How did you start? Where do you suggest I start?

[Daniel Hernandez]

I'm a bit lost, where do you start when looking to buy your first rental property.

Do you hire a realtor/agent to help pick from a portfolio of investment properties that they determined alongside with their broker a brokers price opinion and appraised income approach? If so do you guys have any suggestions/referral for someone in the Dallas area?

How do you start in today's market to look for a rental property?

I want to find a realtor that has the mindset of an investor, not the mentality of the first-time homebuyer. Not all realtors are made equally or share an equal experience.

[Curtis Rouse Jr]

@Daniel Hernandez First you need to start with educating yourself on the type (SFR/MFR), location and most importantly the financials of a deal. Me personally I look for a 10% COC return with potential to double my money in 3 - 5 by way of a value add play. These deals are getting tougher and tougher to find with the compressing market, but they are definitely out there you just have to find them. Realtors are a great resource, but most don't specifically deal with investors or know what makes a good/bad investment. If you're going the realtor route, focus on someone who invest themselves and start networking with local investors who are doing what you want to do that will help shorten the learning curve. I've built a financial model and I love helping other investors analyze deals from small $30k deals to multi million dollar apartment complexes, so please let me know if I can be of assistance. Best of Luck, I heard Dallas and Houston are great markets to invest in!