All Forum Posts by: Crystal Smith

Thank you, Crystal, I'm grateful for your insight!

Out of curiosity, in which states have you used the fractionalized first-position mortgage? Did the husband and wife IRAs each take an equal percentage of the note?

I'll reach out, but on LinkedIn, since I'm there more regularly.

We've got an interesting private lending situation:

- Husband and wife, each with their own checkbook SDIRAs, want to lend on the same real estate deal.

- Borrower needs $100K.

- Each spouse can lend $50K.

First question: Is this even allowed?

Second question: If allowed, what's the best structure? A first and a second lien? A single shared co-loan? Something else?

I'm asking because the guidance we're getting from their IRA custodian sounds questionable. We'd like a second opinion.

Has anyone here done something like this?

Any advice and/or insight would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

What's a good amount of expected cash flow to look for, for a first time investor looking to house hacking a 2-4 Multi-Family Unit?

Hello! I'm new to real estate investing, and obviously I hear a lot about wholesaling being a good and cheap way to start/break into rei. Is this true?

Also, I plan to do it exclusively in my area(Metro Detroit). I think the wholesale game overall is saturated with people sitting at their computer mass cold calling and emailing potential sellers. I think taking a local "better the community" approach is more appealing for sellers and buyers. I'm guessing a lot of people are taking this approach. Thoughts? 

Hello all, 

I'll be in the position to make my first deal in about 3 months, so I'm planning how to finance it. I want to do either a simple fix and flip, or a multi-unit house hack BRRRR. Either way, I will get an FHA for the 3.5% down, but I'd like to do a FHA 203(k) so I can use leverage on the rehab and not have to go completely out of pocket.

Have any of you done this, or do any of you have any words or advice for or against doing this? I greatly appreciate any help!

Thanks,

Spencer

I am currenlty looking for my 2nd flip in DC, 3rd flip total. With relatively little experience with a market trending down, I wanted to get some insight into how other flippers are mitigating their risk in current DC market conditions. Some questions I have are:

1. If you use the 70% rule, are you using 65% or 60% rule now for example? Is this dependent on certain data points? If so what data?

2. What data are you considering more now other than just comps to come up with ARV? More DOM? Lower ARV in general, for example, house just sold for $500k in May '25, how much lower will you lower yours, if any, taking into account DOM are increasing, price cuts, etc?

3. Is any of this even relevant because I should just target zipcodes/neighborhoods that match my buyers box and show homes are still moving? The concern with this is that I may be priced out of these neighborhoods

Appreciate the response, thank you!

Hi all,

I’m new to real estate investing and looking to buy my first real estate property. Im looking to buy an out of state property. My goals are to diversify my portfolio, take advantage of the tax benefits of having a mortgage, and invest in a property with long-term appreciation potential.

Given my busy schedule, I’m hoping to take a more hands-off approach by working with a trusted local team. That said, I know how challenging it can be to build the right relationships and get started, especially when investing remotely.

I currently live in a high-tax, landlord-unfriendly city with sky-high property prices, so I’m definitely not looking to invest locally. I’d love to start small and smart, but I’m also feeling overwhelmed with how to choose the right market from afar.

Has anyone been in a similar position? How did you go about shortlisting and evaluating your market? Would appreciate any tips or lessons learned!

Hi everyone! Me and my wife have been wanting to get into investing for years but we've finally flipped the switch and are ready to take the plunge. We've been reading rental investment books and listening to the BiggerPocket podcast, as well as asking around for more info. But we're a bit stuck with so many questions on how to get started. We're currently renting and both working full time. We figured we'd start our portfolio with a house hacking gig, but more of a "live in renovation" before renting and following the BRRR strategy. However, the properties in my area (Broward County) are so expensive and finding a good deal with a reasonable CoCROI seems impossible right now. So if anyone has an advice on where to start, and/or how to start, we're all ears!

Hi BP community,

I submitted an offer on my second property yesterday, and I noticed that my agent didn't cc’d me on the email when sending the offer to the listing agent. I’m curious—is this considered standard practice? Could it be seen as unprofessional if the buyer is cc'd in email?

Personally, I appreciate being kept in the loop, but I want to make sure it doesn’t come off the wrong way or complicate communication between agents.

Would love to hear your thoughts or experiences!

Thanks in advance.

We had a refrigerator that needed repair. The freezer worked but the bottom was not cooling. Our handyman who we utilize in the past and was recommended by the building engineer was able to fix it, but 3 weeks later, we had the same issue. The handyman was going to bring his appliance person, but ultimately did not show up, as he was too busy.

We got another name from the association, and their diagnostic indicated that we needed a new control panel. This was 8 days after the tenant call. By the time the parts was received and the repair completed, it was 18 days. Chicago landlord/tenant rule indicates repairs need to be done by 14 days, however, the remedy seems to be the tenant can self help, or withhold rent. The tenant is seeking $500.00 for loss of food and eating out. They have cited the landlord/tenant rule of Chicago.

Does anyone have similar experience in Chicago, and if so, how have you handled? Thank you in advance!