All Forum Posts by: Chris Oglethorpe

OK, I'm probably clueless. Where is the link to the free one on this site?

Are REOs trickier to close, or is the process similar to regular owners?

1. Read (or listen to) one RE book.

2. Attend local REI meeting.

3. Add 500 listings (see sig).

Well, I have, what, 89 to go? :lol:

Bob Parsons, founder of GoDaddy said his father told him "They can't eat you." when he had doubts early on starting his first company. It kind of puts things in perspective.

I'm based in Atlanta, GA and am very new to investing. I'm primarily interested in rentals and what individual investors have to deal with in that area.

Great stories! What's my story? Um, I started posting on BiggerPockets... I still have to complete the rest of the tale. :lol:

From what little I've learned, one usually underestimates upkeep, repairs, bum renters and the like, so cashflow is usually less than expected. Starting out in the red doesn't sound good as it will probably get worse. Also appreciation can be a real gamble from what I've heard.

But that raises the question: How does one locate properties that *do* have a shot at cashflow?

I actually found a pretty detailed Excel spreadsheet on another forum. If I find it, I'll try and post it. It was used by a real pro and it impressed me that they didn't need a specific tool, they just made their own custom spreadsheet.

I would like to know if there are indeed any special packages RE pros use beyond Excel.