All Forum Posts by: James Park

 @Dinesh N., I think you need to be more concerned with rezoning of high schools more than elementary and middle school. If your middle school rezoned from South Forsyth Middle (Which is currently the #1 ranked middle school in GA according to www.schooldigger.com) to Piney Grove Middle, it will have much less impact in property values. However if you were in South Forsyth High Cluster and got rezoned to Central Forsyth, your rental values and property value would drop. Regarding the inventory levels of Forsyth County, I uploaded an inventory chart in my previous post. 

@jonathan Gibson

Below are the inventory chart and population growth for the Kennesaw. The inventory level seems to be at lower levels which is good. Inventory as of today for both attached and detached is 337. Just looking from a high level the real estate market in Kennesaw looks very healthy.

California's skyrocketing housing costs, taxes prompt exodus of residents

During the 12 months ending June 30, the number of people leaving California for another state exceeded by 61,100 the number who moved here from elsewhere in the U.S., according to state Finance Department statistics. The so-called "net outward migration" was the largest since 2011, when 63,300 more people fled California than entered.
"The main factors are housing costs in many parts of the state, including coastal regions of California such as the Bay Area," said Dan Hamilton, director of economics with the Economic Forecasting Center at California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks.

"California has seen negative outward migration to other states for 22 of the last 25 years."

A recent poll revealed that an unsettling sense of yearning has descended on people in the Bay Area: About one-third of those surveyed by the Bay Area Council say they would like to exit the nine-county region sometime soon.

"They are tired of the expense of living here. They are tired of the state of California and the endless taxes here," said Scott McElfresh, a certified moving consultant. "People are getting soaked every time they turn around."

http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_30037774/greener-pastures-beckon-some-beleaguered-residents

Looking at the Census numbers, 5 of the Georgia Counties made the list of the 100 fastest growing counties in the nation. The two counties that I know very well are Gwinnett and Forsyth. Forsyth County has now surpassed 200,000 in population with growing 36,927 between 2010 - 2015. Gwinnett County's population is now almost 900,000 with a population growth of 90,500 in the last five years. South Forsyth and North Gwinnett have been my favorite buy and hold markets in the last 5 years. Please note that not all counties in Georgia are growing in numbers and more than 50% of the growth areas concentrated in metro Atlanta. There are several counties in Georgia losing population. 

Below are the most updated MSA data. As of April 2016, Atlanta is currently 5.2% below the July 2007 peak. 

7 MSA are currently ahead of Atlanta in the following order.

1. Denver           16.4%    above the previous peak
2. Dallas             13.9%   above the previous peak
3. Portland          6.5%    above the previous peak
4. San Francisco 4.2%    above the previous peak 
5. Seattle             2.5%    above the pevious peak
6. Charlotte          2.3%   above the previous peak
7. Boston             2.3%   above the previous peak

Just curious to see how the real estate market is doing in your area? Are your leasing inventory similar to or much different compared to last year? What about sales? If your market up or down compared to last year this time? 

Bump. Anyone have any good advice?

Practically every other week you would see a post on Bigger Pockets "If I should get my real estate license" but I have not seen anyone ask if they should get their mortgage license. Firstly, I don't believe one can be very competent trying to become successful at both. You should either try to become a success broker or a loan originator, but not both. 

I am wondering if it would be worth my time to get my mortgage license to refinance and originate my own personal loans for my investment properties. I have absolutely no interest in originating loans for my clients or other people as I know the team and paperwork that will be required to run a mortgage brokerage business.

So for those of your who are in the mortgage business, do you think it would be worth my time? In the real estate brokerage business, one would need to get their sales license and work under a broker for 3 years before they can take the broker state exam and open up their own brokerage firm.  

What is the process for the mortgage license and hours required to take the exam? What are the annual costs involved and would I be required to hang my NMLS license with another mortgage broker? Would I need a mortgage brokerage or a bank to sponsor me to take the NMLS state exam.

Thank you.

James