All Forum Posts by: Chris Collins

Hey there everybody,

Do you have a recommendation for lenders in the Pittsburgh area who are friendly to freelance professionals? My wife works a traditional W-2 job, but I receive a plethora of 1099s and W-2s from all the different freelance jobs I do in the film industry. We both have credit scores above 800 and have plenty of reserves. We do write off much of our 1099 income, but most of that is depreciation.

We have been preapproved, but based on how much back and forth I’ve had with lenders through this process I am worried about underwriting in escrow. We’re looking for a lender who is able to think outside the box and ask all the right questions up front. We have a thorough loan packet with a description of our work history and financial situation on the cover letter. Any help would be much appreciated!

Thanks @Rick Martin.  Good call on throwing a demo reel together.  I actually already own a gimbal to get steadicam type shots, and I have easy access to a high quality drone.  

I can certainly shoot and edit footage of properties, but I also see value in interviews so a company can get their message across to potential investors, sellers, or even tenants in some circumstances.  I find that a quick video can really draw people in, particularly in covid times when in person meetings aren't always possible.  Pitch videos for television shows are all the rage these days as a way of getting your personality across before the inevitable awkward Zoom meeting.  I just did one for Seth Rogen's company.  Maybe I'm barking up the wrong tree, but I think it could work for real estate companies as well.  Let me know if you can think of anyone who might be interested.  I also look forward to learning more about underwriting, due diligence, and raising capital from anyone and everyone who is willing to shed light on their processes.

Do you need video production for your Los Angeles commercial multi family real estate company? I am a cinematographer who fell into house hacking and is hoping to add value to an investor’s business by shooting videos in exchange for insight into commercial multi-family deals and management. My goal is to invest in several small value-add commercial multi-family properties out of state over the next 3-5 years. Let’s have a coffee or a beer and see if we might be of value to each other. You can see some of my work at the link below. Thanks!

www.chriscollinsdp.com

@Jesse Krall message sent

Hey Virgilio! I'm in the same boat, although I'm not limiting myself to BRRRRs.  Will message you.

Hey Jesse,

I'm from Los Angeles, and I'm on the hunt for my first Pittsburgh property.  What draws me to Pittsburgh is the substantial increase in median income over the past 20 years, low median housing price, and a hunch that the coming years are going to be good for the main job sectors (healthcare, education, and tech).  Also, everyone I know who has gone to Pittsburgh for the first time in the past 5-10 years is pleasantly surprised by the city.  The taxes are unfortunate, but I'm used to it! I have a local agent/investor who has been helping me vet properties, and I'm looking to meet many more.  The plan is to pick up several 2-4s over the next 2-3 years to get a feel for the market on the way up to mid size residential or mixed use.  Holler if you have anything or want to talk!

Does anybody in Los Angeles have a hardscape contractor you would recommend?  I need to break up an old patio, level, lay drainage, and resurface with some other masonry patch work.  Looking to expand the network.  Thanks in advance!

I have been having problems with the BP fix and flip calculator exporting the rehab cost details to PDF.  I use the advanced feature to break down rehab costs by category, but all the costs show up as "misc" when exporting to PDF.  What am I doing wrong?  Has anybody else experienced this issue?  Thanks in advance!

@Jon Schwartz that map is waaaaaaaay better than city data! You must spend a lot of time in a dark room putting images together, huh ;)

Can I buy the rest of it off you for a 12 pack?

What parts of LA county are you legally able to rent an ADU on AirBNB without restrictions?