All Forum Posts by: NA Jones

@Ruby T. 

 I love everything about Havre de Grace except for the taxes :)  Beautiful little town...  I wish downtown Port Deposit would evolve into what HdG is, but I really feel the $8 toll on 95 is keeping folks from realizing how cute of a town it is.

@Michael Linquist 

 If you are desperate for a course, for heavens sake, please please please choose the $300 one so you can put an extra $12,200 towards your business.

Otherwise, I would go with the healthy suggestion of networking with others in your area at an REIA meeting. Get some cards, offer to buy a few lunch - do you know how many lunches you can get for $12,500? :P

I'm not much help either, but this is exactly why I got my license - so I could have 24/7 access to MLS - including all the agent remarks - go see thousands of houses and submit as many offers as I wanted without wasting anyone's time but my own. I felt bad enough having an agent show me houses that we didn't like when we were buying our first personal residence ;)

Sounds like what you need is not so much a "buyers agent" but perhaps a partner that is an agent.  If you buy one house per year at around 130k, you'll recoup the cost of a license.  Maybe if there's a Mrs. Bao she might be interested?

Howdy neighbor, and welcome to Bigger Pockets!  

I've been watching a HUD listing like a hawk waiting for a price drop. Currently the deal only makes sense if we were to get it at 54% of the current HUD list price MAX.

I thought it would drop on the 31st day.  We are now on day 42 and it's still at original list.  Any idea what could be the reason for this?

The HUD bid site has the whole "Availability of home is subject to the Asset Manager accepting a bid from an earlier bid period or removing the home from the market" thing.

My plan was to submit a bid the day the price dropped to maximize my chances of it getting accepted.  Now I'm wondering if I shouldn't just submit my ridiculously low offer without waiting for a price drop - I would actually start my bid at 45% of the list price and hope for a counter.

What would you do?

average as in all aspects of the word. Ignorant - in the literal sense. The average first time buyer needs a lot more hand holding than most realize. 

meh. Looks like healthy advice for the "average" first time home buyer. 

howdy neighbor, and welcome to bp!

Damn.  I stand corrected.  Thanks @James Wise 

"The cost is nominal" - depending on where you are, and also your definition of nominal.

When it was all said and done, it cost me about $2500 and 80 hours of learning, test prep, and stress to get licensed.  For us, $2500 was a significant portion of the cash we are starting with.  

I think it sets the do-ers apart from the thinking-about-ers.  Not saying you HAVE to get your license, but the fact that we are now $2500 in inspires us even more to get our first deal so we can start seeing a return.

24/7 unrestricted MLS access and the ability to view houses whenever, wherever, without needing an agent to let us in has been well worth the initial $2500 investment. Bonus perk - a few acquaintances have asked me to help them buy / sell, so hopefully having my license will pay for itself.