How should I use $100K to maximize profits?

Columbus, Ohio
Starting Out
3yFollow

How should I use $100K to maximize profits?

Tiara Ferguson
Member since 2023 · 2 posts · 5 votes

Hello guys! 

I am a 34 year old woman in Ohio pending a divorce and will have about $100k to start over and rebuild when the dust is settled in a few months. I've dabbled in several investment types with limited success (stocks, crypto, etc), and the only thing that paid off significantly was our marital home (it nearly doubled in value since 2018)! So I'd like to embark on my real estate investing journey to grow my money, and am curious as to how you all would go about doing this to achieve the best ROI! Here's my situation:

 My goal is to establish passive monthly income along with owning properties that accumulate in equity. I will not need this money immediately, so am open to either short term or long term strategies. 

I have a credit score of 738, make about $105k a year in base salary and also earn about $30k-50k annually in bonuses. I currently have $100k liquid and am saving an additional $4k per month. Additionally, I am in our marital home and can remain once the divorce finalizes, but if I decide to sell or refinance the home to get money out, I would have an additional $80k in funds from equity to use for whatever route I decide to pursue in real estate. 

I am totally new to real estate investing (other than the primary home we own), and know nothing about maintenance/repairs or the costs of contracting someone to do this on a potential home (my now ex was in the home renovation industry, so he took care of all this)-- but I have the expendable income that would allow me  to afford improving a property if it is  in need of a little care. I also would prefer to be hands-on since this would be my first investment property, so am primarily interested in real estate in the Columbus, OH market and other local surrounding areas. 

Any tips or insight would be extremely helpful!

5Reply
58 views

Most Popular Reply

Jimmy LieuBusiness Member
Real Estate Agent · Columbus, OH · Member since 2019 · 3k+ posts · 2k+ votes
3y
Quote from @Tiara Ferguson:

Hello guys! 

I am a 34 year old woman in Ohio pending a divorce and will have about $100k to start over and rebuild when the dust is settled in a few months. I've dabbled in several investment types with limited success (stocks, crypto, etc), and the only thing that paid off significantly was our marital home (it nearly doubled in value since 2018)! So I'd like to embark on my real estate investing journey to grow my money, and am curious as to how you all would go about doing this to achieve the best ROI! Here's my situation:

 My goal is to establish passive monthly income along with owning properties that accumulate in equity. I will not need this money immediately, so am open to either short term or long term strategies. 

I have a credit score of 738, make about $105k a year in base salary and also earn about $30k-50k annually in bonuses. I currently have $100k liquid and am saving an additional $4k per month. Additionally, I am in our marital home and can remain once the divorce finalizes, but if I decide to sell or refinance the home to get money out, I would have an additional $80k in funds from equity to use for whatever route I decide to pursue in real estate. 

I am totally new to real estate investing (other than the primary home we own), and know nothing about maintenance/repairs or the costs of contracting someone to do this on a potential home (my now ex was in the home renovation industry, so he took care of all this)-- but I have the expendable income that would allow me  to afford improving a property if it is  in need of a little care. I also would prefer to be hands-on since this would be my first investment property, so am primarily interested in real estate in the Columbus, OH market and other local surrounding areas. 

Any tips or insight would be extremely helpful!

Hi Tiara, if you're looking to invest in real estate in a different market and want to get the best bang for your buck, I personally would recommend Columbus Ohio and as someone who works with a lot of out of state investors - there's so many catalysts for why you should invest here. Specifically, there's job growth (Intel, Honda, Amazon, Nationwide, etc) and the population is growing (unlike Cleveland or Cincy). I really see Columbus Ohio as an extremely safe bet for the next 10-20 years. Plus, there's still so many positive cash flowing and 1% deals here in Columbus Ohio. Just a few weeks ago, I helped a client close on a deal getting them 20% cash on cash return. As a local investor and agent here in Columbus, let me know if you have any questions or want to connect!

[email protected]614-300-7535
Jimmy Lieu, Red 1 Realty4.9120 Reviews
WebsiteView Page
2Reply
See this reply in the discussion

16 Replies

Jump to latestLatest
  • Najma Osman
    Real Estate Agent · Columbus, OH · Member since 2023 · 161 posts · 217 votes
    3y

    Hi @Tiara Ferguson, 

    It sounds like you are in a great position to start investing in real estate! I usually recommend starting off with a house hack where you live in one unit and rent out the other to get the lowest down payment but you have great capital starting out! I would recommend investing in multi-family properties to maximize your cash flow. Find a great team to work with including a good investor-friendly agent and decide what area of Columbus you would like to invest in. From there, you can begin analyzing deals! Let me know if you need help, I would love to be a resource to you!

