thank you @Linda Weygant for the tag and referral. I have reached out to Teri S. :)

I'm partnered with a team of investors who have developed a POWERFUL lead generation funnel across the country for land. We are able to sell it for $.70 on the dollar. We have an extensive list. Please send me a personal message with your email address, phone number, and what markets or type of land product (farm, urban plots etc) you are looking for. We will get back to you shortly to let you know if we have anything available that fits your needs.

@Bryan O. sounds like you need to be introduced to a better Property manager. PM me to discuss. I have a 40 unit portfolio in the QC.

 If you want to win at a buy and hold model, you should look at the cities with the highest population of millennials, with the best suburban school districts, and buy properties in a neighboring suburb whose school district is showing signs of improving, have lower housing costs, and lacks the updated urbanized feel. As the millennials move out of the city to send kids to affordable (public) schools any less developed suburb with any link to pub trans will appreciate or ( in the event of a RE correction) maintain its value. Two tears ago you had great opportunities in tertiary markets like the Quad Cities, but their "suburban options" are minimal and most investors will keep properties in that area...so competition is higher. 

I like the suburbs of San Antonio, Austin, Madison, Milwaukee*, Grand Rapids**, Chicago (no need to hate on IL, here comes marijuana legalization to increase all sorts of RE profitability). 

*Milwaukee (southside) - has extreme job growth just south along 94 which connects it to Chicago in just over an hour

** Grand Rapids has an under developed east side that is changing...just follow the commercial investment progress, has the highest % of millennials 22% under 35y.o. AND most job growth. The investment opportunity continues here to Muskegon, a city 30 min east that connects it to Milwaukee. Plus, its the second best city for micro brews (and its not like new dad's are planning on drinking less) 

THE TEAM DOING THE RENOVATION IS THE PRODUCT. If you want to buy real estate be hands off, and play it safe in the face of the whatever we are looking at in the event of a housing correction find an EXPERIENCED syndication TEAM (not a one man show) and park your money with them. Buying out of state properties with an unknown Turn-Key company can turn into a set of headaches. Check out  @Kathy Fettke  or @Chris Clothier's companies. They are doing all the data analysis for you, have a prove track record, and live and die my their reputation. There aren't the ONLY companies to work with, just very high end examples of reputable turn-key companies.

Feel free to reach out to be connected to syndicators who currently have less risk and high upside potential on returns on their investment opportunities.