All Forum Posts by: Don Johnston

@Angela DeBorja  Using the stock market ONLY as and EXAMPLE, do you invest in 1 stock or do you invest in a mutual fund which is comprised of many stocks?  Real Estate Marketing...do you ONLY use and pursue 1 method or do you pursue many methods?

Personally, I think getting the names and addresses of absentee owners - especially if they have owned the property for 10 years or longer and are out of state - and sending them a carefully crafted letter is a good weapon to have in your arsenal.  If you have the time to drive by these homes to see which are in the worst shape, these are more than likely those who will respond.

Search "yellow letters" on this site to find more information.

BUT don't let this be your only marketing strategy.  While you are out driving around look for those vacant houses with the long grass and shabby bushes and research those. 

There are many marketing methods.  Choose the ones you are comfortable with and if that isn't very many, then it is time to move out of your comfort zone a bit.

@Dominic Battezzato  Sorry, that link was for condo conversions.  But...while there at that site, search "row home".  That seems to be the city's designation for a cloud condo type of property.

https://www.sandiego.gov/sites/default/files/legac...

https://www.sandiego.gov/development-services  

@Larry Pflughoeft  Welcome to BP and back to San Diego.  It would be great for a bunch of us to get together informally.  Please do share your knowledge and experiences here on BP.

@Dominic Battezzato  Try looking at the info on:

https://www.sandiego.gov/development-services/indu...

Please keep me/us posted on what you find.  PM me if I can be of service in doing more research or???

@Gaddiel Garza     Just get at least 3 bids.  San Diego has a checks and balance system regarding the engineering of and the doing of the work when getting a permit.  In house can do both but a third party engineer must be part of the permit process to ensure you don't get ripped off for work not needed.  Keep in mind there are different methods so compare apples to apples when getting bids and be sure they state their full scope of work.

@John Matthews  Yes, what @Kevin Fox said.  I went to the last one and will be going to the one April 30.  

Besides that, there is one that meets near the Del Mar Race Track and one that meets in Mission Valley off of I-8.  I think there might be one in Oceanside.  Google it, find it and come back here to see what those who have been to them think.

@Laurel G.  I grew up in San Diego, went away and am back again.  In the meantime, Pacific Beach has moved more and more people in without doing anything to help them get in or out.  Your daughter will either be late to class/work everyday or spend whatever free time she has in the car going to and from home.  But I love Pacific Beach.  Don't know much about UTC except if your daughter is doing her residency in La Jolla, traffic is horrible.  

Just know, in general, morning traffic is worse heading west and north.  Opposite is true for evening traffic.  Into downtown or the "valley" (Mission Valley/Fashion Valley), traffic stinks from all directions.

My personal opinion...choose a location based on your daughter's residency...close by.  Her hours will probably be long and hard and the last thing she needs is a long commute to/from home.  Minimize commute to maximize her down/free time (and safety).  Of course, this would depend on the area being "nice"!

Then think about whether or not she should buy or not.  Either way, she should have no problem getting a roommate from the residency program if the distance home is nearby.

@Troy Sheets Sorry I haven't read all the posts so this might be a repeat.  I dislike IKEA so much I had to respond.  Try theRTAstore.  My sister and I used them for a rehab in Indianapolis.  Can purchase flat pack or pre-assembled.  We got them pre-assembled and with that cost and shipping it was still a better deal than we could come up locally.  They are in NY so delivery time should be no problem.

422 Wallace Ave in Indianapolis is where the cabinets can be seen.

THIS IS NOT A PLUG FOR THE STORE...just my experience.

IKEA cabinets are typically made with the lowest density particle board which is the cheapest of the cheap. Shelves warp quicker than MDF or HDF because there is really no structural integrity to the material.  I installed them in my Mom's bedroom because that is what she wanted...and you don't argue with your Mom :-)

@Tim G.  Is the project on Adams Ave. where we are having the meetup an in-house project for RTG Partners?  It appears from their Facebook page that they the "money" for established investors.  Whose project is this?  Or is that giving away too much of the meetup :-)  

@Parker Cox  Is there an announcement yet for the April meetup?  Thanks