All Forum Posts by: AJ P.

Hey everyone, I’m super lucky and excited that I have my first property under contract. It’s a nice duplex that needs some renovations, but nothing more than new floors, paint, kitchens, and bathrooms. Since everyone here has so much experience, I was just wondering if anyone had any general advice for me as I go through this process? I have a fairly detailed budget and I’m working with a family friend contractor that’s helping me with everything. I'm going to sand and paint the current kitchen cabinets because they are in great shape and could save a lot on my budget by preserving the current ones. I plan on doing a neutral paint color like beige on all the walls, white trim & ceilings, and LVT everywhere on the main floor (except the living room). I was thinking I'd do carpet upstairs for the tenants comfort. My contractor advised against doing LVT on the stairs (said it just always looks bad) so it seems like I’ll put carpet there (didn't want to do this but there's no hardwood underneath the current carpet). The showers/bathtubs are a really odd blue color, but are in really good shape so I was leaning towards leaving them. I think a walk in shower would look much better, but obviously it would be a lot more expensive and it’s the only shower/ tub in the house so I’m not sure if tenants would want or need a tub in the house (especially if they have little kids). I plan on gutting the rest of the bathrooms and making them more modern than what's currently there. Any advice on these items or any other general advice as I renovate here I greatly appreciate!

Hi everyone, I came across this internal debate when I compared a fixer I found that I could add a lot of equity to through rehab and another property that didn’t need as much rehab but had an opportunity to increase rents with a little bit of renovations and could have it cash flow nicely. I know in an ideal world having both would be the goal, but in this market its been tough to find either. I'm hoping that once I get my first property under contract the ball will start rolling for me and I'll have the opportunity to continue building my portfolio.

I was wondering if any of you had any insight as to if it’s more important to look for cash flow or equity in a deal? Or does it really depend? I certainly understand the significance of both and can see the strategies behind either, but I was wondering what your options are. Thank you all so much for the advice. I truly appreciate it!

To introduce myself, my name is AJ and I recently graduated from Villanova University where I studied finance and real estate. I’m back in Pittsburgh where I’ve spent all but my four years of college and recently started my first job (ironically a real estate related role). I grew up exposed to real estate (from my grandfather who owned laundry mats & apartment buildings and my dad who owned a car wash and his own rental units) and I’ve been interested ever since. More recently, I’ve been acting in the role of property manager for my dad (certainly with a little bit of painter/ laborer mixed in too).

I have a true passion for the industry and I certainly intend to pursue my passion for the financial rewards, but even more so because I genuinely enjoy it and want to make a career out of it. I’ve done my due diligence on the home buying process and I have my team in place (agent, lender, and contractor). I’m just looking for general guidance/ mentorship you would give to yourself when you started real estate investing. I’m currently analyzing deals and I’m very anxious to get my first one under my belt. If you’re interested in connecting with me, please feel free to reply or message me. I greatly welcome any guidance and I truly appreciate anyone willing to give me some of their time. Thank you so much!