All Forum Posts by: Derek Smith

@Thai Foo Absolutely! Let me give him a ring first and then I'll shoot you a PM with his contact info.

@Deborah Smith and @Lori Murray 

I completely agree and understand the hesitation along with paying for the referrals because I feel the same way!

I'm not sure if I simply got lucky or the service really does work. Either case, the A/C guy that came out I was able to strike up a conversation with him afterwards about side work. He was extremely professional and informed me that since he visited this particular property, anything going forward would have to be done through the company. However, he did mention that if I were to acquire additional properties he would be more than happy to take them on personally. Needless to say, I am holding onto that business card.

The upside I would say is when you find what you're looking for, you can simply cancel the membership.

@Lori Murray and @Deborah Smith 

Just curious if you've ever tried Angie's List? I know I found a heating and air company via Angie's List.

Or has anyone else used Angie's List for bigger projects?

@Dave K. 

This is the best place to start for introductions. Next step, as you already know is find a meeting to help network. Thing I would suggest you bring:

1. paper and pen, of course!

2. a firm handshake and nice smile

3. positive attitude and open mind @Mike Dmuchoski good one!

4. questions and lots of them!

The real philosophy behind asking questions is not only to obtain answers to those mysteries lurking in the back of our minds, but it also serves as a way to "interview" these local experts. The ones that are able to answer your specific questions (about MULTI FAMILY) will be your greatest allies. And yes, how you want to invest is important to know, not only for yourself but for those that you're seeking help from.

@Angie B. 

Great use of social media in my mind. I personally do not have a FB page, but will utilize them all for business. Just one question, since I am somewhat unfamiliar with FB, I do know they have a "business" section or profile but you must pay for that type of use. Is there any fee associated with this Swap & Shop page?

It sounds as if one way or another you'll eventually end up with the property in your name. However, if you want to speed the process up, here is what I am currently doing. Now let me state first, this is an option I have in AZ so I am not sure if it would apply to PA, although I see no reason why it wouldn't.

Similar situation, my parents bought a "2nd home" here in phoenix that I currently reside in. They have no plans of occupying the condo, yet the loan is in their name. In order for me to ascertain the property I must first ADD my name to the DEED. You can either do this at closing (which is the quickest/easiest way, because you're already there signing docs) or you can do it further down the line. Its a rather nominal fee to add yourself to title.

If she happens to get a loan for it, in as little as 6 months you may do a refinance to drop your mom off the loan, if you qualify. Otherwise, you can continue living their until you're capable of being financed to do so. If there is no loan, she can simply sell the property for "love and consideration" in the amount of $10 (or some other small amount), which you'll see often when real estate is being gifted.

I've worked out an agreement that my parents will stay on the loan for 2 years before I refinance the loan (solely on my credit) to remove my parents gaining full financial and ownership responsibilities.

@Account Closed 

I will have to agree with Benjamin on this one, if a company is writing their own reviews BE UBER CAREFUL!

My last job was extremely shady, in more ways than one, but in regards to this the owners would have their HR staff write reviews on glassdoor in an attempt to improve their ratings. Where are they now you ask, well their doors are now closed, and for good reasons!

For one, the tenant must ask permission in order to alter or make any changes to the property. Second, if/when the tenant moves out, when you conduct your final walk through inspection technically you can state the property was damaged and not left in original state prior to being rented.

Personally, I would be putting this expense on the tenant. However, if you gave permission to the tenant to make changes, unfortunately this unexpected cost would have to come out of your pocket.

@Brandon Turner 

Thanks for chiming in! Couple of those certainly look like something I'd be interested in checking out!

Anyone else out there with some goodies they'd like to share?

I also forgot to mention I use Bandsintown.com love me some rock n' roll!

@Richard Nash 

Was there a contract in place, something that outlines the specific terms and agreements for the transaction?

If the answer is no, well then I hate to be the barer of bad news, but it may be lost.

Before I hit 'post reply' I did a quick search and based off what I read from BBB it sounds very shady, as there are multiple cases of people losing money. I did also find another BP post about this company, and after a skim through only 1 person stated success or any amount of pleasure working with the company.

Personally, I sounds like a scam to me.