All Forum Posts by: Sean Walton

@Michael Ben-Edward yes it has been newly renovated so should be fully accessible

@Brian Daugherty we're trying to make it more predictable such as 2nd Thursday of every month  I will try and get back to you soon

Hi @Daniel Flesher it depends a lot on how hard it is to secure permits in Philly or where you choose to do this and how good you are at guessing what a developer wants to build.

In the SF bay area you don't even need to secure the building permit just having planning/zoning approval (entitlements) can add a huge amount of value to the land because of how long it can take to get these approvals. If you take it to the next step and get the building permit as an architect that actually opens you up to a lot more liability because it is your life safety and waterproofing details now on the plans. Not sure about the litigation rules in PA but in CA not entity can protect you from these. you are on the hook for construction defect litigation for 10+ years or whatever your state's statute of limitations. 

I would take a look at what Jonathan Segal FAIA has done in San Diego. He goes all the way through construction and holds his buildings as long as possible and only sells after the litigation period is over. If you do it right it is like BRRRR on steroids. He has a study at home program. It is good for inspiration but not great on concrete steps. One thing I learned from him it is much better to get paid rent from your building than architecture fees based on tax treatment and depreciation offsetting the income but that was prior to the new tax bill so that may have changed a little.

I would also check out this podcast Chris Porto is taking projects through entitlements in Oakland then selling them. He started by doing rehab flips https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/smart-growth-d...

as far as carrying costs and closing costs that may be mitigated by doing an options contract but you need to make sure you have enough time to get all the way through the level of permitting you want or a way to extend the contract.

@Eyal B.I'm happy to answer any questions you have PM me.

@Ernesto Hernandez I'm not sure if there are any official REIAs but there are lots of meetups. I didn't see many on BP so I created a very casual one. No speakers just networking

https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/521/topics/52...

Also check meetup.com there are a lot there. @Bobby Sharma hosts a bunch all over the area

This is a very casual meetup of all types of investors and experience levels. Let's keep the momentum going from our good turnout last time

There will not be any pitching of anything by the hosts. 

Just come with some business cards and get to know people you chat with on BP

Thanks to @Eduardo Zepeda for securing the venue and co-hosting

Hope to see friends and past attendees: @Mark Pedroza, @Puran Zach Grewal, @Ethan Cooke, @Ralph Forde, @Jason L., @Patrick Suzuki, @Jared Newman, @Nicole Petrak, @Ali Goss, @Gagan Chawla, @Matthew Ryan, @Matt Sanford, @Atish Shah, @Sasha Josephs, @MarieChele Porter, @Tim McGarvey, @David Kanter, @Saikat Bhadra, @Kevin Q., @Ariel Smith, @Jonathan Gonzalez, @Ori Skloot, @Zander Eng, @So Young Lee, @Dana Dunford, @Chris Mason, @Sherwin Gonzales, @Andrew Clemenza, @Bobby Sharma, @Account Closed

Is there a decent entry path or are you squeezing through 3 on the side of the main house to get back there? If it is a decent path to get back there I would consider renting it out to travelling nurses, doctors, business people etc. You can get a decent premium over traditional rentals with not a lot of extra work. PM me if you have any additional questions.

This project in Oakland is pretty cool. It is commercial and retail not housing but similar concepts can be applied. 

http://macarthurannex.com/

Look into the Fair Housing Act and any local laws depending on the size you will probably need an elevator and accessible units if it is over a certain size and multi story.

Good luck and let me know if I can be of assistance.

Some cities you may need to look at microfilm archives of the plans if they have them. Good luck