All Forum Posts by: Andrew Thomas

I have lived in Cartersville for almost 20 years. Of course, since many families have been here since before the "War of Northern Aggression", that means I'm still a newcomer to the area. :) lol

At this point, I don't have any REI other than my residence, but have been following the market closely since January when I decided to begin RE investing. Based on what I have seen, and more importantly, feedback from an experienced Realtor / investor in the area, vacancy turns quickly. I think 8% / one month per year should be plenty for most property types. With 3/2 blue-collar type SFH, I think it would be lower than that, as they will often stay longer than one year.

This area has a strong blue-collar labor market. Bartow County is bisected by I-75, on the corridor between Chattanooga, TN, and Atlanta. We are approximately 1/2 way between the two, so transportation / distribution is a large job market. Additionally, NW Georgia is home to many flooring companies, and other manufacturing industries.

We are close enough for people to drive to Atlanta for high-paying jobs, and far enough away that property isn't TOO expensive. Property appreciation values have increased over 11%, and population has increased over 4% the past decade. Median house prices are $165k+. I have found it challenging to fit the 1% rental rule for new on-market purchases, but if you can find off-market, fixers, or if you have owned the property for a while, you have a good chance to get 1% rent. 

Let me know if you ever need "eyes / boots on the ground" in Bartow County or contiguous counties. I'm a new investor, and am ready, willing, and able to help and learn. I can take photos/videos, work on comps, help you find local vendors, etc. 

Great idea! I think it shows you care about the tenant, and the larger community / neighborhood enough to do more than say, "sorry, tough luck..." It may help reduce your property insurance premiums, and if your current tenant decides to stay, it also reduces one of the biggest costs of rental property... the vacancy / turnover cost.

Getting a lot of ideas from this thread. 

Thank you for the suggestions and ideas. My investments are going to be primarily blue-collar residences, so I plan to allow dogs in my SFH rentals, when possible. (I don't yet own any investment properties, aside from my personal residence, which I plan to turn into a rental, and planning to purchase my first investment property this year).

I'm not really an "animal" person, but having a wife and kids, we have three dogs, a 12 y.o. cocker spaniel, and two 2 month old mutt puppies. Since I can't "evict"... I'm beginning to think I need to install LVP, and charge my wife and kids pet rent.  :) lol 

I live near Cartersville, and I think the 3/2 idea would be popular for the area. 

Welcome to BP.  :)

My thought would be the bathroom. It already has the same number of bedrooms as the "comps" across the street.

However, I'm a newbie, and don't have any REI of my own yet. Am in the "pre-approval application" stage. Therefore, please take what I say with 1/2 a grain of salt. :) lol

Just wanted to comment because I'm in the metro ATL market, and plan to BRRRR myself, so I'm learning.

@Prabesh Giri I also invest in the market, and plan to use some of those funds for my first BRRRR deal. My thoughts are if you are constantly and consistently working on your investment accounts, depending on your strategy, you will build up a "slush fund" available to use when you see a potential BRRRR deal.

"Experts" say that you can't time the market. I'm not trading the market, just specific stocks. I can time when i buy and sell specific stocks within the market. I use momentum trading, so I'm usually in a stock anywhere from a day to a few months. I think this strategy would work for my REI, because i am not sitting in a stock for decades.

As far as "timing", I do not plan to sell when I find a potential BRRRR, because the stocks "in my garden" at that moment may not be "ripe". Instead, I'm building profits in the account each time i sell at a profit, and those profits are what I plan to use when I find a BRRRR. That also keeps my nest egg available for buying more stocks.

This is not "advice", just commentary on what i do personally. Talk to your CPA, Realtor, broker, doctor, priest, shaman, dietitian, or other professional for guidance on your specific situation... In other words, "don't sue me, bro", to quote Meet Kevin. ☺️

Done! Thank you. :)

NUTS! I just saw this (noon, March 17th).   :'( 

Do you guys have a email list or something? I live here and would like to put your next meeting on my calendar.  

Thank you for the suggestion re: Cozy. I will research their service. Sounds like it has several benefits. 

You seem to have "engineered" several good systems for REI. :)

Thanks again for sharing. I plan to have my first REI property this year, and plan to implement a couple of these ideas. 

I think I remember hearing @Brandon Turner mention a special deal for BiggerPockets on one of the BP podcast. 

Not sure what podcast number it was, but it was probably one of the BRRRR episodes because BRRRR is the main topic I have been learning about on BP so far.

EP: 327, maybe?