All Forum Posts by: Melissa Justice

@Jenny Serrano,

Hey Jenny - I'm originially from NJ too! Happy to see you here! 

Everything you're feeling is completely valid. Real estate investing can feel overwhelming at the start, especially when the rules around financing seem to shift as you learn more. You're not alone in this.

What you're doing—supporting family, trying to build a better future, and educating yourself—is already incredibly brave. Most people never get this far.

I want to add: I am familiar with some low down payment programs through certain credit unions that offer as little as 5% down on investment properties. However, they often come with higher interest rates, which usually means negative or break-even cash flow until you refinance into a different loan product. These programs also come with stricter requirements, typically:
- U.S. citizenship
- 740+ credit score
- DTI (debt-to-income ratio) under 45%

So while these can be an option, you’ll want to be cautious and run the numbers conservatively.

You’re building grit right now. The fact that you’re not quitting, even when it feels heavy, shows that this is absolutely for you. That discomfort you're feeling? It's part of the growth process.

Keep asking questions, run the numbers, connect with others, and take one small step at a time. You’ve got this and you’re not doing it alone. 

Best of luck,

Melissa

Quote from @James Hamling:

@Antonio Waller best advice I can give is how to get YOUR answer vs what others may like, want, fit for, because end of day all that matters is what works for YOU, personally, right. 

Step1: get in touch with Rent To Retirement. @Zach Lemaster or it looks like @Melissa Justice although I am not familiar with her. 

Ask questions. All the question. Who, what, when, where, why, how.... Get the list, write it down, bullet points of what the turn-key curated experience is. 

Step2: Check out @James Wise and the HW YT site and all the videos. Get "done-learned" at what the middle ground looks like, what land lording can look like, watch the eviction series. Connect, find out what they do, what you'll have to "own" in the doing and be responsible for. 

Step3: Get to googling. Set aside 1-3 days of "brain damage" time because your going to be trying to reach out, interview and sniff out the BS of attempting to build your own team, remotely, from 0. Expect about 80% you connect with are just going to be out right BS'ing you and focused on selling you, because they see you as nothing but a paycheck. That's just the reality of it.      But you gotta do it anyways, just to experience "the suck".     You will need agents, PM's, service vendors, all of it. Your gonna do 100, 200+ calls.     Make a temp e-mail because I guarantee that e-mail is gonna be blowing up in short order with follow-up pressing you to get milked NOW-now. 

When all done, take a day or few, maybe have some good strong JD "Tennessee Tea" at the ready cause your gonna need it. Digest it all and..... pick a path. 

Which is YOUR best path for this 1st one. Fully done 4-you on a silver platter turn-key handholding.     Middle ground fo assisted and directed but ON-YOU to know what your doing, buying, due diligence confirmations etc..     Or the "lone wolf", putting in the work to sort through the sewers to find the rare gems of "team members" of quality and trust. 

It is what it is, there is a price to be paid for each. 

All that matters is which best fit's for YOU, not me, not anyone else, YOU. 

 Thanks, James! Great advice for Antonio. And Zach is my CEO. Cheers! 

@Bryan W.,
Hi and welcome to the BP community!

It’s great to have you here, and you’re already taking the right first step by reaching out and looking to connect with others. Finding a mentor or solid network early on can make a huge difference as you navigate your first investment.

If you're open to it, turnkey rental properties might be a great way to get started—especially if you're looking for something lower-risk with built-in property management and cash flow from day one. They can be a great option while you’re learning the ropes and figuring out what strategy fits you best.

Feel free to reach out if you have questions or want to talk through different markets or strategies. 

Best of luck,

Melissa 

Quote from @Carlos Davila:

@Melissa Justice love the advice! I greatly appreciate your perspective. I have not yet thought about looking outside my immediate area simply because this whole process is still new to me and I'd like to learn the ropes closer to me. I want to build my team closer to me first then branch out as I acquire a few initially. 

I do also love your approach; I am looking to initially get a turnkey property to minimize upfront cost and maximize early cash flow as much as possible. I think my biggest drawback is finding the right team. I am not sure where or how to find and "interview" them for my specific purpose and goals.

Totally get where you’re coming from—starting in your own backyard is a great way to learn the ropes and feel more in control while building your foundation. Once you have a few deals under your belt, branching out becomes a lot more manageable (and less intimidating).

