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All Forum Posts by: Brandon Collins

Brandon Collins has started 10 posts and replied 33 times.

Quote from @Hamp Lee III:

In my market, I search for homes $200K that have been on the market for over 90 days. Most in my market are priced a little under however, but I start here because there are some higher priced properties that need updating. And maybe I can offer a little less than asking based on estimated maintenance, etc. I typically want to offer at or below 70% of the ARV…or at least start there.

You can also run a search for “investors,” “investor special.”

I hope this helps.

I wish you all the best.

Thank you for the advice. I'll give that a shot and see how it goes.

I recently got my real estate license and now have access to the MLS for my area. What is the best way to find the "Handyman Specials" using the MLS/

Quote from @Brooklyn McCarty:

You don’t need your real estate license to find flips. Driving for dollars, checking listings that have been listed for 100+ days, etc are ways to find deals too 


I would do your due diligence. Make sure STR is allowed there. What are the regulations and permits like?

I have no idea, I’ve just started looking into it. I know I don’t need my real estate license just like I don’t need my bachelors degree to sell cars lol but it doesn’t hurt
Quote from @Colin Higgins:
Quote from @Brandon Collins:

Hello everyone, I recently got my real estate license to have access to the MLS to flip properties, but now I'm considering keeping the fixer uppers I find and renting them out as short term vacation rentals. Because I am in Lakeland Florida, I thought this would be the perfect place since we are directly inbetween Orlando and Tamp. What should I look for, lookout for, and/or consider when buying properties for this purpose?

As I learn more about this crazy state, SINK HOLES, always get your inspections done. Just had to plug that real quick, as far as investments and STR you can do more research but Orlando has really cracked down on STRs that aren't owner occupied. However a great historic city to the north of Orlando is Sanford. I am moving there myself and cannot get enough of it, the town is growing fast, has a largest tourist industry, and very Air BnB friendly. Many of the homes are older and will need renovations but the opportunity is there.
Thank you for the advice. I’m very familiar with Sanford. OK I’m not very familiar with Sanford but I used to go to the Barn there every Thursday night when I was at UCF Lol. I’m going to stick to investing local until I get a firm grasp on what I’m doing.

Hello everyone, I recently got my real estate license to have access to the MLS to flip properties, but now I'm considering keeping the fixer uppers I find and renting them out as short term vacation rentals. Because I am in Lakeland Florida, I thought this would be the perfect place since we are directly inbetween Orlando and Tamp. What should I look for, lookout for, and/or consider when buying properties for this purpose?

Post: Find the $$$ or the Deal First?

Brandon CollinsPosted
  • Posts 33
  • Votes 6
Quote from @Lydia R.:
Quote from @Brandon Collins:
Quote from @Lydia R.:

It sounds like you need to meet some hard money lenders. You didnt really specify what your exit strategy was, so I assume it's flipping. Please correct me if that's not the case. Hard money lenders will give you the financial backing you need to close deals quickly. Most HMLs can find a deal in 10 days with clear title. Trying to get bank financing will take forever, not to mention you'll have to submit the same docs 18 times because they will lose them. Also, if you are pursuing REO properties, the condition of the property might give you leverage to get a great price but that same deteriorated condition means that a bank won't offer financing because the property is uninhabitable at the time of closing. Find yourself a good hard money lender and establish a relationship. Leverage the fact that you have a 9-5 job.

Yes! That is exactly what I need. I just wasn’t sure if I needed to find the deal for first or try to touch base with some hard money lenders first with nothing in hand but a plan.

 You can always talk to hard money lenders. Plan or no plan. Talk to more than one and determine who has the best rates and terms etc. You are going to pay a little more because you have no experience but after a few deals and they know you know what you're doing the terms get a lot more favorable because you are no longer a high risk.

That leads me to my next question, where do I find hard money lenders? Can I find them on here by just creating a post and saying here I am I need money? Lol.

Post: Find the $$$ or the Deal First?

