All Forum Posts by: David Edwards

Thanks for the info @Jordan Knoll and @Paul Leason I'll be looking in to this in the next couple of days. 

Afternoon BP, 

I've currently got a couple properties in SW Michigan and I've been looking to potentially expand in to the GR market in the next few months. In my initial explorations I like to get a couple deals on paper to know how to quickly analyze in, and what to expect from a market before making any actual inquiries. 

The issue I'm currently running in to is the GR assessors website and what appears to be a lack of easily accessible property data without filling out an inquiry form. Am I missing something or is the process intentionally made to be more tedious in that market?

Any insight or workarounds would be greatly appreciated. 

Thanks!

@Stephanie Diemel Bartlett I also live in Seattle and picked up 2 rental properties in Kalamazoo this year. I’m originally from a little bit outside of the area so I started looking there after looking locally and getting discouraged by the cost of entry. I’ve currently got a duplex and a 4plex, both needed some work and are finishing up getting leased. Fortunately the prices out there are low enough that even partially leased all expenses are being taken care of. I’d be happy to connect and share what I’ve learned from the experience so far. I’d also be interested to learn more about the GR market since I’d like to expand my portfolio over there in the next year. 

@Ryan Kuja I've got a couple rentals in Kalamazoo (originally from St. Joe) and would be interested in discussing flip, BRRRR, or buy and hold in the area. I hadn't thought of Holland as an opportunity yet. Would be interested to get your opinion on the markets and if there's something we could help each other out with.

@Ken Martin I've also been looking for this, from my experience the larger national companies aren't interested in smaller properties, we are ballparking utilities based on historical info and charging a monthly fee which we will adjust annually to make sure we are recouping that cost. If you do end up finding a local company that offers this for smaller buildings I'd be interested in working with them as well. There's always the traditional sub-metering option if you are going in and doing some extensive work to the property as well but I've found that to be prohibitively expensive on my properties so far. 

@Stephen Herbert This post is great!

The end result looks fantastic and if nothing else is worth the learning experience and the beautiful images you can use for marketing future deals. 

@Rachael Luce-Ogle Welcome to BP! 

I'm originally from St. Joe, living on the west coast, and have a couple properties in Kalamazoo. I'm always excited to see my hometown come up in my alerts. I'm sure you will get a good amount of info from you meetup but if you have any questions feel free to reach out. 

@Ryan Richmond I totally understand the juggling act. Hopefully some minor improvements will help move that unit. I'll likely be looking around that area in the future so I'd love to hear how it goes. Good luck!

@Craig Potter

Is the property in Kalamazoo or Grand Rapids?

@Ryan Richmond I'm currently finishing a couple renovations in Kalamazoo and have been eyeing the GR market as a potential future area. What class and type of units are they and what is your PM asking for rent / terms?