All Forum Posts by: Uwe G.

Hi @Michael Rutkowski that if a bunch of people saying there is a bubble then that mitigates and deflates it a bit.

Hi @Patrick Wilcox,

I am personally a big fan of Vancouver, WA if you are trying to stay focused on the west coast.  My biggest piece of advice when it comes to picking an area for the longer term would be to pick an area with a growing population, good access to healthcare, a mild climate, and low taxes.  Vancouver, WA fits all of that in my opinion.  So does places in Texas, Nevada, Florida, and Arizona.  There are probably a lot more then just that too.

I am personally hooked more on single families right now because when it comes time to sell, you are selling them to more then investors and can command a price that investors won't be excited about.  But, it really comes down to the deal you are getting.  If you are choosing Vancouver, WA and going the multi-family route I would recommend getting something very close into downtown Vancouver.  A long walk or easy bike ride.

Let me know how I can help you!

@Travis Jones

Welcome to the Portland area.  It is an amazing place to live!  @Jason Powell and @Mathew Wray have given you some really good advice and would echo the same.

I believe the best Portland Area suburb to invest in for the next 20 years is Vancouver, WA (Clark County broadly).  Vancouver will reach parity with Portland and the tax incentives and high quality schools are impossible to ignore.  Jobs are coming in waves...starting with the small to medium sized businesses moving across the boarder. 

Feel free to reach out to me directly as I would love to help you out on a personal level.

Hi @Jon Q.

This is a fascinating topic!  Although I am not highly educated in blockchain I do understand technology very well high level.  I view technology as this massive cycle that repeats itself at a high level.  For example in the concept of computing we go from centralized computing to decentralizing computing throughout time.  For example we went from the Mainframe to the distributed PC then to the Cloud and now to Blockchain.  I have over simplified this but essentially we are seeing how the benefits shift from centralized computing to decentralized computing and the reverse throughout time.  It is fascinating to see how the incremental advancements of software, hardware, and network connectivity work together to create these shifts.

Now onto to addressing your question.  I like the concept of Blockchain and believe that it will disrupt the real estate industry at some point in the future.  I view it as a massive cost reduction and automation technology.  I would look to where we can cut costs in real estate and automate certain things.

1.  Can we use blockchain to get rid of paperwork (and automate) for buying and selling real estate?

2.  Can we use blockchain to get rid of paperwork (and automate) for the mortgage or commercial loan process?

I hope this commentary is relevant and would be curious to learn more.

@Jesse Rivera:  Looking forward to it!!!

@Mike D'Arrigo,

For those folks that are:

• 1099 contractors (service oriented i.e. consultants)
• work from home/remote (was me until recently)
• Work in Vancouver but live in Portland or Portland Suburb
• Semi-retired with pretty good passive incomes, 401K/IRA disbursements, pensions, etc...

Given the limits on itemizing State Income Taxes and the fact that Oregon has around a 10% income tax and Washington has 0%.  Depending on how you file and your income you won't get that huge federal tax deduction when itemizing (that standard deduction for married went up to 24K).  Also, property values are cheaper as well as property taxes.  So, if someone wants to receive most of the benefits Portland offers they can live in Vancouver, WA and be smart about taxes.  I feel it is something people should at least think about.  Full disclaimer I am not saying Vancouver is as cool as inner Portland but if someone is choosing to live in a Portland suburb....they should definitely at least think about selecting Vancouver.

@Chris Shepard, 

I am with a property management company up in Clark County (Vancouver, WA).  Do you do anything up in Clark County?  We are always looking to work with investors and assist with leasing and property management as needed.  We specialize in single families and smaller multi-families.

Hi @Leigh Talbott!  Welcome to the BP.  I am relatively new to BP from an activity standpoint.  I recently became a full time real estate professional as well.  

I agree with @Mike D'Arrigo and @Brian Hughes.  I am personally and very biased about Vancouver, WA but I think it is worth it to check it out in person.  The recent tax law changes will accelerate the move for a lot of folks from Portland to move up to Vancouver, WA.  We help investors on the acquisition and property management.  Feel free to reach out to me for any advice you may need with no strings attached.  Best of luck!

Hi @James G.

I have formulated a couple rules I follow:

1.  If I am going to live in a house, buy it with an investor mentality.  Buy it at a cap rate that gives at least a 1% (hopefully 2%) spread between the fixed mortgage rate and the calculated cap rate (if you were to rent it to someone).  This will allow the individual buying the house mobility in case they need to move.  Factor in all your costs including maintenance, vacancy, and property management.

2.  Double check that you can't rent for significantly less in the market you are buying in

3.  Don't sacrifice on location when it comes to school districts, proximity to jobs, and crime rates

If someone can find something that meets that criteria I would have a hard time telling them not to buy the house.  I think for someone getting started single family houses make perfect investments if they are bought at the right price.  I also agree that if you want to scale as a professional investor that buying larger apartments will offer better returns.  Also, the commercial lending aspects make it easier to grow since the property should finance itself after the down payment.

Hi @Janis A.

Congrats on getting all organized on the financial front.  I agree with everyone on this thread that deals are tougher to find at the moment.  My personal view point is to be patient, persistent and optimistic.  There will always be deals but I agree it takes a little more time to find them these days.  My first question to you would be what Cap Rate and what price range are you looking for?  I try and target a 6% cap rate for single family homes in my market but I am having a hard time finding those at the moment.