All Forum Posts by: Lane Kawaoka

@Julie Marquez your totally right, it's no shame to rent.. Who would you want to throw down 100-200k on a downpayment on a home in Seattle when you could buy 2-8 homes with that (opportunity costs) and get the cash flow.. 

Just because your friends think that it's admirable to own, don't believe the hype.

@Adam Campbell

There are a lot of books like @Brandon Turner book on investing with no and low money down which is a good list that gets you thinking creatively.. The only issue I see is that these require making your situation work which takes time and effort.. In this game we call real estate there are three resources 1) Money 2) time 3) experience.. I would first evaluate what you have and tailor you strategy to what you are working with.. You mentioned a Heloc therefore you have a home and I am guessing you have a job.. If you have a good professional job (a lot of doctors I met) your time would be better spent just turning and burning buying rentals with conventional 20-25% down loans.. In the converse, if you have no job and no money you going to need to use you time to source the deal and terms.

I found 25 year and it's just as good.

Sorry I was a little doom and gloom there. Your action item is to find that small bank who keeps the paper in house.

B2R, Lima, Colony, Visio are all the same. They are national direct lenders who have the big stage and therefore are able to have dedicated (sales men) who give you the some and dance and disappear after you start the under writing process. Expect 6-8% 2-4 point on a 30 year fix for the most qualified buyer and asset.

@Account Closed

Any others do you recommend that are pre reqs to taking action?

It might screw with you Dept to income DTI. Ask your lender.

@Jami Morton

Looks like you have had some 9 months so far - New and Noteworthy

Folks have asked me where should I start in terms of books since everything that comes from a BP legend needs to be taken in context. Here are the fab four books and trifecta of business books that everyone should read IMHO:

Books - In this order
1) Rich Dad Poor Dad
2) Millionaire Real Estate Investor
3) Cashflow Quadrant
4) Equity Happens
Any more is just overkill.


Business Books
1) 40 hour workweek
2) E Myth
3) Think And Grow Rich (read this again and again, all the Gurus regurgitate this book)

As a part statistician by education it is impossible to isolate one or many factors as a leading indicator. Wiki anova analysis. Some things I like to look at for entertainment purposes only: 1) Railroad volumes. This is a leading indicator of home and industrial and energy production. This is an insight into what the real market movers are purchasing in raw materials. 2) vice index. There is a group out there that track gambling, hookers, and booze sales. The thinking is that those rich people who move the markets best know what is happening and you can try to track their discretionary spending.