Orlando Real Estate Investing Newbies!

[Brittany Yoder]

My husband and I are new to real estate investing but know that it’s the path that we would like to navigate together as we strive for financial freedom, escaping the rat-race, and growing into entrepreneurs. I recently left my Account Manager position at a local advertising agency so that we could focus more attention on building a strong foundation within the real estate industry.

Having read Rich Dad, Poor Dad, our eagerness to immerse ourselves in real estate has become even more intense. Since recognizing this interest at the end of last year, we have spent much of our “free” time reading, listening to countless BiggerPockets podcasts, researching, and networking. One thing that we’ve heard over and over is that finding a mentor is crucial along with networking within the community, so that’s what we’re doing!

Rental properties will be our primary focus to start with a potential future in flips. My husband was a Project Manager for his family’s custom home and remodeling company so he is familiar with the ins and out of home remodeling projects and I have always liked the idea of taking something decrepit and underutilized then transforming it into a masterpiece that people are proud to call home.

We’re looking for experienced investors who are open to giving us advice and sharing their real estate experiences with us; totally open to grabbing a bite or a beverage with those of you who are willing. We have reached out to a few local contacts but wanted to get your expert opinion on how to get started and what to keep in mind as we start this journey. We know that it won’t be easy and there will certainly be ups and downs but we’re hoping that you can help guide us in the right direction as we get our footing.

Here are a few specific questions that we have…

1. How did you get started?

2. What tools do you use in order to find the best deals?

3. What resources have you used in the past that you've found to be most helpful? (i.e. books, conferences, seminars, webinars, websites, people)

4. What areas and types of real estate have you found to be the most profitable in Orlando? (i.e. single-family rentals, multi-family rentals, flips)

5. What is your approach to financing?

Thank you so much for your time in advance! Again, we’re extremely excited for our new venture and are willing to put in the time and effort to do what it takes to become successful.

Best Regards,

Brittany + Dustin Yoder

@BrittanyYoder @DustinY1

[Brett Willenbacher]

As far as financing I would recommend you both give McCoy Credit Union a call. They lend through a 3rd party (I forget the company name). They grabbed my interest with their 15% down on investment properties (opposed to 20-25% down) at the same interest rate. They seem to have good refi too, may have 6 month seasoning period though. Not too sure how critical that will be to the BRRR strategy, which I also plan on using when it comes to rentals, to you guys. If hard money loan doesn't work out for my fix-n-flip, I plan on using a conventional through them.