All Forum Posts by: Dennis Bragg

Hello Britt! Seeing your intro is awesome.. have you mapped out your long-term goals for building wealth through real estate?

Hello Jason! Nice to meet you here.. do you have any top priorities when searching for a property to drive by?

Hello Collin! Awesome to have you.. what's your threshold for acceptable cash flow on your early investments?

Hello Veronica! So excited to have you here.. have you tried any interesting apps or tools to track potential properties?

Hi David! Great to read your story.. do you see yourself scaling up quickly or taking it slow at first? 

Hi Robert! New blood in the forum is always exciting.. what's your top strategy for finding hidden deals?

Hello Versie! So happy you're here.. what's your must-have feature in a potential property right now?

Angel, this deal has potential, but there are a few big questions I’d dig into before getting too excited about that equity spread. Knob and tube wiring alone can be a major red flag it’s not just an insurance issue but also a potential lender roadblock, depending on the severity and whether it needs a full replacement. I had a buddy who picked up a similar deal with below-market rents, thinking it was a slam dunk.. until he realized stabilizing those units meant extensive electrical work, city inspections, and longer vacancy periods than expected. On the flip side, another investor I know in Boston was able to negotiate seller credits for code compliance, which saved him six figures upfront. If the seller is set on that $600K payout, will they entertain creative financing on the remaining balance? You could structure it as seller financing or a master lease option to avoid a massive cash outlay while you stabilize the property. Also, how far below market are those rents, and what’s your strategy for repositioning the units?

Austin, house hacking in Nashville is a smart move especially using your VA loan. The key to making this work with a single family home is getting creative with your layout and tenant strategy. One of my buddies did something similar, bought a place with a walkout basement, and converted it into a separate rental unit.. now his tenants cover most of his mortgage. If you're looking in East Nashville, you'll want to factor in short-term rental restrictions some areas are still investor friendly, but others have tightened up. Also, check if the homes you're considering have multiple entrances or flex spaces that could be used for a separate living area. Since your lease is up in October, I'd get serious about locking something in soon Nashville's market moves fast, and competition for house hackable properties can be intense. Have you looked at any specific properties yet, or are you still in the research phase?

Colton, this is a great question, and I love that you’re thinking long-term. Small towns with big investments can be goldmines.. but they can also be money traps if those projects don’t translate into sustained growth. I had a buddy who bought into a small Midwest town right after a massive factory expansion seemed like a sure bet. But when hiring delays pushed back the factory’s full operation for years, rents stayed flat, and appreciaiton stalled. On the flip side, another investor I know got ahead of the curve in a town where a new university campus was coming in within three years, he doubled his rental portfolio’s value. The key? Look past the headlines and dig into the fundamentals. Are those new jobs high-paying? Will the track bring year-round activity or just seasonal spikes? What happens if NASCAR doesn’t land there as expected? Also, check your housing supply.. if builders flood the market with new construction, appreciaiton could be slower than you expect. I’d look at rent growth trends and population shifts if people are moving in faster than housing is being built, that’s a great sign. Do you have any data on recent rent increases in your town? That could tell us a lot about where things are headed.