All Forum Posts by: Ronda R.

@MatthewPauls Even though it would be nice to buy on the Central Coast, and I certainly intend to sometime in the future, it is so exciting to find an area like Ohio to invest in. My first visit was last week and I really loved it! Can't wait to go back.

@AaronMercer I hadn't really looked at Cleveland until just an hour ago when I was contacted by James Wise of The Holton Wise Property Group. After seeing what his company does and looking at the MLS, I may be looking in Cleveland too. It seems that his company would make long distance investing so much easier. I would love to meet up and talk.

I am a pretty new investor. I live in California but am really interested in buying in Akron to create cash flow. I have researched the neighborhoods and was just there last week with my sister-in-law. She flew in from Hawaii to meet me. We loved the area and want to buy. We met with an investor that was selling off some of his properties, we liked a couple of them in the Kenmore area, specifically 16th & Polk. We also like Firestone park and on the last day explored Highland Square. Would like advice from anyone who knows the Akron area on what areas to focus on. I would like to buy multifamily duplex up to 4 plex to start and have one unit that we can stay in when we come to town and maybe use it as an short term rental when we are not. Personally I liked the Highland Square area around the Mustard seed, the 44303 & 44302 areas. 

I also am interested to hear from those of you who have bought way out of your area and how you went about it. If I had a realtor I trusted their judgement I could see buying a property from pictures and their description. I have made offers from my realtor going out and taking a video on a property I wanted in Portland Oregon. How have you handled it?

I would like to find some reliable craftsmen/women as well. I am hoping to do some rehabs in the area.

I find my repair people on line as Elizabeth does. I read reviews and then when I find someone I like I keep using them. I have the tenant call me with problems, I contact the tradesperson and give them the parameters, i.e." call me if it is going to be over $100.00 before you do the repairs." then have the tenant call them to make an appointment that will work for both of them. The repair person then bills me and I pay once the tenant has let me know it was taken care of to their satisfaction. 

For walk through when checking tenants in and out, I was lucky enough to have a friend close by that would do it for me. I did all the tenant screening remotely and he would meet them, have them sign the contract and walk through checklist, hand over the keys and then mail them to me.

For key changes I would have a locksmith meet them to change the locks at  the time of the walkthrough.

I am sure every situation will be different but I was lucky enough to have a very good friend that I trusted do the walk throughs and turn over keys for me. Here is how I handled it:

I placed my own ads on craigslist and had them email me. I then emailed them back an application  They filled it out and either mailed or sent me a scanned version back. I screened the apps and called references.

I then did a credit check through a company I found online for tenants I was serious about . The tenants downloaded the application, signed it and scanned and emailed it along with their id directly into the company. They paid for the credit check. The company would then send me the results and I made my final decision. 

Once we had a move in date, I emailed my friend a walk through check list, the rental contract and had him collect the check. He mailed everything back to me with a spare key. Usually I would have the locksmith meet them during the walk through to change the locks and get new keys.

Any repairs I would call the repair person after reading reviews on yelp or google or use someone my friend recommended. He was in the construction industry.

As I am typing this I am realizing how lucky/blessed I have been. I plan to buy in Ohio and will be shopping for a rental manager. From what I understand rental managers there have to be realtors. 

Hi Kalen, I am new to this forum and see that you are in my area. How are your real estate adventures going on the central coast? Found anything to buy yet?

Thank you Jo-Ann. I am so happy to have found this forum.

Hi Eric. I just joined and am amazed at how many people are on here from our little town. I would love to hear your investment adventures in our area.

Hi everyone - I am a newby investor. I live on the Central Coast of California, half way between San Francisco & L.A. I currently own a rental in Albany Oregon that I have owned for the past 8 years. I purchased it with an interest only loan intending to sell it in 5 years when my daughter started college and use the equity for school. Instead the appreciation has been minimal but the cash flow after the fixed/interest only became variable, has been $600 a month, which was accidentally awesome. That will end in February of next year so I just put it on the market 2 days ago. I also just closed Friday on a fix & flip in Hawaii with my sister-in-law. It should be ready to put back on the market in early December. I really want to purchase more fix & flips and fix & holds to create cash flow. I have been looking in my area (Paso Robles, Atascadero, San luis Obispo & Morro Bay) but prices are so high I find it very intimidating and difficult to find something where the numbers make sense. My sister-in-law and I just got back from a trip to Akron Ohio on a reconnaissance mission. Found this forum while sitting in our hotel room researching areas after looking at houses all day. Hallelujah! We actually called Dell, an investor from Akron, we found on this forum, the next day. He gave us some good advice and pointed us to an area I love!  I am here to learn as much as I can and have immersed myself in reading and listening to pod casts (LOVE Josh & Brandon!)