Wannabe Investor From Sacramento / Rocklin

[Zachary A.]

Hello!

My name is Zachary Arendsee, and I’m a father of two and active duty Air Force Pilot in the Sacramento area. I discovered BiggerPockets through the podcast and @JScott’s great books, both of which I have enjoyed immensely.

I have to pause my introduction here to thank these guys:

The podcast has filled a void in my curiosity that business and investing books never could. Reading a book is like taking a class, but listening to the podcast is like suddenly having dozens of friends who have done exactly what you want to do and can tell you all about it. It doesn’t hurt that Josh and Brandon do a great job asking the right questions. Seriously, it’s uncanny. As soon as I can catch the interviewee glossing over something important, or I come up with a question in my mind, they are already stopping the interview and asking my question for me.

The podcast has inspired me and convinced me that REI is the way to go, but JScott is helping me to gain that hard knowledge. I'm about 2/3s of the way through The Book On Flipping Houses. I love the lack of hype. Where some authors try to make everything sound easy, J makes it sound honestly hard, but doable. No book could possibly tell you exactly what to do in every market and in what order, but J comes close. I'm starting to feel like I know the right questions to ask, and that's a good place to be.

Back to my intro…

I’m really excited by the potential I see in real estate. I have long been searching for something I can do on the side, without much money, while holding a job, and preferably something that could be scaled up to provide primary income in the future.

I’d like to start by flipping houses to grow some capital, and from there, possibly start keeping some properties long term. My short term goals are to find a partner with access to capital (I’ve got an idea or two), get my license, and start to get a feel for the Sacramento market. I’m particularly interested in Roseville, Rocklin, and especially Lincoln areas. Lincoln is less expensive and right along my commute. If you are an investor in the area, I’d love to get your opinion of the market and opportunities here.

I’d also be particularly interested in partnering with an experienced investor. I’d be willing to put in a lot sweat in exchange for a minimal stake and the educational opportunity.

[Jesse Hinaman]

@Joe Bertolino is absolutely right. There are always good deals to be had in any market. Just need to be patient and constantly keep your eyes open.

I was driving near my house, and I stumbled upon a group of people cleaning out a house that appeared to be just a slight step up from a hoarder house. I noted the address, went back and searched tax roll to see if the property had any recent changes. As it turned out, the property was recently put in a trust and the owner has deceased. I was able to get the trustee on the phone and got the whole Jerry Springer back story...

Long story short, this house was in really bad shape and the trustee knew it. She has no emotional ties to the property and wants to just get rid of it. This house is sitting right on Folsom Lake with a Million Dollar View. Literally, the next door neighbors house is selling for over $1million. No guarantees this will turn into a sale, but a hell of a lot nicer odds talking one-on-one with the Power of Attorney, with very limited competition.

If you want to be successful you have to go out and seize the opportunities. Put in the tireless effort and you will be rewarded.