All Forum Posts by: Jen Lucas

I'm happy to pay 3% to a buyers agent if anyone has an investor who may be interested

@Jordan Moorhead Yes, happily

Hey BP.  I thought I'd try here before I list with an agent.  Happy to give someone a deal instead of giving realtors 6%.  PM me if you're interested

I haven't used BP since I bought my last property several years ago.  I now want to sell a property and would love to sell directly to an investor instead of giving 6% to realtors (no offense realtors :). Can someone tell me where I would post this on BP?  I looked in classifieds but there wasn't a topic for selling and I don't want to break any rules.  Thank you!

Thank you, Brett

Hi everyone.  I'm in need of a plumber and interior painter.  Any recommendations??  Thank you in advance! 

Thank you all for the responses!  Very helpful.  I'll definitely make sure we're considering Cap expenses.  @Aaron B - I'm most familiar with North Dayton (Englewood, Vandalia, Union).  I see you're in Austin too.  I'll PM you

My husband and I are DINKs with a plan to retire early, well go to very part-time, that seems too easy, and I'm hoping the experts (you!) can help us vet this plan.

I'm 39 and my husband is 46. We live in Austin, TX and our lifestyle is pretty simple.  $2,800/mo covers all of our necessary expenses. We don't want to be rich, we want more free time. 

We currently have the following properties, all with mortgages and at least 25% equity. We manage the properties ourselves (family helps with Dayton). 

1. Our home in Austin- SFH, mortgage $1500/mo

2. A duplex in Austin - value $250,000, cash flows $1100/mo after PITI (doesn't include vacancy or repairs)

3. A duplex in Dayton, OH - value $110,000, cash flows $624/mo after PITI (doesn't include vacancy or repairs)

Our plan is to buy 2 more duplexes in Dayton (Austin has gotten too expensive) with similar numbers to the one we already have, so 2 more cash flowing $624/mo.  We have the cash for the down payments and are actively looking.  

Once we buy 2 more duplexes, the total cash flow (before vacancy and repairs) will be $2,972 - enough to cover our monthly expenses. We already have 6 months PITI for all 4 properties in savings, one year's living expenses in taxable investments (can get to the cash if needed), and small retirement accounts.

We both plan to work part time for challenge and social engagement, and money to cover travel, pay down mortgages by the time my husband is 60, AND to cover repair and vacancy expenses.  Once mortgages are paid off, our total cash flow will be $6,142 (in today's dollars), more than enough to support us and cover vacancies and repairs.  We will also have our taxable investments, retirement accounts and social security.

This seems too easy.  What am I missing?  I'd appreciate you poking holes in the plan, giving advice, and pointing out what I'm missing. 

Thank you in advance!

Hi everyone. I'm Jen. My husband and I live in Austin, own a house and a duplex here, and want to start investing elsewhere. I'm originally from Dayton, OH and go there a couple of times a year, so we're playing with the idea of investing there. I'd love advice on what parts of town folks think are good to investment in, and how to run numbers to determine ROI. We've got a down payment and we're ready to buy!

We're not rich people.  My husband is a school counselor and I am a fundraising consultant for nonprofits.  But we live a simple lifestyle (no kids) so our expenses are low. We would like to stop working with plenty of time to enjoy retirement. 

I have a lot to learn!  I'm super happy to find this site.