All Forum Posts by: Patsy Waldron

There is nothing that says you have to go Fannie/Freddie first and then move on to commercial loans. You can do it in any order you like. Many people (including me) invest with commercial loans right from the start. RE is a business to me and I don't see why I should personally own the properties (although I do personally guarantee the loans). And you are right, if you have the capital, going commercial does allow you to scale up much more quickly since there is no limit on loans and there is nothing like DTI that stands in the way.

The downside, of course, is the less favorable loan terms (higher interest rates, shorter amortizations, ARMs rather than long-term fixed rates).

Thanks for your input, all.

@Kurt F.- The HD countertop people told me they no longer charge anything for cutting and installing- it's all built into the price of the material now. No idea how much it works out to be.

@Jonathan Caviness- Thanks for the IKEA idea! I never even thought of looking there. I'll have to check them out.

You might be able to get somewhere if you can track down the foreclosure attorney.

Funnily enough, I was considering butcher block for part of the counter (a small corner), but just today a countertop salesman dissuaded me from it- he said tenants would probably not take very good care of it.... I didn't realize it was that cheap, I'll have to revisit this!

I did find a large stone company today, I'll have to go back and ask to see the boneyard! Thanks for the tips!

As Steve notes above... Make sure the contract is a deed of trust and NOT a land contract.

I have used Ohio Real Title in downtown Cleveland and was very happy with the efficiency and professionalism of the staff there. They handled some last-minute changes to the contract very well, and I plan to use them again.

The Do It Yourself forum is probably not where you want to post this... I suggest Buying and Selling or the Idaho forum.

Personally I would go with expanding my portfolio, assuming there were good deals to be found. If you can't... Then do short-term things like private lending or note investing, so that if/when an opportunity to buy arises, you are ready.

Hello fellow Clevelanders!

Do you know of a good place where I can buy granite or quartz slab that I can get cut and installed by my own people? I would love to find a store that sells either smaller pieces or leftover pieces or tops that other people ended up not wanting/using. This is for a house that will be my personal residence for a few years and then become a rental. I want something nicer than laminate but not super high-end. Thanks for any recommendations or ideas!

I am renovating a kitchen and would like to buy a slab and have my own crew cut and install it. Where should I be looking for a slab of granite or quartz at a good price? (I know it won't be at Home Depot!) I am looking in the Cleveland area.