I love that you’re considering turnkey properties right off the bat. It’s a smart move for minimizing headaches and generating cash flow early on, especially if you’re balancing a job or other commitments.

As for building your team, here are a few tips that might help:

Start with property managers – A good PM is usually well-connected with contractors, brokers, and even other investors. Ask them how they handle vacancies, maintenance, and tenant communication.

Leverage investor forums – BiggerPockets is a goldmine. Look for threads where people recommend agents, lenders, and other pros in your area.

Set up short Zoom calls or in-person coffee chats – Prepare a few key questions about how they work with investors, what kind of deals they typically help with, and how they’d approach your goals.

Look for investor-friendly language – You want someone who understands rental strategy, cap rates, and cash flow—not just buying and selling houses.

If you ever want help coming up with questions to ask or red flags to look for, I’m happy to share a few checklists I use. You’ve got the right mindset—just take it one step at a time and don’t be afraid to ask questions. You’re already way ahead by being thoughtful and intentional about your approach.

Quote from @Lee Banks:

@Melissa Justice Thank you Ms Justice I will definitely be looking into this 

 Anything you need!

Quote from @Kevin Fauver:

Quote from @Melissa Justice:

@Kevin Fauver,

Awesome intro—and wow, you're wearing a ton of hats! Husband, dad, software engineer, caregiver and future flipper/investor? Seriously impressive hustle.

It sounds like you’re at a great inflection point: already invested in a deal, scouting new markets like TN and NC, and considering flipping or building a small wholesaling team. With everything you’ve got going on, I also want to gently throw out turnkey rentals as something to consider.

Fix-and-Flips & Wholesaling
Starting to build your team now (agent, lender, contractor) will put you ahead when the funds from your current deal free up. Hiring a VA or local boots-on-the-ground partner could really help if you're time-strapped but want to stay active with wholesaling.

Why Turnkey Might Fit Too
Given your full plate, turnkey properties can be a great bridge to start building cash flow without the hands-on stress:

Fully renovated + rented

Property management in place

Ideal for building experience and equity while keeping your time focused on family, work, and other income streams You can still build equity and scale, and use that momentum later to transition into flips, BRRRR, or other value-add deals when you've got more bandwidth.

Taming the BiggerPockets Beast
Forums: Filter by location (TN, NC, OR) and niche (turnkey, fix & flip, wholesaling)

Tools: Run turnkey or flip numbers in their calculators to get comfortable analyzing deals

Podcast/blogs: Start with Rookie episodes or deep dives on scaling with limited time

You clearly bring value to every space you're in—whether it’s tech, family, or investing. Real estate’s just another outlet where your mindset will pay off.

If you want, I can share a few turnkey providers or sample deals from those markets to get your wheels turning.

Keep going—you’re laying a solid foundation.

Best of luck,

Melissa Justice

Investment Strategist at Rent to Retirement

Thank you! I appreciate that. And thank you for the extremely in detailed post. I definitely will check out some of those tools and podcasts for sure. The reason I am looking at F/F right now rather than turnkey/BRRRR is the liquidity I have is actually from a HELOC on my home. So my first need is to build funds so I can not HAVE to tap into my homes equity moving forward. Once I have roughly 250k-ish in the bank non-leveraged I fully plan on moving into BRRRR/Turnkey/New Construction exit strategies if they make sense. I do eventually want a portfolio of rentals for sure. But have to be very strategic since the funds I can use is somewhat small at the moment and I don't want to always have to use HML to a large portion if that makes sense. Another reason I want to use some of those funds to build a wholesaling team, help others earn money + bonuses and make some funds I can set aside myself. Believe me I've definitely thought about turnkey and how that would fit in, but its not in the cards just yet. Thanks again!! :)

Always here to brainstorm 👌

Quote from @Moe Collins:

Thank you Melissa. It has definitely been a learning experience that, with just like anything else, I feel will get easier as I gain more hands on experience. My biggest concern at this point is finding properties in my area/state. You mention turnkey rentals. I feel like those would be the first to get snatched up by more experienced investors. Am I correct in thinking that if a listing makes it to the MLS, that it has already been passed on by multiple people that brokers showed to first? Either way, I'm in this for the long haul so I'm going to reach out to a few local brokers to see what's out there. From there I can get my reps in crunching the numbers and figuring out what's good and what is not. I really appreciate the information and if you wouldn't mind, will reach out to if I have questions.

