All Forum Posts by: Alexander Bandza

@Account Closed -

Thanks again for these quick replies and great advice. Adding people is something I will be sure to do.

I've got a couple of family members involved in real estate, either directly or indirectly (real estate broker, financier). My plan was to meet with them, pick their brain about this side pursuit, and see what they recommend in terms of their contacts. Any other thoughts on gathering or learning about "people" would be appreciated!

Alex

@Kabir B. -

Thanks for the welcome!

@Mehran K. -

The first of many to make, I'm sure! Thanks much for the list. I purchased a few on Amazon; good to see my last purchases appeared on here, and nice to see which others I'll need to pick up.

@Account Closed -

Thanks for the welcome! You hit the nail on the head - - "TIME." I don't mind putting in a significant amount on the front-end - - say, when analyzing prospective deals, meeting with and gathering partners, etc. However, I am willing to accept lower returns over time once the property is in place - - e.g., say, by hiring a property manager - - in order to mitigate unexpected time commitments down the road.

Right now, I have plenty of time, as I have not yet started with my firm. So, I am looking to use this free time to learn as much as I can and see what avenues of real estate investment I might be able to pursue on the side of (what I imagine to be) a very busy day job once I start up at the firm. Once I begin life as a lawyer, I imagine I will have the equity and potential legal experience to bring to deals, but not much in the way of time.

Thanks all!

@Mehran K.

Thanks for the welcome! And thanks for correcting me; it's probably quite clear how green I am behind the ears. But I look forward to learning more.

Alex

Hello! I split up my information below to make it easier to follow.

Who am I

My name is Alex. I recently moved to downtown Chicago from law school in California. I grew up in the western suburbs of Chicago. In November, I'll start as an attorney at a large Chicago-based law firm in its environmental practice group.

What I am looking to do

I am looking to buy and hold properties, either in downtown Chicago or in the Chicagoland western suburbs. Not set on the type of property - - both multi-unit properties and single-family homes. (However, given my cash limitations, any multi-unit property would likely not be larger than 4-6 units, I would imagine.)

Who I am hoping to chat with

Specifically, I would love to hear from practicing attorneys in Chicago / the Midwest, especially those attorneys whose main practice is not real estate law. For example, what legal aspects of their part-time real-estate investment business do they handle on their own (with just general legal knowledge) and what aspects do they consult with real-estate attorneys? In addition, learning how practicing attorneys have started and managed a side real-estate investment business would be invaluable.

Generally, I would love to hear from busy professionals in Chicago who have no professional experience in real estate. For example, how they manage to find deals on the side, how they manage properties (or outsource), etc.

Let me know if you have any questions. I look forward to hearing from everyone!

Best regards,

Alex