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All Forum Posts by: Chris Blackburn

Chris Blackburn has started 39 posts and replied 174 times.

Post: Building 20 units next to a university

Chris Blackburn
Posted
  • Developer
  • Salem, OR
  • Posts 183
  • Votes 108

Stay away from 3 bedrooms.   Check the vacancy-  1 bedrooms are always in demand.   Your cost of $60,000 a door seems low.  (based on my area).   Is that taking in soft costs as well.  What is the parking situation?

Post: Best alternative to CoStar

Chris Blackburn
Posted
  • Developer
  • Salem, OR
  • Posts 183
  • Votes 108

Michael- I have thought about putting together a competition version of Costar. They have a monopoly and are allowed to charge any price for data. %80 of commercial property is typically represented by %20 of the brokers- Just call those direct and you have data on %80 of the market. Offer free services or models of sharing that data to other brokers at a price that do not equate to highway robbery. Also connect the local MLS to the commercial version of this on an easy to use platform. Once you start to make a dent in CoStar's membership they will either buy you out or sue you. Hopefully the first one.

Post: Rent Controls - Statewide - These people are insane

Chris Blackburn
Posted
  • Developer
  • Salem, OR
  • Posts 183
  • Votes 108

We have not seen anything yet! Please do yourself a favor and DO NOT READ "The Coddling of the American Mind" What we have coming in our future is very concerning. Very little balance from the newly minted academia. If you love a challenge (you invest in real estate), this will be a great one. I have read the suggested (noosely, I mean loosely) rent control items- we have never done any of these to our tenants. How about if you want to follow the State mandated rent control- that they do not raise your property taxes? I guess if they make it harder- there will be less competition. Sorry for the downer- I still live in America and it amazes me how many opportunities are still open to every. I am grateful for what is here and hope to make it better. I am going to get back to work and find my next project! (High end tiny home Resort/RV park STR- from a converted/preserved golf course in wine country)

Post: Starting an RV Park: How much is an on site sewage treatment plant?

Chris Blackburn
Posted
  • Developer
  • Salem, OR
  • Posts 183
  • Votes 108

The Advantex system can be used for larger installations-  (We are using them for some very small lots and the smaller units are approved for Oregon.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McnGleu0ru0

Post: STR's, tiny homes and a starting a tiny home community (Oregon)?

Chris Blackburn
Posted
  • Developer
  • Salem, OR
  • Posts 183
  • Votes 108

What's old is new?

Here is more information on the subject

Container homes / Apartments https://indiedwell.com Idaho and now Colorado https://www.relevantbuildings.com/ (thank you  @JayHinrichs)

https://www.ktvz.com/news/new-se-bend-housing-to-m...

Hiatus   Looks like these guys are using a tiny home builder out of Albany Oregon  Tiny smart homes https://www.tinysmarthouse.com

There is a RV model tiny home community in Salem  (Off the freeway) 

https://www.hopevalleyresorts.com

Note: I am not affiliated with any of these- Just looking for a potential model.

What may work is a RV Resort featuring STR tiny homes. Need to find one of these near a cute downtown (hard to find) or winery.

Post: STR's, tiny homes and a starting a tiny home community (Oregon)?

Chris Blackburn
Posted
  • Developer
  • Salem, OR
  • Posts 183
  • Votes 108

Very nice- I really think there is  need and your price point would work for someone who does not feel they need excess material items or live in a large footprint.

Post: Any advice investing in raw land?

Chris Blackburn
Posted
  • Developer
  • Salem, OR
  • Posts 183
  • Votes 108

Our AG agricultural land is pretty restrictive.  They do allow (Oregon/Marion county specifically) a farm stand use, Ag storage, even tractor sales, nursery, farm.  Water can be an issue- but you would be amazed at what passes for a farm stand- (Full grocery store at one site).  Oregon is pretty restrictive on AG land.  I would be looking at something in the urban growth boundary, otherwise it could be a long wait.

Post: STR's, tiny homes and a starting a tiny home community (Oregon)?

Chris Blackburn
Posted
  • Developer
  • Salem, OR
  • Posts 183
  • Votes 108

Toying around with the idea of starting a smaller STR-(tiny home on foundation) community in Oregon. (Salem, McMinnville, Silverton, Sisters, Dundee, Bend, Pacific City, Neskowin) (Suggestions?). (There is one in bend- but they are selling the lots) Pretty cool, 500+/- sq ft with a lot of common area. Look at/ Google 8 Hiatus Cottage, Bend, OR 97702. I have considered ordering 10-12 different models of larger tiny homes so people could try before they buy and enjoy some of the great small towns in the Willamette Valley. Essentially these would be built on commercial property and zoned as a hotel for compliance or- If I can find it- Zone as a RV park. The density could be 20 units per acre (less since it needs to have common space). I think it would be a mix and match of stick built tiny homes and some of the nicer models of the THOW- (Extra wide- 1 move) and maybe some of the prefabs- Think- idea box- (in salem oregon), Stillwater Design, Method. This would really help these companies as well- letting their customers experience what life in a small home is like. Given the right venue- it would be a very positive experience. No business plan fully vetted- A well run STR project could product great returns if it was well managed and designed. Hit me with any of your suggestions, comments or opinions or ways to improve the idea. I like the synergy of of supporting our wine industry, building industry, tourism industry and making Oregon a better experience for everyone.

Post: Any advice investing in raw land?

Chris Blackburn
Posted
  • Developer
  • Salem, OR
  • Posts 183
  • Votes 108

I would agree with Jay.  Holding costs may be worth it but trying to figure out when the value will come to fruition is challenging.  What I have seen is in the pasts, the infrastructure costs were manageable (getting sewer, electrical, roads, SDC's). Now in Oregon- all of those costs and more are put on the developer.  The SDC fees we have been paying never seem to materialized for the current projects we are working on:(.  A BIT safer play (I said bit, it still can cause headaches)  for land banking is grabbing something in the UGB. (Urban growth Boundary)  No one like the challenge and challenges of bringing into the city.  Jay's model of "I will give you your full asking price"  but letting the owner carry the contract with no interests is smart and makes the play digestible. (Jay- that is what I am assuming you did- apologies if am wrong)- If you are lucky- there is a residence on the property to help defer a bit of the cost.   

Post: Beautiful Home on the Oregon Coast $100k below Market

Chris Blackburn
Posted
  • Developer
  • Salem, OR
  • Posts 183
  • Votes 108

Pacific City is one of the most amazing cities on the Oregon Coast!  The Pelican Brewery, Haystack rock, Tierra Del Mar, Sand Lake,  The dunes!  318 acre wilderness area. (Sitka Sedge State Natural Area)  (Amazing like going back in time!)  https://tinyurl.com/ycz9z6w2   Real estate prices are really pretty good.   Once this town is discovered-  prices will go up.  I not sure if you could build the house above new, at the price it is being offered.  Disclosure:  I do own property here and love taking my family.