Brandon CollinsPosted
  • Posts 33
  • Votes 6
Quote from @Douglas Mallett:
Some thoughts...

Reading books is never a waste of time.

You can have a broker add you to the MLS search engine for property search returns, and you will get the data just as quickly as a broker. 4 minutes - or 400 - will not make or break a deal here.

If you have a good agent, you can see properties ASAP.

If you are licensed, you have legal and professional obligations that may burden you as an investor.

When you sign a contract with enough meat on the bone, the money will come to you, fast - even if you have a tiny network.

If you have no network, make one - the instructions are just a click away.

If you can find sellers, you can make enough money wholesaling to get yourself where this post begins - with you financing a deal all by yourself.

Bonus points: you are now talking to - and perhaps pals with - investors that have money and experience.

What's not to love about that?

If I had to advise family on this, I would easily say the following:

Forget the license - it's ballast, a millstone.

Toss the crappy podcasts - they are actively harming you. 

Start working your search, and don't stop until a deal shows up.

Find investors and make a private network.

Become an investor yourself.

Here is a question for you:

Which is easier - making flipping podcasts, or actually flipping?

Find the investors, and lose the pontificators.

All the best!

Thank you for the time that you spent explaining this to me. I really do appreciate all the advice I can get. The only podcast I listen to is bigger pockets and I’m on episode 75 lol. I started at the very beginning and trying to get up to where they are now which is like episode 700 so I have a ways to go lol, and this isn’t something I just decided to do last night I’ve been prepping for about a year now and I am finally in the financial position where I can afford to take some risks. That doesn’t mean I want to be reckless but now that I’m no longer living paycheck to paycheck  I can branch out. And I don’t know anyone who has time to read these days lol I listen to audiobooks while I drive and while I work out, mow the lawn etc… Any chance I get. 

Post: Find the $$$ or the Deal First?

Brandon CollinsPosted
  • Posts 33
  • Votes 6
Quote from @Bob Stevens:
Quote from @Brandon Collins:

My goal is to Flip REO's and in the next 5 years become good enough to do it full time and quit my job. I would like to buy and hold also but that will have to wait until I am making enough money flipping.


Why are you limiting your source? Why do you pnly want to flip REO's and not just flip anything that makes sense? I have flipped about 500 in the Cleveland markets, maybe a handful were REO'S. I will flip about 20 over the next month, SF MF, none are REO'S . Stop reading books. How are you going to get them, not easy and with no experience well..... Stop making it more difficult than it has to be. Deals are everywhere, I get 20 a week sent to me,

Good Luck  

I picked REOs because they are straightforward and I don’t have to try to contact a private owner or what have you and deal with the headache of them backing out at the last second or whatever the thousand other variables could be. I figured I would start off with one specific goal, and as I accumulated experience and knowledge I would branch out from there 

Post: Find the $$$ or the Deal First?

Brandon CollinsPosted
  • Posts 33
  • Votes 6
Quote from @Lydia R.:

It sounds like you need to meet some hard money lenders. You didnt really specify what your exit strategy was, so I assume it's flipping. Please correct me if that's not the case. Hard money lenders will give you the financial backing you need to close deals quickly. Most HMLs can find a deal in 10 days with clear title. Trying to get bank financing will take forever, not to mention you'll have to submit the same docs 18 times because they will lose them. Also, if you are pursuing REO properties, the condition of the property might give you leverage to get a great price but that same deteriorated condition means that a bank won't offer financing because the property is uninhabitable at the time of closing. Find yourself a good hard money lender and establish a relationship. Leverage the fact that you have a 9-5 job.

Yes! That is exactly what I need. I just wasn’t sure if I needed to find the deal for first or try to touch base with some hard money lenders first with nothing in hand but a plan.

Post: Find the $$$ or the Deal First?

Brandon CollinsPosted
  • Posts 33
  • Votes 6

My goal is to Flip REO's and in the next 5 years become good enough to do it full time and quit my job. I would like to buy and hold also but that will have to wait until I am making enough money flipping.