All Forum Posts by: Cherise Bentosino

@Chris Park

Rented with pets for many years in California and Florida. Definitely check any breed restrictions for your area or insurance policies. As for costs, I was charged $500 deposit for a first pet ($250 for second) and a monthly pet rent of $10-25. In the fourplex I lived in, the owner was extra awesome and provided poop bags and a small separate waster container. You can get hundreds of these bags for less than a monthly pet rent. And emptying the container once a week is easy just before garbage pick-up day.

Best of luck!

 LoL! Exactly what every young college student desires. Speaking of college, I'm looking at possibly attending college with my GI Bill. Do you have any experience with veterans utilizing GI Bill entitlements (notably the housing allowance) as income when applying for financing?

After reading 7 Profitable Side Hustles in Real Estate, a lightbulb went off saying, "I have a computer. I'm tech savvy. I have a reliable mode of transportation. I'm organized and motivated. And I'm a quick learner. I can do this!"

I want to generate more income to use for either a down payment or rehab costs. I'm saving about 30% of my full-time job income (which should bump to almost 50% in a few months) and hustling around as a rideshare driver, but I'd really like the opportunity to continue earning money without the added costs of gas, car maintenance, etc.

Does anyone have suggestions or advice for a newbie investor on becoming a virtual assistant? Are there any red flags or major pitfalls I should look out for as I proceed? Do you know anyone who is in need of someone performing "busy" work to help their REI business grow?

@Tchaka Owen thank you for the suggestions! What got you into REI and what's bringing you back to Fl and IN? I'm looking at Broward and Palm Beach counties as potential markets. Within them, what sort of growth and changes have you seen?

@Ismael Reyes thanks for the welcome! I’m looking at central Florida as another market when my service contract is over in a couple of years. What’s brought you up there from south Florida?

Hello BP community!

I'm new to real estate and Florida, all the way from California's SF Bay Area. Over the last few months, I've been hanging around the forums, attended a few webinars, and recently signed up for PRO. I've read several books, including Brandon's book on Rental Property Investing, David's BRRRR and Long-Distance REI books, J Scott's book on Estimating Rehab Costs, the ever famous Rich Dad Poor Dad, and am currently mowing my way through Richest Man in Babylon. Got any more reading recommendations? Please let me know!

My current goal is to build my network and connect with talented, savvy, and like-minded people. Due to my profession as an aircraft mechanic, I consider myself "handy" and able to quickly learn how to utilize various tools and techniques for repairs and maintenance. If any DIY folk in the South Florida areas need an extra set of hands and boots on the ground, I welcome the opportunity to help you!

Within six to eight months, my goal is to buy a decent turnkey 3/2 or 4/2 SFH, using the house hacking strategy with my VA loan entitlement. For the year I'd be occupying the property, I'd make as many low cost rehabs to increase appreciation. Ideally, my PITI will be around $1800 with a 20-30% increase for CapEx, Vacancy, etc expenses, and cash flow >$200/mo. Of course, that might be a tall order for South Florida, but I'm a believer and do-er.

Let's connect!

Hi @Vanesa Gonzalez! Thank you! I'd love to hear about your real estate investing endeavors and any insights you have, so please feel free to message me.

@Doug Steinberg thanks for the welcome! Great recommendations. I’ve already read both books and am about to finish J Scott’s Estimating Rehab Costs. Rich Dad Poor Dad is also in the queue.

Good luck working toward your license! Let’s talk more real estate stuff. Message me!

@Makenzi Capezza What's the condition of the subfloor, underlayment and joists? I've helped demo/install flooring for an in-law suite. The subfloor and some joists were a little warped because of poor ventilation and oddly heavy furniture (previous tenant had installed a lot of gym equipment and climbing walls), which made aligning some of the planks tricky but not overly difficult.

@Pat L. thanks for the vote of confidence in the Coast Guard! There's a good handful of Coasties who are also investors, so most of us understand the value of being a good tenant.