All Forum Posts by: Ron Boling

@Cailan Knight 

I'm curious if you have an update to this.

I'm a complete newbie myself but I think that perhaps your first step would be to find out if she even has any desire to sell. It could be that it is her sole source of income and she can't sell because of her finances. If communication is an issue find someone that can communicate with her, like her children or other immigrants from her country that are in the area, and communicate through them. Make absolutely sure that they understand what you are trying to ask first before they put the question to her. Maybe ask how much it would take for her to sell it. That would at least get the conversation started. Don't push her for an answer in the first conversation. Just let her know you are interested and then let her mull over and get used the idea for a while.

BP podcast number 77 had some good examples for negotiation and while I didn't like some of his conversational techmiques, Michael Quarles obviously knows what he is talking about.

I have been listening to the BP podcasts as well. I think I have gotten through about half of them. One that "turned the light switch on" for me was podcast number nine with Ann Bellamy. It was about becoming a money lender and it even inspired me to send Ann a message and I received some good advice from her.

Hello BP!

I've been lurking on BiggerPockets for several months and even made a few posts but haven't taken the time to introduce myself. I'm here to rectify that. 

My name is Ron Boling and I am interested in getting more involved in Real Estate Investing. I am curently in Afghanistan as an overpaid Defense Contractor and will be moving to Tiverton Rhode Island at the end of the year. 

I guess you could say my real start in REI was by overpaying for a single family home in Phoenix Arizona then taking my current job in the 'Stan. I then started to rent out my house and realized that I liked the fact that, even though my paycheck from my company is vastly larger, I really enjoyed the profit I make from my rental property because I have do next to nothing to sustain that income.

So I have decided to scale up that as much as possible and I am looking for a change in life and career. That's why I am here. Back when I first had the thought of investing in RE I did a search on iTunes for podcasts on Real Estate and you can guess what I found. I am working my way through all the BP podcasts and my goal one day is to be successful enough to be a guest on one of them. Audacious, no?

Anyway a little more about me. I've served seven years active duty in the U.S. Navy, ten years in the U.S. Air Force Reserve and I've worked as an IT professional in different capacities since 2003. Currently I lead a team on a project that I can't really say much about. Right now I am most excited to be returning to Rhode Island soon to be with my three beautiful daughters. 

Ron Boling

@Sohin Shah 

Thank you for the reply. I will be looking into this further.

This is a very well designed site but how safe is it?

Hellena,

Thanks for the reply! I realize that I didn't clarify that I meant purchasing houses for rental income.

I have a hypothetical for you BiggerPockets readers. Would you rather pay $100,000 cash for a house and have no mortgage or use the cash to buy five houses with a mortgage and $20,000 down payment each?

For the last two year I have been in Afghanistan as a civilian contractor making good money and decided to pay off my house. I paid it off at the end of last year I have been renting it out. I plan to stay here for another year.

My question is, would I have been better served by investing in other properties rather than putting it all in to one property?

Thanks in advance for the help and advice.