All Forum Posts by: Allyson Dohan

@Bill B.

It's a street right next to the river so when they named it in 1700 it probably was a no-brainer. But yes, when it floods most of that street becomes the river!

@John D. Look to areas near Bull St, one of the highest points in the historic district. I wouldn't invest in the Thunderbolt area or Tybee Island, as it is more susceptible to flooding after a storm (same with certain areas of downtown, like River St). If there's sudden dumping of rain, you're going to get flash flooding anywhere, though, not just in Savannah. I lived there for several years and funny story (because she's ok), my friend got caught in a flash flood while driving and was floating down Drayton St!

As for hurricanes, Savannah sits in one of the safer areas along the coast. If you look at the map of the east coast, you'll see that Florida and parts of NC jut out more than Savannah. Hurricanes tend to hit those areas more and then get pushed back to sea or move up the northern seaboard. It's extremely rare (although it can happen) that a hurricane can directly hit Savannah. Although, the rain from the outer edges of a hurricane can still dump a lot of water.

Make sure where ever you invest, to double-check that flood insurance isn't mandatory for that property. And if it is, then you should have your answer :)

That all being said, I am also looking at Savannah for investment properties. It's a lovely town and like you said, its economy is growing. Would love to connect if you'd like to network and swap research!

@Nito Kunda replying to get this thread to move up and see if there are new answers to your questions. Have you found any answers since your post?

@Bruce Woodruff thanks for your quick response! I had a feeling the report isn't easy to obtain. And a valid point on not knowing if they used a bad inspector! Great idea on having a good general contractor walk through the property which would be beneficial before even putting down an offer. Thanks again for your advice!

I'm a new investor and I have seen a few times in the area I'm looking to invest in, homes going into contingency but then being relisted. There is one home in particular that I've been interested in that had this happen (pending/contingency, a week or so later gets relisted, now pending/contingency) but have a feeling their inspection isn't passing (possibly foundation issues which would be good to know upfront). Does anyone know if I would be able to request an inspection report that's been requested by someone else (another potential buyer) but backed out? Is this something that can be looked up (i.e. county records) or is it more of a person gets the inspection and that is a private document? Does the seller get a copy of this inspection report? Would a real estate agent be able to request this documentation for potential buyers?

Totally new to this so would love to understand more of the process with home inspections and what to expect. Thank you!

@Sohel Mahmood I am currently halfway through David Greene's book on investing in out of state property. If you haven't read it, I highly recommend it. It will give you some better insight and give you answers to questions you may have (or answers to questions you didn't even think of!). You can find it through this site here: https://store.biggerpockets.co...
Or Amazon. I'm not affiliated in any way to of this book but thought I'd give you a recommendation that can help! Good luck!

@Lee Hines Thanks for the info!

New investor here, looking for my first rental property in the PHX area (preferably multi-family property or at least zoned that way). So far I've been looking at Camelback East Village and some areas of Uptown. Basically everyone has told me to not go south of Thomas Rd...Even south of Indian School Rd can be a bit iffy, depending on the block. Did a little tour when I was out there in early June and I can see what you mean about the extreme differences between adjacent blocks.

I hear Coronado and Garfield districts are "up and coming" but I'm not sure if I want to wait for that switch.

Also looking at Tempe and Mesa but just started searching over there.

What are your thoughts @Quintin Johnson ?

This is incredible advice! 

I'm just starting out as an investor and have only just realized how invaluable it is to have people on your team that are FULL TIME at these particular skills/jobs. I think a lot of us newbies don't grasp how you can't (and shouldn't!) do it all on your own. It's a waste of energy, time and money (which usually goes hand-in-hand). 

Think like a business. Even if you own your own business, it's silly and counterproductive to do everything (and you'll be out of business in no time). That's why companies hire staff that excel in one part of the industry because it will make them more money and quicker! Invest in a team and everyone will reap the rewards!

@Nathan Gesner Thank you so much for this list! As a first time investor, seeing this listed out makes the process look a little less daunting. Besides having your financials reigned in, I think setting a goal is the best thing to do when first starting out!