    0Reply
  • Tiara Ferguson
    OP
    Member since 2023 · 2 posts · 5 votes
    3y
    Quote from @Najma Osman:

    Hi @Tiara Ferguson, 

    It sounds like you are in a great position to start investing in real estate! I usually recommend starting off with a house hack where you live in one unit and rent out the other to get the lowest down payment but you have great capital starting out! I would recommend investing in multi-family properties to maximize your cash flow. Find a great team to work with including a good investor-friendly agent and decide what area of Columbus you would like to invest in. From there, you can begin analyzing deals! Let me know if you need help, I would love to be a resource to you!


     Hi Najma! Thanks so much for reaching out! I was thinking about multi-family homes as well.  I'd love to work with you. I am reaching out directly now. Thanks!  

    0Reply
  • Jared HottleBusiness Member
    Real Estate Agent · Cedar falls IA Waterloo, IA · Member since 2020 · 902 posts · 549 votes
    3y

    I would look to BRRR single family properties. Maybe tough to buy all cash but definitely could look at using a bank to fund purchase price and construction costs with a down payment. Or look for a seller finance deal and use the money to rehab. Buy a house, fix it up, rent it and refinance and then do it over again with the same 100k. Cash flow will be tight but you will be building wealth and can refinance when rates come down.

    [email protected]319-288-5382
    Jared Hottle Real Estate59 Reviews
    WebsiteView Page
    0Reply
  • Simon Ashbaugh
    Realtor · Columbus Ohio, Cleveland Ohio · Member since 2022 · 849 posts · 830 votes
    3y
    Quote from @Tiara Ferguson:

    Hello guys! 

    I am a 34 year old woman in Ohio pending a divorce and will have about $100k to start over and rebuild when the dust is settled in a few months. I've dabbled in several investment types with limited success (stocks, crypto, etc), and the only thing that paid off significantly was our marital home (it nearly doubled in value since 2018)! So I'd like to embark on my real estate investing journey to grow my money, and am curious as to how you all would go about doing this to achieve the best ROI! Here's my situation:

     My goal is to establish passive monthly income along with owning properties that accumulate in equity. I will not need this money immediately, so am open to either short term or long term strategies. 

    I have a credit score of 738, make about $105k a year in base salary and also earn about $30k-50k annually in bonuses. I currently have $100k liquid and am saving an additional $4k per month. Additionally, I am in our marital home and can remain once the divorce finalizes, but if I decide to sell or refinance the home to get money out, I would have an additional $80k in funds from equity to use for whatever route I decide to pursue in real estate. 

    I am totally new to real estate investing (other than the primary home we own), and know nothing about maintenance/repairs or the costs of contracting someone to do this on a potential home (my now ex was in the home renovation industry, so he took care of all this)-- but I have the expendable income that would allow me  to afford improving a property if it is  in need of a little care. I also would prefer to be hands-on since this would be my first investment property, so am primarily interested in real estate in the Columbus, OH market and other local surrounding areas. 

    Any tips or insight would be extremely helpful!


     Definitely find a duplex and house hack! 

    My bottom line for house hacks is as long as you're paying substantially less than you otherwise would in rent AND It will cashflow when you move out of it then you should be good. A good house hack rule is to run numbers as if you weren't going to live there. If it cashflows without you occupying then you're golden.

    1Reply
  • Jimmy LieuBusiness Member
    Real Estate Agent · Columbus, OH · Member since 2019 · 3k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    3y
    Quote from @Tiara Ferguson:

    Hello guys! 

    I am a 34 year old woman in Ohio pending a divorce and will have about $100k to start over and rebuild when the dust is settled in a few months. I've dabbled in several investment types with limited success (stocks, crypto, etc), and the only thing that paid off significantly was our marital home (it nearly doubled in value since 2018)! So I'd like to embark on my real estate investing journey to grow my money, and am curious as to how you all would go about doing this to achieve the best ROI! Here's my situation:

     My goal is to establish passive monthly income along with owning properties that accumulate in equity. I will not need this money immediately, so am open to either short term or long term strategies. 

    I have a credit score of 738, make about $105k a year in base salary and also earn about $30k-50k annually in bonuses. I currently have $100k liquid and am saving an additional $4k per month. Additionally, I am in our marital home and can remain once the divorce finalizes, but if I decide to sell or refinance the home to get money out, I would have an additional $80k in funds from equity to use for whatever route I decide to pursue in real estate. 

