All Forum Posts by: Mike Oconnell

Congratulations!! Good luck to you for a prosperous future!!!

In my area it costs around $1000 to $1500 per year to maintain your license and probably close to $2000 the first year, including the cost to obtain your license. You have to make sure the advantages outweigh the expense.

In addition to the advantages you noted, there are also several other advantages such as easier to do accurate market analysis, property searches, learn the market and your area, higher respect in the investor world, etc.

You will want to make sure you hang your license with an investor friendly brokerage also. Some brokerages may not let you save as much commission as you would like.

Good luck out there!

Try to get in touch with the seller directly and find out their needs and the various ways you can help them. If you are a licensed agent and an investor you can help them in more ways than if you were just one or the other. Build a rapport with the seller and have is best interest in mind and find out how you can best help him. Always disclose up front that you are a licensed agent.

There are good and bad people in every profession. Just be one of the good ones and you will be respected and have plenty of work!

Welcome to BP! Looking forward to your posts!

@Paul Stephan You definitely can go through the listing agent directly. You may be able to negotiate a better price since the listing agent typically would get double commission. Many agents won't want to represent you AND the seller though so you will need to check with the listing agent about that. Other agents will represent the seller only and have you sign a disclosure that you are unrepresented.

Great feature, Josh! Is it possible to add a sub-sub forum for Richmond, Virginia?

Estate sale is a good one. A high number of days on market is also something to look for. Of course being the first one to submit a contract the day a good property comes on to the market will increase your chances of getting good properties also.

I attended a very informative REIA meeting last night that focused on marketing to FSBOs and offering non-traditional financing. You should check out Scott Ulmer's ABLE System.

@Lalaine Daniel I would definitely be interested in anything you have, especially in Mechanicsville and Hanover County.

Thanks,

Mike

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