All Forum Posts by: Ben Rice

@J. Martin

Thanks for your response! I'll be sure to check out posts from those other members that you suggested.

When I click on your link to the post that you mentioned, it just takes me to your profile and it says your profile is hidden. Do you have a direct link to the post?

Congrats on being able to quit your day job! That is the dream. Mind if I private message you to hear more about it?

Hey All!

This is a 2 pronged question. I live in the SF Bay Area and get frustrated listening to the podcasts. Most of the guests either started 20 years ago, or lucked out and were in a position to start when the economy tanked in 2008. Or live and invest in areas where real estate is "cheap" compared to what we have to work with in the Bay Area. So my question is have there been any podcasts that touch on either of these points? If not, are there any new-ish Bay Area investors that wouldn't mind chatting about their journey? And also anyone that fits into what I am describing if you could share your success stories here?

@Brandon Turner - Any chance you might have a guest in the near future that fits the description above? I enjoyed listening to Dave's story the other day, but again he got his start when the market was down and in a cheaper area.

Thanks all!

What are the best resources to determine the trend of a housing market over the last few years and project into the near future?

@Arlen Chou - Haha yes $800k ~ $1Mil to me, at this point. Just starting out.

$500k and under is more in my ballpark. Do you have any personal success stories that you could share, buying in the East Bay?

Hey Sean,

Thanks for the response. Basically I live very close to work and enjoy the neighborhood and geographic location of where I live. If I were to look into buying a duplex on the Peninsula it would run you over $1 Mil. I currently pay $2495/month in rent. The general idea that I would be going for is purchasing a small SFH in the East Bay, or somewhere not TOO far away that I can actually afford and rent that out for hopefully at least a modest cash flow. So the play would be some cash flow and holding the property long term for appreciation as well. Because other than that, it doesn't appear that any other strategy is super realistic for someone like me starting out who doesn't have a ton of capital.

Hi All,

I've been on the blogs and podcasts for a bit here and most of what is discussed is deals and strategies in the midwest and other areas where things are significantly cheaper than where I live, the San Francisco Bay Area. I would love to hear some success stories of the approach I am now considering.

Originally I would have wanted to buy a Duplex, live in one side and rent out the other. But to buy a duplex on the Peninsula is over a million dollars. Now I am considering finding a SFH at a more affordable price, possibly in the East Bay as strictly an investment. Renting that out and stay renting where I am now. Curious if anyone else has used this strategy in the Bay Area. All stories, comments and input are appreciated!

Yeah absolutely. Thanks for the encouragement Garrett.

I am currently renting one side of a duplex here in the San Francisco Bay Area. I'm basically on the flip side of the exact situation I want to be in. I'd be very happy owning the duplex and renting out the other side. My landlord also has a garage that her son lives in. Curious if anyone on BP has ever bought the house that they were renting and what that process was like. Do you think it's something I could approach her with at some point? She is an older woman, around 60, who is retired. But I could tell online that she bought the house back in 2011 for $650k. So even though I'm sure she's comfortable in the current situation, she would stand to make a nice chunk of change on the appreciation and could probably find a small condo for half that amount. Any and all thoughts/comments are appreciated!

Yeah, the group is Marshall-Reddick. Basically leveraging their network and connections. Looking at potentially investing out of state. 

I went to my first REI meetup tonight. It was hosted by a REI Firm. Some of the content I already knew from my time here on BiggerPockets and some was new info. They make their commisions from the Seller and their agents all have rentals of their own. It sort of seems like a win-win for a newer investor like me. Are there any upsides/downsides to using a REI firm?