    I am totally new to real estate investing (other than the primary home we own), and know nothing about maintenance/repairs or the costs of contracting someone to do this on a potential home (my now ex was in the home renovation industry, so he took care of all this)-- but I have the expendable income that would allow me  to afford improving a property if it is  in need of a little care. I also would prefer to be hands-on since this would be my first investment property, so am primarily interested in real estate in the Columbus, OH market and other local surrounding areas. 

    Any tips or insight would be extremely helpful!

    Hi Tiara, if you're looking to invest in real estate in a different market and want to get the best bang for your buck, I personally would recommend Columbus Ohio and as someone who works with a lot of out of state investors - there's so many catalysts for why you should invest here. Specifically, there's job growth (Intel, Honda, Amazon, Nationwide, etc) and the population is growing (unlike Cleveland or Cincy). I really see Columbus Ohio as an extremely safe bet for the next 10-20 years. Plus, there's still so many positive cash flowing and 1% deals here in Columbus Ohio. Just a few weeks ago, I helped a client close on a deal getting them 20% cash on cash return. As a local investor and agent here in Columbus, let me know if you have any questions or want to connect!

    [email protected]614-300-7535
    Jimmy Lieu, Red 1 Realty4.9120 Reviews
    WebsiteView Page
    2Reply
  • Anthony L Amos Jr
    Real Estate Agent · Columbus | Toledo · Member since 2019 · 608 posts · 768 votes
    3y
    Quote from @Tiara Ferguson:

    Hello guys! 

    I am a 34 year old woman in Ohio pending a divorce and will have about $100k to start over and rebuild when the dust is settled in a few months. I've dabbled in several investment types with limited success (stocks, crypto, etc), and the only thing that paid off significantly was our marital home (it nearly doubled in value since 2018)! So I'd like to embark on my real estate investing journey to grow my money, and am curious as to how you all would go about doing this to achieve the best ROI! Here's my situation:

     My goal is to establish passive monthly income along with owning properties that accumulate in equity. I will not need this money immediately, so am open to either short term or long term strategies. 

    I have a credit score of 738, make about $105k a year in base salary and also earn about $30k-50k annually in bonuses. I currently have $100k liquid and am saving an additional $4k per month. Additionally, I am in our marital home and can remain once the divorce finalizes, but if I decide to sell or refinance the home to get money out, I would have an additional $80k in funds from equity to use for whatever route I decide to pursue in real estate. 

    I am totally new to real estate investing (other than the primary home we own), and know nothing about maintenance/repairs or the costs of contracting someone to do this on a potential home (my now ex was in the home renovation industry, so he took care of all this)-- but I have the expendable income that would allow me  to afford improving a property if it is  in need of a little care. I also would prefer to be hands-on since this would be my first investment property, so am primarily interested in real estate in the Columbus, OH market and other local surrounding areas. 

    Any tips or insight would be extremely helpful!


    My first primary residence also doubled in value in only 4 years. I sold it and started my real estate journey too! Your off to a great start with the mindset and financial profile to begin asap. There are all kinds of strategies you can use. Buying a multifamily and living in one unit and rent out the others, stay in your home and put 20-25% down on a 2-4 unit, fix and flip, BRRRR strategy, etc.! Your in the right place to find help as well. Good Luck on your next chapter. Always here to help!

    1Reply
  • Aj Parikh
    Rental Property Investor · Centreville, VA · Member since 2019 · 1k+ posts · 799 votes
    3y

    Hi Tiara, One of the easiest ways of scaling in real estate today is to invest in turnkey properties out of state. If you have a busy 9-5 routine but have the money to get started and don't have enough time, turnkey companies provide some of the best resources to scale your portfolio. I have used that strategy so feel free to reach out if you want to discuss.


    1Reply
  • Ran Iarovich
    Real Estate Agent · WA · Member since 2021 · 254 posts · 173 votes
    3y

    BRRR, house-hack, and multi family syndicate are all great options. Excited for you to start on your journey. This forum is the best place to start!

    0Reply
  • Harrison Chow
    Real Estate Agent · Columbus, OH · Member since 2019 · 292 posts · 364 votes
    3y
    Quote from @Tiara Ferguson:

    Hello guys! 

    I am a 34 year old woman in Ohio pending a divorce and will have about $100k to start over and rebuild when the dust is settled in a few months. I've dabbled in several investment types with limited success (stocks, crypto, etc), and the only thing that paid off significantly was our marital home (it nearly doubled in value since 2018)! So I'd like to embark on my real estate investing journey to grow my money, and am curious as to how you all would go about doing this to achieve the best ROI! Here's my situation:

     My goal is to establish passive monthly income along with owning properties that accumulate in equity. I will not need this money immediately, so am open to either short term or long term strategies. 