You’re absolutely right—the more hands-on experience you gain, the smoother things will get. The initial learning curve can feel a bit steep, but with time, it all becomes second nature.

Regarding turnkey properties, yes, you’re correct that experienced investors often scoop them up quickly, especially in competitive markets. However, don't let that discourage you! There are opportunities for newbies too. It's about setting yourself up for success - first action step is always discovering what your purchasing power is & vetting markets. My team is always here to help with exactly that!

It's great to hear you’re planning to reach out to local brokers! That’s a solid strategy too. And you’re right—getting in those reps with crunching numbers is going to give you more clarity on what’s a good deal and what’s not. The more you practice evaluating properties, the sharper you’ll get at identifying great opportunities.

Feel free to reach out anytime with questions! I’m always happy to help however I can.

@Ryan R.,

Welcome to the community & and congrats on that first rental! $530/month in cash flow with solid equity is a strong first move, especially in today’s market. Most people never even get that far, so you’re already ahead of the curve.

Now that you're sitting on ~$180K in equity, you're in a perfect position to leverage what you’ve built and start scaling with more intention.

In Tight Markets, Scale Requires Strategy -
Finding good deals—especially in tighter, competitive areas—gets harder as markets mature. That’s why a lot of investors are leaning into one of two routes:

Out-of-state investing in high-cash-flow or appreciation markets

Turnkey rentals—which let you deploy capital quickly into stable, rehabbed, and tenanted assets

Why Turnkey Might Make Sense for You -
Given your new career transition and interest in scaling without getting bogged down in renovations or property headaches, turnkey properties offer a few key advantages:

You buy back your time while building cash flow and equity

You can invest in stronger rental markets, even if they’re out of state

It helps you stay passive, but still profitable—a smart move as you juggle tech work and RE growth

With your background in problem-solving and systems from the automotive and tech industries, you’ll likely thrive in identifying scalable solutions—and turnkey could be one of them.

If you're open to exploring markets or want to know what kind of returns to expect from a well-vetted turnkey deal, happy to share some examples or walk through the numbers.

Either way, congrats again on your first win—and excited to see where you take it next!

Wishing you much success!

Melissa Justice

Investment Strategist at Rent to Retirement

@Seth Meyer,

Congrats on getting five properties under your belt, especially starting back in 2009. That kind of steady, thoughtful growth puts you ahead of most. And now that you're shifting gears from “preserve” to “scale,” you're asking the exact right questions.

From Conservative to Scalable: What Worked for Others
Investors who went from “zero to hero” often did three things:

Got creative with financing (more on that below)

Built strong deal pipelines—usually by focusing on one or two key markets

Leveraged systems and people to reduce friction (PMs, turnkey providers, lenders, etc.)

After Running Out of Cash – What Works:
HELOCs or cash-out refinances on existing rentals (you may be sitting on untapped equity)

DSCR loans: No personal income needed—based on property cash flow. Huge for scaling.

Seller financing or subject-to deals when rates make sense

Partnering on deals to share capital and risk

Also worth noting: if you want to stay more passive while scaling, some investors successfully grow with turnkey properties. You still get appreciation, cash flow, and tax benefits—without the upfront renovation capital or time commitment.

LLC & Trust Setup – Keep It Simple but Smart:
Here’s what many cost-conscious investors do:

One umbrella LLC to start (especially if you're self-managing or using one PM across markets)

Gradually separate LLCs per market or cluster as portfolio grows

Use a land trust for privacy, if needed, with the LLC as beneficiary

File taxes through SMLLCs (single-member LLCs) or partnerships to avoid double-taxation

Consider a holding company if you're scaling aggressively or investing with others

Always worth running past a CPA or attorney—but the goal is simple, not fancy, and optimized for tax and liability.

You're at a powerful crossroads—you've built the foundation, now it's just about picking the right vehicle to accelerate growth. Whether it's BRRRR, turnkey, or something hybrid, happy to share what's working in today's market or examples of how other investors are scaling strategically.

Wishing you much success!

Melissa Justice

Investment Strategist at Rent to Retirement

Quote from @Ven Perla:

Thank you Jared & Melissa. Really appreciate the responses.
I met with your associate/s from REINation and RTR to learn about the offerings and to learn the markets, entry & exit criteria and portfolio build out. In still a bit of learning phase on the potential TK engagement but will surely keep you in mind.

 Sounds great! Always here to support a fellow investor's journey.