All Forum Posts by: James Park

How many of you operating your own brokerages, have the property management service in-house vs referring this job to another property management company?

I am sure that many of you on Bigger Pockets have a Business / Career Plan, Financial / Networth / Passive Income Plan, but how many of you actually have a LIFE Plan where you set goals for your family, relationships, health, spiritual, vacations, and personal development?

I'm very interested in hearing everyone's responses.  

Forsyth County has already set a new high. Looking at the seasonal trends median home prices start to bottom in November - February and starts its strong upward movement in March. 

As of August 2015, the case shiller index stands at 126.09, which is still 7.6% below the last peak in July 2016. Between Jan 2015 - August 2015, Atlanta home prices have appreciated 6.1%.

@Vanessa Zhang,

I apologize for responding so late to your inquiry about the California Broker Exam last August. Unfortunately I just read your post and I really hope you passed the second time. 

For those of you taking the California Broker Exam and want a sure way to pass on the first try, this is what I would recommend. I have no affiliation with ReTrainerca, but as someone who used their weekend crash course, I felt their study material prepared me the best to pass the California Broker Exam. It took me 2 tries to pass the exam and I am sure many of you rather pass the exam on your first try (5 hours) rather than 10 hour exam time I had to go through.

Once you register for ReTrainersCa you are able to attend the 2 day crash course as many times you would like within the first 12 months. I would attend the first time without any preparation and highlight all the important items that the instructor tells you to highlight. Then I would take good month to focus on studying and understanding all the highlighted concepts. Try your best to complete all 1500 test questions in the book. I would then schedule a time for the exam and again take the 2 day ReTrainersca weekend crash course the day or two before the actual exam.    

I created a cheat sheet on both side of the 8x11 paper that I felt were all the important concepts that would be tested on the exam. After the first 2.5 hour session, the instructor let's you take a break for about an hour. Rather than chatting with people or taking a lunch break, I would recommend that you go back to your car and look over the cheat sheet and quickly look over all the question that were not tested in the first half as they will appear on the second 2.5 hour session of the exam. I know this may be a little bit of a over kill but the second time around my goal was not to barely pass with a 76, but shoot for the 100.

If you follow my advice... you are almost certain to pass on your first try. Good luck!    

@Sydni Bell

I attended the www.retrainersca.com weekend crash course in Santa Ana. I think they also have locations in San Diego or LA. I felt that the practice tests of ReTrainersca was most similar to the actual exam.  I remember using Allied Study materials when first starting out but if I were to do it again, I would just go with ReTrainerca.

Hope this helps.

@Brie Schmidt,

No wonder whenever I have a heated debate with a multi family investor who lives in a dense urban environment that single family homes are better investments we go nowhere. It is like I'm speaking to him in Cantonese and the multi family investor is speaking to me in French.

Brie, one last question. You mentioned that you would only buy a large apartment community with lots of amenities If you were a suburban investor. Do you mean that if you had the financial resources and means that you will buy an A or B+ grade luxury apartment complex located in a 9 or 10 school zone in a good suburban neighborhood  rather than a run down apartments in the C or D neighborhoods with no amentities?

I guess no one really cares if the Fed is going to raise rates in December or not. :(

Just curious to find out what people think whether will have a rate hike in December. We have not had a rate hike for almost 10 years.

Please state "Yes or No" and your reasoning.

@Robert Zuniga,

Thanks for joining us. I think the video idea is great!. If you have a personal video introducing yourself, please feel free to upload it here.

I agree that we are investors first and real estate agents second. I also believe that we are real estate financial advisors to our clients.