Newbie currently in Hawaii, soon to be in San Antonio

Newbie currently in Hawaii, soon to be in San Antonio

Rental Property Investor · Honolulu, HI · Member since 2018 · 9 posts · 7 votes

Aloha Bigger Pockets!

My name is Thurman (TJ) Kennedy and I'm an active duty Soldier currently stationed in Hawaii. I will be retiring from the Army in a few months and will be moving to San Antonio, TX. I am completely new to REI and came across Bigger Pockets just mindlessly scrolling through YouTube during a fit of insomnia. I have been obsessed every since. The creativity, the relationships, and of course the path to financial freedom have opened my eyes to exactly what I want to do post Army. When I'm not listening to the podcast, I'm reading a book recommended on the "Famous foooooooouuuurrrrr" (in my angelic singing voice). I am currently looking for a single family home or duplex in the San Antonio area to house hack as my introduction to REI. I'd like to start out with my niche being wholesaling. I'm going to focus on that until I can build some capital and gain some experience (and hopefully partnerships) to advance to some more intermediate/advanced techniques like BRRR's, flips, and ultimately multi-family buy-n-holds to generate passive income. I love to learn and I love building relationships. I'll definitely be attending some BP meetups and REIA meetings when I get to San Antonio. I'm so happy to have started this journey and I'm extremely grateful for finding Bigger Pockets. I haven't been this excited about an opportunity since basic training! If you're in the San Antonio area, I'd love to meet you, buy you some lunch, talk REI and how I can bring some value to you in exchange for your time and knowledge. Mahalo.

TJ

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Real Estate Agent · Falls Church · Member since 2012 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
7y

Hello! @Thurman Kennedy

Welcome to BP, and congratulations on making the decision to invest in your future via real estate.

I have written a few blog posts that may help you get started here on BP, and with your investing. Please click on the links, give them a read, and share your thoughts in the comments.

First is a post that I feel will help not get overwhelmed with the amount of info that is here on BP:

https://www.biggerpockets.com/blogs/5868/52761-the-simple-guide-to-getting-started-on-bp

The second is a post that will help get you focused with your real estate investing goals:

https://www.biggerpockets.com/blogs/5868/52743-im-new-to-bp-any-advice-would-be-appriciated

The last one is a post that will help you choose an “investor friendly” real estate agent. There are many agents out there, but it’s important to choose the right one.

https://www.biggerpockets.com/blogs/5868/52724-im-new-to-investing-how-do-i-find-an-investor-friendly-agent

I love answering questions if you have any! Good Luck :)

See this reply in the discussion

17 Replies

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  • Rental Property Investor · Florida & Shanghai · Member since 2017 · 192 posts · 68 votes
    8y

    Welcome! I too am relatively new to BP compared to some who have been here for years. While I'm not planning to move to San Antonio any time soon, I do feel that area still has good REI opportunities. Plan to visit at least once this year. Hope your house hack goes well. Do continue to share with us on BP! Cheers!

    Troy

  • Rental Property Investor · Harker Heights, TX · Member since 2018 · 212 posts · 182 votes
    8y

    Welcome to the forums @Thurman Kennedy and congrats on being so close to retirement! I’m still several years away. 

    San Antonio is one of the markets I’m looking at as well. There are not a ton of multi-family properties like around other posts but they are there. 

    I’d recommend upgrading to pro. The calculators on here are a great tool but unless you’re pro your use of them is limited. Practicing the math is crucial. Ensuring cash flow will make or break a deal. 

  • Rental Property Investor · Honolulu, HI · Member since 2018 · 9 posts · 7 votes
    8y
    @Allan Bishop Jr. Thanks for the tip. I fully plan on becoming a pro member for sure. Right now I'm just getting the fundamentals down and working on my mindset (The Miracle Morning is a game changer). When I get to San Antonio, I'm going to dive in much deeper and definitely take advantage of everything the pro membership has to offer.
  • Rental Property Investor · Honolulu, HI · Member since 2018 · 9 posts · 7 votes
    8y
    @Troy Williams Thank for the welcome. I'll definitely be posting about the pros and cons of my house hack. Whenever your making your trip down to San Antonio, let me know and we can link up and talk some REI.
  • Retirement Accounts Attorney · Southfield, MI · Member since 2017 · 3k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    8y

    @Thurman Kennedy

    Welcome to Bigger Pockets.