    I have a credit score of 738, make about $105k a year in base salary and also earn about $30k-50k annually in bonuses. I currently have $100k liquid and am saving an additional $4k per month. Additionally, I am in our marital home and can remain once the divorce finalizes, but if I decide to sell or refinance the home to get money out, I would have an additional $80k in funds from equity to use for whatever route I decide to pursue in real estate. 

    I am totally new to real estate investing (other than the primary home we own), and know nothing about maintenance/repairs or the costs of contracting someone to do this on a potential home (my now ex was in the home renovation industry, so he took care of all this)-- but I have the expendable income that would allow me  to afford improving a property if it is  in need of a little care. I also would prefer to be hands-on since this would be my first investment property, so am primarily interested in real estate in the Columbus, OH market and other local surrounding areas. 

    Any tips or insight would be extremely helpful!


    Hi Tiara! Thank you for sharing your situation and goals. Given your financial position and desire for passive monthly income and equity growth, investing in multifamily properties can be a smart strategy for you. Multifamily properties offer the advantage of building equity through property appreciation and paying down the mortgage with rental income. Over time, as the property appreciates, your investment can accumulate substantial equity. With your savings capacity and potential for property improvements, you can also add value to the units and increase rental rates over time. Financing options for multifamily properties are often more favorable than those for commercial properties. With your credit score and income, you may be eligible for competitive interest rates and loan terms.

    You also mentioned that you prefer to be hands-on which is great because your involvement can help you learn about property management, maintenance, and tenant relations, and potentially improve your skills as an investor.

    Hope this helps and feel free to reach out should you have questions. Best of luck on your real estate investing journey!











    0Reply
  • Lucas Anderson
    New to Real Estate · Minneapolis, MN · Member since 2019 · 29 posts · 20 votes
    3y
    Quote from @Jimmy Lieu:
    Quote from @Tiara Ferguson:

    Hello guys! 

    I am a 34 year old woman in Ohio pending a divorce and will have about $100k to start over and rebuild when the dust is settled in a few months. I've dabbled in several investment types with limited success (stocks, crypto, etc), and the only thing that paid off significantly was our marital home (it nearly doubled in value since 2018)! So I'd like to embark on my real estate investing journey to grow my money, and am curious as to how you all would go about doing this to achieve the best ROI! Here's my situation:

     My goal is to establish passive monthly income along with owning properties that accumulate in equity. I will not need this money immediately, so am open to either short term or long term strategies. 

    I have a credit score of 738, make about $105k a year in base salary and also earn about $30k-50k annually in bonuses. I currently have $100k liquid and am saving an additional $4k per month. Additionally, I am in our marital home and can remain once the divorce finalizes, but if I decide to sell or refinance the home to get money out, I would have an additional $80k in funds from equity to use for whatever route I decide to pursue in real estate. 

    I am totally new to real estate investing (other than the primary home we own), and know nothing about maintenance/repairs or the costs of contracting someone to do this on a potential home (my now ex was in the home renovation industry, so he took care of all this)-- but I have the expendable income that would allow me  to afford improving a property if it is  in need of a little care. I also would prefer to be hands-on since this would be my first investment property, so am primarily interested in real estate in the Columbus, OH market and other local surrounding areas. 

    Any tips or insight would be extremely helpful!

    Hi Tiara, if you're looking to invest in real estate in a different market and want to get the best bang for your buck, I personally would recommend Columbus Ohio and as someone who works with a lot of out of state investors - there's so many catalysts for why you should invest here. Specifically, there's job growth (Intel, Honda, Amazon, Nationwide, etc) and the population is growing (unlike Cleveland or Cincy). I really see Columbus Ohio as an extremely safe bet for the next 10-20 years. Plus, there's still so many positive cash flowing and 1% deals here in Columbus Ohio. Just a few weeks ago, I helped a client close on a deal getting them 20% cash on cash return. As a local investor and agent here in Columbus, let me know if you have any questions or want to connect!

     @Jimmy Lieu Wow, those are some great returns. Nice finds. Do you have access to any Columbus properties that are distressed and in need of rehab? I'm in a similar boat as Tiara, with similar cash reserves and ready to rock. 

    0Reply
  • Min ZhangBusiness Member
    Real Estate Agent · Member since 2022 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    3y
    Quote from @Tiara Ferguson:

    Hello guys! 

