All Forum Posts by: Arthur Tolentino

Great post @Alan Asriants. This has been an educational and helpful material. Please continue sharing your stories.

I'm curious what neighborhoods in Philly you have rental property in and what great neighborhoods/zip would you recommend for rental properties.

Hey BP community,

For those who used hard money on their first property—what led you to choose it over traditional financing? How was your experience, and what lessons did you learn? Any advice for someone considering it?

Would love to hear your stories—both wins and challenges!

Quote from @Alan Asriants:

Best Value adds are:

Updated kitchen, updated bathrooms, cosmetic remodels.

Additional bathrooms - finished basement spaces, in unit washer dryer, central air, additions/alterations.

All of those are useless though if your roof is 30 years old, your mechanicals are from pre 1950's, and your home is in dire need to be renovated "behind the walls"

Otherwise the above will increase your value but you will be left with Lipstick on a Pig

Thanks for the great advice, Alan! I'm curious what are some hidden problems (new) investors often miss and what are some key indicators that a property needs more than cosmetic fixes?

Quote from @Account Closed:

Thank you Arthur for posting this. I'm really eager to learn this stuff myself and you've asked some very good questions. I myself am looking to secure my first deal in northern Arizona and look forward to reading the responses from experienced investors here. 

What have you learned so far that you didn't know before? 

I'm wishing you great success Sir! 

Thanks, Chris! Likewise to you. Definitely message me – let's connect and share what we're learning. I've already picked up some great tips, like focusing on operating costs, using comps for ARV, and the unicorn-like nature of good contractors. What are your key takeaways so far?

Steven, I wanted to get your thoughts on a few Philadelphia suburbs based on my buy box. I’m looking for small multi-family homes in the $150k-$250k range, focusing on property appreciation with minimal cash flow to build reserves.

I’ve been considering areas like Fishtown, Somerton, Roxborough, Haverford, Conshohocken, West Norriton, Upper Darby, Lansdale, and Abington. These neighborhoods seem to fit my goals, especially with their lower crime rates and potential for growth.

Do you think these are solid options, or would you recommend other neighborhoods in the Philadelphia area based on the price range and focus on appreciation?

Thanks for all the great insights thus far! I have a follow-up question—what's your advice on maximizing ARV while keeping rehab costs efficient?

Do you have any go-to value-adds that consistently bring the best return? And are there certain rehab projects you avoid unless absolutely necessary?

Also, I've read that aiming for an ARV of around 70-80% is ideal for BRRRR—does that align with your experience? Would love to hear your thoughts!

Thank you @Steven Goldman. 

That makes a lot of sense—value adds really depend on the specific property. I like the idea of focusing on bathrooms, curb appeal, and opening up the kitchen/living space.

I’m definitely working on building a solid team, especially with real estate professionals who understand investor deals. Since you invest in Philly and the surrounding counties, do you have any go-to agents, lenders, or contractors you’ve had good experiences with?

Appreciate the advice and encouragement

Thank you @Shawn Ackerman. I appreciate the detailed breakdown. I’ll definitely look into PropStream and practice running comps myself. That makes sense about sticking to like-kind properties within a recent timeframe and nearby radius.

Luckily, I’m focusing on 2-4 unit properties, so your advice is spot on! Thanks again for the guidance—I’ll keep at it and improve as I go.

Thanks @Greg, that’s really helpful! I hadn’t thought about appealing the assessed value. I’ll message you—I’d love to hear more about your rehab and refinance process. Appreciate it!

Hey BiggerPockets community! I'm new here and about to dive into my first real estate investment. I'm looking at purchasing a small multi-family rental property in the Allentown or Philadelphia area, and I plan to use the BRRRR strategy.

I'm struggling with the best way to analyze potential properties to ensure a solid ARV and would love any advice on effective tools or methods you use. Also, what are some of the most common value-adds that can significantly boost a property's ARV?

Appreciate any tips, insights, or experiences you can share to help guide me through this process!