All Forum Posts by: David Lewis

See you all there!

Welcome to the Arctic Keith, also a military investor up here. Lets go grab a beer.

3 simple tips:

1. Investing in real estate while on active duty IS very compatible. The VA loan should be taken advantage of. I have used it twice in Anchorage to purchase a 4-plex and a single family home with no money down.

2. This is counter-intuitive, but take some time and STOP listening and reading all advice (especially on the forums). You have the knowledge, take 2 weeks, organize and execute.

3. Execute, execute, execute  

@Dalton Ertz I second all of the above. I've never come across a duplex that cash-flows while house hacking in Anchorage. Breaking even in a duplex is a great deal in mind and there a plenty in the area. @jamierose is one of the best realtors in the area, especially for investment properties.  

Second what Allen stated. $2800/mo cash flow would be very hard for a 4-plex in Anchorage. Your bio says you've got a 100k HELOC? If that's still the case along with savings and potential retirement, I think you still have a lot of options to diversify into multifamily and do well.

Greg,

Sounds like the dream. I invest in multifamily here in Anchorage and previously operated an AirBnB near Ted Stevens. I never got around to trying it out, but my thinking was to STR full time from June-August then line up someone from the medical field to cover the slow months.

It'd be some moving parts to get creative with in your situation, but I think it'd be worth it just breaking even if you're living the lifestyle you want like Allen mentioned above. Single family homes with a MIL suite might be ideal for what you're thinking. Good luck!   

Ryan,

I ran an AirBnB out of my 3/2 house in the "Spenardagain" area for over a year. It was booked up from about May to September until the second wave of COVID resulted in cancellations for most of the fall. I enjoyed the hospitality aspect of it, and once you get a system down it can be fairly hands off. Hire a solid cleaner with clear directions and it will make life much easier. I think a nice 2 bed 1 bath place that's easy to put back together is a great balance between bang for your buck and always staying booked.   

@Jamie Rose still game!

I have one STR in Anchorage, AK. Prices dropped a bit, but it has been booked full all summer. This is coming from a location with only fly-in tourists and strict COVID regulations. If you're running a 5 star operation in the right location, the people will come.

Well... I think I found the answer to my question. Vacation Rentals and COVID-19 do not pair well.