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All Forum Posts by: Harry McNamara

Harry McNamara has started 5 posts and replied 26 times.

Post: Should I Buy Multifamily Despite NY Laws That Protect Bad Tenant

Harry McNamaraPosted
  • Real Estate Agent
  • Hudson Valley and Catskills, NY
  • Posts 26
  • Votes 26
Quote from @Trevor Naumann:
Quote from @John Morgan:

Tenants are smart and some will game the system so that’s a risk. However, investors are leaving tenant friendly states due to how bad landlords got burned during Covid. So, I bet more and more really good cash flowing deals will pop up in those areas due to way less competition from other investors so that’s a plus. I have a W2 and don’t need to live off my rental income, so I’ve been taking risks like this and it’s been paying off. I’ve been burned a time or two, but over the long run I’ve done alright and have no regrets. So if it were me, I’d probably take a chance on it. Good luck.


 working in new york between the city and albany this couldn't be more true. In kingston for example which is very tenant friendly they recently tried to roll back rents by 15% and institute rent control. As it would turn out its implementation was not legal  and it is likely to be overturned. In the meantime it scared the current landlords and now we are seeing some crazy deals. For example a 17 unit building with an assumable mortgage at 4% new roof, and rehabbed just went under contract. Its a 9 cap and was marketed at 1.6 and is selling for less. For our area thats a crazy deal. Riches are in the niches right? In some of these markets which are perceived as "not great for investing" there is way less competition and investors have the ability to create great deals with the right strategy. 

Trevor, this is true but the rent reduction only applied to 1300 apartments across the city. This law is only applicable to buildings containing 6 or more units, and functionally that is only 64 buildings in the city. Important to note for larger scale investors, but for the purpose of this conversation and the average BP contributor it really doesn't apply. I encourage investors to come to Kingston and the surrounding area as we have some very reasonable prices on 2 unit multifamily right now, the rents can work, and the demand for housing units is through the roof. 



Post: Looking for a Referral Partner in Berkshires/Western Mass

Harry McNamaraPosted
  • Real Estate Agent
  • Hudson Valley and Catskills, NY
  • Posts 26
  • Votes 26

Hello BP agents!

My name is Harry, and I'm an agent in the Hudson Valley and Catskills, looking to make a connection with a trusted agent to get some referral business going across the MA border. I'm based in the Kingston, NY area, so I cover Columbia County up to the border at times, but it's just too far to justify getting licensed in Massachusetts. Ideally, you're in the same situation as me, so we can refer out of state clients to each other. I cover Ulster, Dutchess, Columbia, Greene, Sullivan and Delaware Counties, NY. 

Thanks everyone!

Post: Dig for gold OR sell the shovel?

Harry McNamaraPosted
  • Real Estate Agent
  • Hudson Valley and Catskills, NY
  • Posts 26
  • Votes 26

Good thought from @Tyler Solomon above. 

Another thing to consider is that people in the RE industry are already getting spammed to oblivion with listing emails, agent marketing, wholesalers, auction houses, lenders, gurus, youtube channels, CRMs, you get the picture. 

As an agent and investor, you have to really grab my interest for me to even click your link, let alone hand over any dollars that I'm saving for my next project. 

Post: What would you do? 50 year old starting the journey

Harry McNamaraPosted
  • Real Estate Agent
  • Hudson Valley and Catskills, NY
  • Posts 26
  • Votes 26

Hey Brian! If you're starting out, I would work on the Airbnb for a little while and get your feet wet. The returns can be huge, but in a remote location like the ADKs, the challenge is building that team that will be taking care of your property since you are managing remotely. You need solid cleaners, landscapers, SNOW PLOW, but I know you know all that since your wife is from the area. 

If your HELOC is a 30 year with 10 year interest only, take a year and get that puppy up and running, and monitor your local markets. Things are weird right now.

Post: What back-of-the-envelope math do you do at first glance?

Harry McNamaraPosted
  • Real Estate Agent
  • Hudson Valley and Catskills, NY
  • Posts 26
  • Votes 26

Starting with a mortgage calculation based on what loan product I might be using. Then on to rehab costs, and market rent comps. In this economic environment, it's all about the payment and how that effects the bottom line.

Also depends on what you plan to do with the property. This scenario is a BRRR or long term buy and hold LTR or STR.

Post: MLS / Real Estate Agent Information

Harry McNamaraPosted
  • Real Estate Agent
  • Hudson Valley and Catskills, NY
  • Posts 26
  • Votes 26

It's a pretty bad showing. Have you talked to your agent about a schedule of price decreases? Each time you make a major status change or price drop, it should pop to the top of everyone's MLS results and folks will take a second look. At 34 days, you're just waiting for new clients or stragglers to discover the listing, and the longer it sits, the more people will suspect something is wrong.

Your agent should also be able to see any showings and give you updates on the interest. You need to give this thing a kick, whether it's marketing, a price change, or bringing it to a new set of buyers. 

Good luck!

Post: house hacking new york

Harry McNamaraPosted
  • Real Estate Agent
  • Hudson Valley and Catskills, NY
  • Posts 26
  • Votes 26

Long Island and NYC metro as a whole are tough. But think about it this way. If you are house hacking and still "paying rent," it all goes back to you in the form of equity in the property. In HCOL areas, paying a mortgage while house hacking can still be a win. 

Keep your mind open to areas that might be up and coming, and find something that works with your commute, if you have one. Where are you on LI?

Post: Mortgage rates in the 4's and 5's in 2023?

Harry McNamaraPosted
  • Real Estate Agent
  • Hudson Valley and Catskills, NY
  • Posts 26
  • Votes 26

I'm betting on at least one 50 basis point hike in early 2023, and most likely two. Inflation is just not dropping significantly, and with the continuing issues in Ukraine, watch folks wallets get tighter and tighter as people struggle to pay their heating bills this winter. My fuel oil is clocking $5.99/gallon which is up over 25% since last year. Rough. 

Hate to be the bear, but it's gonna be a bumpy ride for a while. I'm focusing on DIY projects and searching out the next killer deal that works with these interest rates, so when I refinance in the future, (5 year timeline is my bet) I'll be feeling great. 

Post: Multifamily Investing - Pro/Con Worksheet of USA Market

Harry McNamaraPosted
  • Real Estate Agent
  • Hudson Valley and Catskills, NY
  • Posts 26
  • Votes 26

How would you even crunch the numbers on Cap rates across one entire market, let alone the USA as a whole? To get anywhere close to the actual market value you would have to have access to every MLS across the nation to pull accurate comps, which right now are fluctuating in a major way with the market changes that are happening.

I would spend time seeking out the property class that you are interested in, and then start researching where you can make your plan work. The specific deals will make you successful, not a USA aggregate number. 

Post: Things Most forgotten When Setting Up an Airbnb

Harry McNamaraPosted
  • Real Estate Agent
  • Hudson Valley and Catskills, NY
  • Posts 26
  • Votes 26

Please provide one good chef's knife. That is the most missing item in my experience. The whole point of going Airbnb over hotel is the kitchen for me, and I always end up with some kind of dull inadequate knife for cooking. It's like $10 to sharpen it each year, it's the little things!