North Dakota Investor seeking advice

[Ian Hall]

Hey all,

My name is Ian Hall and I have successfully purchased my first deal. Over the last 3 months I have worked on/lived in a fixer upper 4-plex. Renovations are nearing completion and I am beginning to find out some of my strengths and weaknesses. Renovations and fixing problems has been relatively easy with outside labor and youtube. I have successfully moved into the final pot infused wonderland and am working towards the end of my time living in the building. Looking into the near future, here's where I need help:

I am not a great record keeper and want to find a CPA in North Dakota who can help me manage and plan for future investments. If you are/or know of anyone, please contact me!

NEED: management advice! How do I check if my rents are on par with the market? What's the best way to fill vacancies? Is anyone willing to share landlording advice for "dealing the deal" on potential tenants? I had a lot of interest but very little commitment from people in the market. How do I get and hold their interest?

I've began reading based on many suggestions from the podcasts. If anyone has books they think could help me I would appreciate it!

If you are local, I'd love to buy you a beer with my tenants money and talk strategies and goals. 

Thanks for your time

[Steve Shaffer]

Hey Ian!  Congratulations on your progress!  I'm an investor in Fargo. The CPA I use is on the MN side, but I have a recommendation in Fargo. 

I use a third-party property manager in Fargo who is generous with their time, I'm sure would talk to you. I don't know how accurate it is in Minot, but I use rentometer to at least give an idea of market rent. Don't be shy about calling local rentals in your area, explaining your situation, and asking for a showing so you can compare what the competition is offering at their particular location for their price. 

In conclusion, I'm a bit of a Bookworm with all this real estate stuff. It's hard ot do better in a more concise package than Brandon and Heather Turner's books on rental property investing and managing rental properties. For additional strategies, my top recommendation is "How to Make Big Money in Small Apartments". If you sneak down to Fargo sometime, I'd love to meet up. Good luck!