    I am a 34 year old woman in Ohio pending a divorce and will have about $100k to start over and rebuild when the dust is settled in a few months. I've dabbled in several investment types with limited success (stocks, crypto, etc), and the only thing that paid off significantly was our marital home (it nearly doubled in value since 2018)! So I'd like to embark on my real estate investing journey to grow my money, and am curious as to how you all would go about doing this to achieve the best ROI! Here's my situation:

     My goal is to establish passive monthly income along with owning properties that accumulate in equity. I will not need this money immediately, so am open to either short term or long term strategies. 

    I have a credit score of 738, make about $105k a year in base salary and also earn about $30k-50k annually in bonuses. I currently have $100k liquid and am saving an additional $4k per month. Additionally, I am in our marital home and can remain once the divorce finalizes, but if I decide to sell or refinance the home to get money out, I would have an additional $80k in funds from equity to use for whatever route I decide to pursue in real estate. 

    I am totally new to real estate investing (other than the primary home we own), and know nothing about maintenance/repairs or the costs of contracting someone to do this on a potential home (my now ex was in the home renovation industry, so he took care of all this)-- but I have the expendable income that would allow me  to afford improving a property if it is  in need of a little care. I also would prefer to be hands-on since this would be my first investment property, so am primarily interested in real estate in the Columbus, OH market and other local surrounding areas. 

    Any tips or insight would be extremely helpful!


    Hey Tiara! Welcome to Bigger Pockets! 

    In Ohio you have Columbus, Cleveland, Dayton and Cincy to choose from. I am a local investor in Columbus area and the suburbs has a great place to start investing. As you know Columbus is a growing city with new companies and jobs on the horizon, more people are moving there and the population is increasing at about 0.75% each year and emplyment is growing at a rate of 3.58% annually. Rental prices in COlumbus have also gone up by 6% per year. 
    With a budget of around $200,000 to $250,000, you can find a profitable property in the suburbs that doesn't need much renovation.

    I am happy to connect and help you out! :) 

    [email protected]614-412-2912
    Reafco.512 Reviews
    View Page
    0Reply
  • Patrick DruryBusiness Member
    Real Estate Agent · Columbus, OH & Cleveland OH · Member since 2021 · 1k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    3y

    @Tiara Ferguson
    A house hack could be a great way to get started if you end up selling your home. You can get into your first deal with as low as 3.5% down with FHA which allows you to free up more capital to use more real estate investments and you can offset your living expenses.

    [email protected]614-412-4565
    Reafco-556 Reviews
    View Page
    1Reply
  • Scott AllenBusiness Member
    Real Estate Agent · Columbus, OH · Member since 2020 · 449 posts · 471 votes
    3y

    @Tiara Ferguson

    Luckily you're from Ohio so you won't need to look into other markets out of state. If you're going to self-manage, look into duplexes up to fourplexes in A to B areas. You could also look into doing the BRRRR method with small single families as you gain experience. If you're capable of keeping your primary residence and investing at the same time then do so. You're already off to a great start having that one already. Consider looking into what your primary residence could rent for and going FHA on a duplex to move into

    [email protected]614-698-1227
    Reafco - Columbus, OH
    WebsiteView Page
    1Reply
  • Joel Zolov
    Member since 2022 · 1 post · 1 vote
    3y
    Quote from @Aj Parikh:

    Hi Tiara, One of the easiest ways of scaling in real estate today is to invest in turnkey properties out of state. If you have a busy 9-5 routine but have the money to get started and don't have enough time, turnkey companies provide some of the best resources to scale your portfolio. I have used that strategy so feel free to reach out if you want to discuss.



     Any websites with turnkey units you recommend aside from Evolve?

    1Reply
  • Bernard Joseph S.
    Investor · NJ · Member since 2022 · 155 posts · 224 votes
    3y
    Quote from @Joel Zolov:
    Quote from @Aj Parikh:

    Hi Tiara, One of the easiest ways of scaling in real estate today is to invest in turnkey properties out of state. If you have a busy 9-5 routine but have the money to get started and don't have enough time, turnkey companies provide some of the best resources to scale your portfolio. I have used that strategy so feel free to reach out if you want to discuss.



     Any websites with turnkey units you recommend aside from Evolve?

     RentToRetirement.com is who I use. Turnkey new construction and rehabs. Great group of people and a nice way of starting your investment journey. @Zach Lemaster is the CEO and posts from time to time. Check out his profile and you'll find a lot of info.

    2Reply
Join the conversationCreate a free account to reply, vote on answers and follow this thread.
Log InJoin for Free