All Forum Posts by: Holly Baldwin

@Nikki Jacob

Not long ago, I was trying to decide which part of real estate to get into. Like you, I was considering getting an appraiser's license. Then I stumbled upon the following forum post:

http://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/48/topics/72268-is-it-worth-it-to-become-a-re-appraiser

I think it holds some valid points and you should read it. I ultimately chose to get my real estate license here in Utah and am now in school currently and loving it! Like @Jordan Meyer mentioned above, however, getting one's license here in Utah seems to be a little more costly than other states and requires more school hours than some states I have seen too.

You have to decide what is best for you and your goals, however. So dig into some past forums, and listen to podcasts in order to help you decide.

Good luck!

Welcome @Matthew Perry!

I see you are from Prescott, AZ. I LOVE Prescott! My hubby and I used to live in the west side of Phoenix valley and we would always travel to Prescott for just mini getaways. Many good memories there!

Is your first duplex in Arizona as well? I rent out my former residence there in Surprise, AZ. So far it is working out well.

Welcome to BP and enjoy interacting with so many others interested in real estate! It sorta becomes addicting!

Welcome to BP @Nikki Jacob !

I, too, live near you and am currently a stay at home mom. This is such a cool site and I have learned a ton from it and so will you! Make sure you keep diving into the forum posts and making comments and asking questions.....I've found you learn more when you do that.

Hope to meet you at the SLREIA meetings.....I am going to join that in January. Good luck!

Welcome, my fellow Utahn, to BP! Hope you find much education and success.

I wish I had read RICH DAD POOR DAD by Robert Kiyosaki when I was 15! How differently my life would have been. Although it doesn't stress the topic of marketing, per se, the lessons about Assets vs. Liabilities and Income vs. Expenses will set him on the right course for life.

Way to raise a son that is ready to influence his future at such a young age!

nevermind....I just answered my own question. Thanks again Brandon!

Ok great! thanks Brandon! Since I accidentally pushed the vote button on someone else's post, I was worried. But now I am not!

You mentioned I have 3 votes now. Is there a way to track who clicked those vote buttons on my posts or what posts received those?

Thanks so much!

Sorta new here.....what is the "VOTE" button for? I accidentally clicked it on someone else's post and I don't know how to undo that, let alone what it is even for? HELP?

Hi Dana,

Your problem isn't a new one by any means! The good news is that you are starting in RE at a young age. Wish I would have! The not so good news is that lending can be a little more tricky now than it used to be. Getting your credit score higher will help for sure, plus a larger down payment than you currently have saved. Here is a link to a blog that I have subscribed to that will help you a great deal. It is actually the blog that made me aware of Bigger Pocket's existence! This particular link is all about increasing your credit score.

http://www.goodfinancialcents.com/build-your-credit/

Here are some other tips that I think you should do, but there are more than 1 way to skin a cat, as they say:

First, you need to get in touch with a mortgage lender (or several!) and get the nitty gritties of what you are going to need for traditional financing, if that is the route you choose. Get educated first!

Next, are you currently working while going to school? Is the $3,500 the only savings you have or do you have personal savings and this $3,500 is just for real estate investing? (If it is the only savings you have, I would suggest not investing at all until you have a much bigger personal emergency fund for yourself. Then, on top of that, I would have an emergency fund for your investing too because things can and do go wrong. Trust me on that one!)

Third, if the traditional lending routes cannot help you right now due to your low credit score, lack of capital, and student loan debt, start searching on this BP site to learn about how to invest when you have lack of capital.....like using hard money lenders, for example.

Good luck and keep us posted on how it goes!

@Account Closed

Just like everyone has said previously, your VA loan is only good at first with owner occupied, but you can turn it into a rental after you have lived there for the required amount of years.

For example, my husband and I were stationed at Luke AFB in the West Valley of Phoenix and we lived there for 2 years and then my husband got out of active duty and got a civilian job in Utah. Since we lived in the Phoenix home for at least 2 years, we were able to turn it into a rental. We streamlined the loan and have a property management company manage it for us. Then we bought our current home here in Utah with a conventional mortgage. Our VA loan is still tied up in the Phoenix property until we refinance out of it or sell the property, but in my opinion, we wouldn't have been able to do the deal without the VA loan! So there are advantages even though you have to occupy it for the 2 years. (check that ruling as the # of years required for owner occupation may have changed).

Good luck and thanks for your service! :)