Investing in Augusta, Georgia

[Brian Windle]

Hi there,

So I am still looking for my first deal in Georgia. I would like to purchase a rental property. I have only a 25K HELOC so my options are pretty limited. I keep seeing alot of cheap and decent looking homes in Augusta, Ga., but I know nothing about the area, I live in Athens. Can anyone from the Augusta area tell me why there are so many cheap homes on the market. Would love to hear from anyone that is successfully investing in Augusta, Ga.

Thanks!

[James Goans]

Augusta is great but good rentals are hard to come by.  I own in West Augusta close to the National and they rent really well to medical students and military.  I do not force moving out for the masters but I do offer to the tenant a free vacation in order to use the property (and their personal property like TV, beds, dishes, etc) but haven't done it yet. Masters can be lucrative but for smaller rentals its not really worth it and the completion is significant.  The cheaper homes will cash flow well but will require heavy management and tenant issues.   I know some who have been successful with Section 8 in south Augusta but tenants are still an issue sometimes.   Since you are in Athens I would recommend house hacking a duplex/tri/quad in that area. If you need a realtor over there let me know ( I used to live near by)