All Forum Posts by: Drew Oberholtzer

Zachary,

South Philly is doing well, but I feel that everyone's eyes are on it and it's hard to find a deal.  Brewerytown is a little too block to block for me.  Germantown covers a huge area so I'm trying to hone in on certain blocks that can provide me what I need.  I just don't know the neighborhood well enough and am looking for any suggestions.

David,

What areas are you speaking of specifically?  I'm not interested in aggressive appreciation, since I plan on holding for at least 10 years.  I'm looking for properties that have a little more space than the standard row home, which Germantown holds.  I started renting to creatives in Fishtown 13 years ago and my cash flow has always been good and my turnover low.  I'm looking for something similar in Germantown and am trying to get an idea if the numbers have worked for anyone.  

I have several houses in Fishtown and am now looking in Germantown.  I lived in Philly for 10 years, but now I live in Los Angeles so I'm trying to get some feet on the ground opinions regarding the areas in Germantown that artists are starting to flock to.  My goal is to buy, fix, rent, and hold a few properties for a few years.    

Chris,

Thanks!  I think you're right.  It's definitely a personal choice and if I can leverage my assets for additional cash flow that pays my monthly loan payments I'm golden.  It's one of those decisions that's so tough knowing that if I sell I'm relinquishing cash flow and equity.  I guess it really comes down to the math.

i have several rental properties that have appreciated significantly over the years in Philadelphia. I purchased these prior to graduate school and my wife's architecture degree. I can't decide what the best strategy is to continue investing. Student loan debt is no joke especially when they're considered in ones debt to income ratio making it difficult to refinance, obtain a HELOC, and obtain a mortgage. It's also significant overhead that carries interest. I could eliminate all student loan debt by selling all my houses with a little left over to buy an investment property in a class B or C city. Any advice or feedback would be greatly appreciated.