Skip to content
×
Pro Members Get
Full Access!
Get off the sidelines and take action in real estate investing with BiggerPockets Pro. Our comprehensive suite of tools and resources minimize mistakes, support informed decisions, and propel you to success.
Advanced networking features
Market and Deal Finder tools
Property analysis calculators
Landlord Command Center
ANNUAL Save 16%
$32.50 /mo
$390 billed annualy
MONTHLY
$39 /mo
billed monthly
7 day free trial. Cancel anytime
×
Try Pro Features for Free
Start your 7 day free trial. Pick markets, find deals, analyze and manage properties.
All Forum Categories
All Forum Categories
Followed Discussions
Followed Categories
Followed People
Followed Locations
Market News & Data
General Info
Real Estate Strategies
Landlording & Rental Properties
Real Estate Professionals
Financial, Tax, & Legal
Real Estate Classifieds
Reviews & Feedback

All Forum Posts by: Melissa Jolley

Melissa Jolley has started 3 posts and replied 85 times.

Post: Active Duty Military- Rags to Riches :)

Melissa JolleyPosted
  • Rental Property Investor
  • Niceville, FL
  • Posts 89
  • Votes 62

@Stuart Grazier We actually have a rental in Clarksville TN already. The cash flow is not great but we are about 40K in the green already. Planning on keeping it for a few more years and doing a 1031 to get something closer to home that will provide more CF.

Post: Active Duty Military- Rags to Riches :)

Melissa JolleyPosted
  • Rental Property Investor
  • Niceville, FL
  • Posts 89
  • Votes 62

Thanks! @Casey Roloff it was certinly blood, sweat and tears BUT....we made it!

Post: So many things I can do with this great deal--need help!

Melissa JolleyPosted
  • Rental Property Investor
  • Niceville, FL
  • Posts 89
  • Votes 62

I would wholesale. It will go fast and this seems like the least amount of risk for you. I agree with J Scott about the appraisal. Sometimes the best deal is the least risk and the most cash in your pocket. If you are moving and starting another venture....I think wholesale does it all for you. The wholetail alternative has several possibilities that could bottleneck your earnings. In the time it took to list, inspect..close... you might have found another deal with less risk.

Post: Active Duty Military- Rags to Riches :)

Melissa JolleyPosted
  • Rental Property Investor
  • Niceville, FL
  • Posts 89
  • Votes 62

Investment Info:

Single-family residence fix & flip investment in Yuma.

Purchase price: $157,000
Cash invested: $20,000
Sale price: $210,000

Active duty military family- we figured we were paying rent so why not just buy a home under our normal rental range and flip it? After RE fees on this we put $40K in our pocket. This was our first deal and totally gave me the bug. I knew immediately that RE investing was the way to go for us. We took this 1983 home from pink tile to the photos below.

What made you interested in investing in this type of deal?

We jsut arrived to a new duty station and built a home only 18 months before. We realized that building a home in a place that we were not going to end up in was....less than smart. I could not shake the idea that real estate was the way to go....so I took to google to learn all I could about the best methods to start with basically nothing.

How did you find this deal and how did you negotiate it?

Found this deal online. It was a listed property but we were the buyers in this situation so I was not concerned with agent commission. ALSO, we were brand new to the area so I spent a lot of time looking for an agent that was like minded. We looked for the highest home value areas and then looked for deals in those areas--also made sure that it was in a desirable area for close proximity (but not too close) to military bases.

How did you finance this deal?

We used a VA loan. It was our second time using it so the funding fee was higher but we KNEW we were going to move in 3 years so the clock was ticking and we needed every cent to get this project done.

How did you add value to the deal?

We lived in the home through the whole renovation. It. was. brutal.
My husband is a serious saint. We learned so much and I have so much respect for him...I always did but he is seriously smart and I could have never done this without him.

What was the outcome?

We listed the home for $229K at the request of our realtor (which we used to buy the home so he listed it for 5%). It was unique for the area because it was across the street from a golf course and in a desirable community but it was an older community with newer, energy efficient homes near by. We were on the market for around 80 days. SOLD for $210K. We knew to begin that military buyers would ask for concessions so I planned for that from day 1. I budgeted 10% of the sale price in CC's.

Lessons learned? Challenges?

Lessons- We would have avoided a home with an over- sized yard. It was an after thought....big mistake. It was double the size of the home.
Challenges- Burnout! We lived there so it was hard because we had two small boys.
Know your strengths....plumbing is not ours...also tile. We hate tile.

Did you work with any real estate professionals (agents, lenders, etc.) that you'd recommend to others?

We did work with an agent out of Yuma, AZ. Sean Rodgerson.

Post: Old Zillow Rental Listings

Melissa JolleyPosted
  • Rental Property Investor
  • Niceville, FL
  • Posts 89
  • Votes 62

Just go to the ones that are currently for rent and look at the rental history. That should provide a good indicator.