All Forum Posts by: Christian Brown

Yeahhh you know me.


I’ve been investing and working with investors for 10+ years now across multiple geographies. LVP has become my go-to choice I recommend for rentals.

LVP is durable. For rentals, it beats carpet every time. You’ll still see scratches if someone drags furniture, but compared to laminate or hardwood, it holds up better.

If you're not installing it yourself, ask contractors for brands they prefer. Avoid the ultra-cheap off-brands — the locking mechanisms tend to break. I've got a Home Depot discount for my flippers.

If you do decide to install it yourself, installing is a breeze. Click-lock floating installs are quick and it's easy to replace planks individually if there’s damage. Subfloor is key. Don’t skip leveling or a moisture barrier if you’re in a humid market.

ROI is there because LVT looks good. As with most renovations, improvements in the property increase rents and reduce vacancies. Most tenants appreciate the "wood look" over carpet. From an investor standpoint, turnovers are faster because it's wipe-clean between tenants. If one plank gets ruined, you swap it — you don't replace an entire floor like with carpet.

For rental holds, LVP is a winner. It's the perfect balance of upfront cost, durability, and style. In flips, we’ll sometimes upgrade depending on comps, but for rentals it’s my #1 pick.

Hope that helps. What market are you investing in? Humidity may not be as much of a factor for you.

@Matthew Heckman - Where are you investing from if you don't mind me asking? 

I'm obviously biased, but OKC is a great market to both invest in and live. I typically think of markets as either cash flow markets of appreciation markets and OKC feels like it has pockets of both.  The Thunder winning a national championship helps - there's also lot of energy around the new arena being developed in the downtown skyline district. 

My bet is that Oklahoma will be in a lot of national REI discussions in the next few months / years.

Challenges: 
Rates puts pressure on cash flows nationally so I see a lot of investors having success with flips, but I still find the occasional investors who are still able to acquire rentals in this market.

Investors who pay cash or have locked in financing at < 3% can keep rents low. Rents are low in Oklahoma when compared to other markets. Unrelated, but phenomenal cost of living by the way.

If you were my client, I'd have to know a few more things to give you a more accurate answer:  

- How are you financing your deals? Cash is king.
- What's your budget? Higher rents happen at higher purchase prices.
- What does "cash flow" mean to you? $100 - $200 a month vs $300 - $500 a month.
- Experience / Appetite  for rehab? Good deals are MADE in this market.
- How do you feel about section 8? Just good info to know. 

As a new investor, you can still find deals in OKC (your research found you a gem) but the days of cherry picking home runs are over. We've all got to work for our money in this market. 

Hope this helps. 

Hey Perry. Congratulations on your varied success and welcome to the world of real estate. However, with 5 houses flipped and a background in mortgages, you're miles ahead of where many of us started. 

If you're looking to build a business as a real estate wholesaler, hustle and integrity will be your strongest assets -- especially if you want to be around long enough to get to your goal of 100 doors. 

If you're looking to network in the Oklahoma Area, I've found Meetup and Eventbrite to be great tools. I'd love to use BPs tools, but they charge and don't seem to be as acti e in my areas of interest. Tonight (August 21st), there's a meetup and Chicken N Pickle in OKC. I plan to attend to shake hands, meet the major players, and hopefully find someone I can do a deal with. For me, attending events like these and helping investors like you has helped me build a network of investors, contractors, lenders, etc, who have all helped me reach my real estate goals.

I hope this post was helpful to you. Good luck and congratulations on your future success.

Yup! We still have these - contact @Pat Heidingsfelder for more details. 

@Eric DuBard

@Cameron Poulos

@Joshua Ward-Dehart you should come to our local real estate meetups in Gulfport. We have them on the first Tuesday of each month - one coming up shortly.

12373 US 49, Suite 3

Gulfport, MS 39503

We usually have a panel discussion and networking with the other investors - both new and seasoned. I have no doubt that you’ll walk away with more knowledge than you walked in with.

In the world of real estate, team work makes the dream work. In this meeting we will be talking about how to work with everyone from Realtors and Attorneys to Lenders and other investors to reach your real estate goals.

Come out and network and learn how to build your team to grow your investment portfolio or earn real income in our monthly Real Estate Investment Meeting.
MS Coast REIA Meetings are held at the offices of NextHome E-Realty located at 12373 Hwy 49, Suite 3, Gulfport, MS 39503 in the Planet Fitness Plaza.

Thanks @Avery Carl -

Like @Pat Heidingsfelder said, we do have a general REI meeting that happens once a month and we have members who work along the entire Mississippi gulf coast. We also cover a variety of different topics.Come on out and get a feel for it - the first meetings are always free and we only ask members to pay $20 bucks a month or so if they find value in the group.

As far as AirBNB, it looks like the cities are looking to crack down on short term rentals. There are some members who focus on AirBNB so I would look to them for more advice on that specific strategy. 

I agree with @Rachel Graves - As far as low cost, income producing real estate, I think that Mississippi can go toe-to-toe with several markets in the country. 

Obviously I'm biased, I work with investors across the country who are in the same scenario. Wanting to invest in a market that's cheaper than their own, but still cash flows really well. 

I'm definitely not making the case for appreciation, but the Mississippi Gulf Coast is as affordable as the rest of the state, but has a vibrant economy based on tourism, military bases an international airport and casinos. Just my two cents, but I've stopped investing in other markets to focus on this one. 

Great deal. I'm also interested in learning more about your Mississippi Experience.

Just adding to this thread - 

@Shane Jeanfreau have you found a contractor? I know it may be 2 months too late, but I may be able to help you here. I run the MS Coast REIA, so if you're looking to network you should stop by.

@Hai Loc

@Hai Loc there's some demand for remodeled  homes out here. The trick is to not out price the market. I find a lot of retail buyers looking for a newly renovated home in the $120k to $160k range. If you can buy a deal right and get good work done at good rates, then the market is open to you. 

I recently put one home on the market and in the middle of another renovation, but I'm looking to shift my focus more towards buy and hold rentals here. National activity has made me more cautious.