All Forum Posts by: Cory Cheramie

Hey @Braden Smith, thanks for the input. Like I said, almost all of the feedback I've heard about Civicsource is negative, so that's pretty telling. Since I'm new to real estate investing, I liked the idea of adjudicated property investing because it would allow me to start small, with limited funds. But it seems I may need to explore other options...

Also, as a side note, I really enjoy reading your posts - you seem to have extensive knowledge on the local market here, and I've learned quite a bit from your contributions on BP and the "New Orleans Metro Realtor Mastermind" Facebook page. My wife and I are both new agents (we just started with the family business, based in Belle Chasse), so we appreciate the opportunity to get an experienced perspective like yours!

Hey everyone, I am a real estate agent in New Orleans, but I am relatively new to the investing side of things, so I am hoping that someone can help me understand this particular topic a bit better...

I am looking to invest in adjudicated properties in New Orleans through CivicSource, which I understand is supposed to be safer than investing in tax certificates or liens, since the adjudicated properties are advertised as being sold with clear title and title insurance.

I've read quite a few negative articles from around the time the city starting using CivicSource back in 2015, so I'm wondering if anyone has any recent positive experience with this type of investing? Are adjudicated property investments really as "safe" as CivicSource and the city advertise them to be?

Any input is greatly appreciated!

Nathan, welcome to BP! My wife and I took the same approach that you're interested in. We're both from the New Orleans area, but we had been working corporate jobs in Houston for the past few years. We recently decided to move back to join her family's real estate business (based in Belle Chasse) as agents, so we bought a duplex in Lakeview that had just gone through succession and needed some work. We spent several months renovating as we prepared to leave our jobs in Houston, and finished up everything just in time to move! The home had long-term tenants in one half when we bought it, and we actually worked around them for the renovations. Now we live in the other side, and the rental income more than covers our mortgage payment. I'd be happy to discuss with you in more detail, just send me a message. You'll love New Orleans!

Hey everyone, I'm Cory Cheramie, a new member from New Orleans!  My wife and I recently left our corporate finance jobs and relocated from Houston to pursue our interest in real estate investing. I've technically been a member of BP since December 2016, but between the constant travel with my previous job (auditor) and planning our move, I haven't been active on the site... time to change that!

My wife and I are in the process of wrapping up our first rehab project, a shotgun double in the Lakeview area. This property will actually serve as our first investment as well as our primary residence while we establish ourselves. Managing the project while living in Houston was a challenge, but we learned A LOT, and we're eager to start our next project!

We're open to exploring different options, but as of now, our primary interests are in small multi-family properties and generating long-term passive income.  Additionally, we are both licensed real estate agents working on expanding our family's brokerage into New Orleans proper (the brokerage is currently focused on the West Bank market area).

We are looking forward to networking with other investors in the area, joining the community, and learning as much as possible! Any advice / support for a couple of newbies is MUCH appreciated! :)

-Cory C.