  • Realtor · San Antonio, TX · Member since 2018 · 9 posts · 6 votes
    8y

    @Thurman Kennedy I highly recommend SAREIA is a great organization, just the right amount of structure for new investors, and value for the seasoned investors as well.  

    www.sareia.com/ Victor Maas does a great job running it and took all the new members from last month meeting 'driving for dollars'!  

    See you when you get here.

    Chuck

  • Rental Property Investor · Honolulu, HI · Member since 2018 · 9 posts · 7 votes
    8y
    @George Blower Thank you!
  • Rental Property Investor · Honolulu, HI · Member since 2018 · 9 posts · 7 votes
    8y
    @Chuck Gafford Thank you! The first thing I did when I settled on San Antonio was jump on the SAREIA email list. I look forward to my first meeting. Mahalo.
  • Realtor · San Antonio, TX · Member since 2017 · 70 posts · 50 votes
    8y

    @Thurman Kennedy congrats on retiring and diving into real estate investing!! San Antonio is a great place to start and there are so many different strategies you could do, it's mind boggling! 

    Multi-family properties in SA (that are good deals) are few and far, but duplexes and single family homes that have been turned into duplexes are easier to find. 

    A great place to start is definitely the meetups - my favorite is still Alamo REIA and I've been to them all (the only one I am a member of)! Go to one of the meetings and meet some people because it's a great way to build your buyers list, find deals, financing, other ideas, etc etc! Also, check the SAREIA lunch and learn at Asian Star buffet because it's the best value in my opinion :)

    Looking forward to seeing you around!!

  • Rental Property Investor · Honolulu, HI · Member since 2018 · 9 posts · 7 votes
    8y
    @Tanya Lechner Thank you for the response. I'll definitely check out Alamo. I'd love to chat more about turning SFH into duplexes. That's sounds super creative. I'll shoot you a msg when I get to town. Hopefully we can link up and I'll get you some coffee or lunch. Mahalo.
  • Developer · San Antonio, TX · Member since 2018 · 30 posts · 13 votes
    8y

    Great post @Thurman Kennedy, my first real estate deal was a duplex house hack here in San Antonio.

    Since I am a Realtor & I used an FHA, 3% loan, I was able to buy it with only $500 out of pocket because the seller covered some closing costs which were wrapped into the loan and I received a 3% real estate commission at closing.

    In hindsight, I wish I had purchased a 4-unit instead of a duplex. There are some great, newer 4-units close to the military bases here in SA.

    My main niche is wholesaling and I have closed many deals here in SA. Let me know if I can be of assistance to you.

  • Developer · San Antonio, TX · Member since 2018 · 30 posts · 13 votes
    8y

    Thanks for the vote @Thurman Kennedy

  • Rental Property Investor · Florida & Shanghai · Member since 2017 · 192 posts · 68 votes
    8y

    @Thurman Kennedy   great. Will do.

  • San Antonio, TX · Member since 2018 · 5 posts · 4 votes
    8y

    Hey TJ, welcome! I'm also a new investor here in San Antonio, I'm looking to grow my team and learn together. Would love to chat and set up a time to meet when you officially make the move. 

  • Real Estate Agent · Falls Church · Member since 2012 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    7y

    Hello! @Thurman Kennedy

    Welcome to BP, and congratulations on making the decision to invest in your future via real estate.

    I have written a few blog posts that may help you get started here on BP, and with your investing. Please click on the links, give them a read, and share your thoughts in the comments.

    First is a post that I feel will help not get overwhelmed with the amount of info that is here on BP:

    https://www.biggerpockets.com/blogs/5868/52761-the-simple-guide-to-getting-started-on-bp

    The second is a post that will help get you focused with your real estate investing goals:

    https://www.biggerpockets.com/blogs/5868/52743-im-new-to-bp-any-advice-would-be-appriciated

    The last one is a post that will help you choose an “investor friendly” real estate agent. There are many agents out there, but it’s important to choose the right one.

    https://www.biggerpockets.com/blogs/5868/52724-im-new-to-investing-how-do-i-find-an-investor-friendly-agent

    I love answering questions if you have any! Good Luck :)

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