All Forum Posts by: Yannik Cudjoe-Virgil

In my opinion, if you're looking for yield, Baltimore is a great city to invest in. You just have to know what you're doing. You manage the cons by diving into the nitty gritty aspects on the market. You can make money in any market if you know what you're doing and have a good pulse on it. Doesn't matter if you're in DC or Baltimore. 

I can't speak about San Antonio, but what I can say is that Baltimore is on the horizon for growth. There are new developments in the pipeline that are coming to the city that is going to turn the city around. Contrary to popular belief, Baltimore is one of the best rental markets in the country. It's well located in a recession resistant Mid-Atlantic market. Also, the cash flow in the city is great. My biggest recommendation is that you need to know where to buy to get the ROI, or you can end up in a tough area. @Israa A.

@Spencer Gonzaga Househacking is the way to go! If I were to do it again, I would focus on these grants here: https://livebaltimore.com/buy/...

Baltimore is giving out a ton of money for people to live in the city! Don't miss out

@Chris Hijazin House hacking is one of the best ways to get into real estate. I currently house hack and my tenants pay for most of my mortgage. It's a no brainer for someone that is astute like yourself. Compare programs with different lenders. I did a 203k loan. It's good if you want to rehab a property. Now I'm doing an FHA streamline refinance at 2.62%. If you are buying something that's stabilized, then look a doing a 3% conventional. Less money down. Always happy to point you to a lender.

However, you need to look into the grants in Baltimore if you want to come with less money to the table. https://livebaltimore.com/buy/...

Thank me later!

Hope this helps.

I agree with @Taylor L. . Syndications are not a no-money down game if you're leading the group. It costs money to start the loan applications, etc. Jumping in as a deal finder and receiving a percentage for bringing the deal can be a start to your journey. 

@Shelon Hutchinson Good stuff! We are taking a tactical approach to sticking in the D(M)V area, where we will be able to acquire assets that would be easier to manage given the proximity to each other. We are working on outsourcing a leasing team for the smaller properties that can't afford full-time staff. This way we can pay them by the hour and free up our time to focus on other activities. 

In regards to helping other people, I believe education is one of the best gifts you can give. We sit down with our investors and underwrite a deal with them to really increase their aptitude in the apartment investing space, which helps them see the benefits of passive cash flow. If we can plant a seed in someone's mind to change their life for the better, we are happy with that. 

@Greg Scott Understood. It's a sponsor by sponsor preference. Our money is always at risk as well. I've never had anyone question the legitimacy of acquisition fees. The most important thing is making sure that there is an alignment of interest with all investors. 

I agree with @Taylor L. . A 12 cap deal in today's market would be tough to find - unless it's in a rough area. 

 These deals take a lot of time and energy to put together upfront before closing. There is a lot of heavy lifting. Syndicators who have a team need to compensate their team for their time. I think acquisitions fees between 1-3% are fair. Disposition and capital transaction fees can be negotiable. I wouldn't do a construction management fee though. 

It's a good time to invest, you just have to perform great due diligence on the asset you're purchasing. Your underwriting needs to be conservative