All Forum Posts by: Elizabeth M Williams

Have you considered multifamily syndications? With $200k, you could invest in 4 assets, as normally the minimum investment is $50k on a deal. We are facing an issue where we will have about $250k to invest, if we sell one of our rentals. I invested into a MF in Dallas last year, and became so enamored with it that I became SEC registered and joined a small team of capital raisers who work with some of the best, well-established operators in the country. I considered doing a 1031 into an apartment building, but to be honest, I much prefer passive investing, with same tax benefits, average annualized returns of around 20%, monthly distributions which I can then reinvest into something else, zero tenant/management hassles, and diversification across hundreds of units, to further mitigate vacancy risks. Plus, the operators do way more due diligence on a deal than I ever could, and you get to invest in some of the fastest growing markets in the US. Just a thought. I love real estate, but won't ever buy a rental again. Have been hit, for example with a $15k roof repair bill this year on our rental in Portland, which wipes out returns. For me, syndications give all of the benefits of investing in real estate without the downsides. They remind me of investing in ETFs, but with better tax treatment. Is it possible you could make more money on investing in your own apartment building, yes? But are you also then having to spend time dealing with tenants & repairs & lots of time spent on negotiating the entry & exit of the deal? Yes. 

Happy to share a few examples of deals with you, current and past. I met a guy who has invested in 41 multifamilies over the years. When they exit, he rolls the proceeds into a few more, so his wealth continues to grow exponentially, all the while collecting monthly distributions. That's our plan, too. 

Hi Mike- We are planning to sell one of our rentals and flip the proceeds into 5 or so syndications. It helps that I've learned about syndications a year ago, when looking for a rental. Did a deep dive, to the point where we invested in one of Joe Fairless' deals, and I now do capital raising for them for accredited investors. After speaking with CPAs, lawyers, investors, syndicators, and capital raisers, I decided I wanted to get involved. I studied hard and became an SEC registered rep, capital raising for a select few operators, and working for one of the longest standing teams in capital raising, who raise for those operators with solid track records. For us, being SEC registered means that we get to cherry pick the best deals, as we bring the fully SEC compliant aspect of the raise to the partnership. Our investors, the majority of whom are repeat, are vetted to meet SEC suitability requirements. The majority of our deals are for accredited investors, though we have some for sophisticated investors from time to time. 

Happy to share some insights with you. Someone just sent me an example of what I would consider a not so great deal yesterday, and unfortunately she'd already invested in it. I think the biggest factors are due diligence done by the syndicators, conservative assumptions in the business plan, their track record in their local markets, to name a few. I don't think that you need to drive the properties, but you DO need to make sure someone you trust has. We, for example, do full site visits & have deals independently looked at by a CPA before we offer them to investors, in addition to the work the operators do. We offer all of this info transparently to our investor base. 

I live in Dubai, and have been in real estate for over 25 years. I work with both expats and mostly Americans in the US (I'm American, returning home next year). The reason I stumbled onto this was because I was looking for a way into more rentals, and this is a LOT more ideal for me, investing passively, in solid markets. Our operators work in Texas, Georgia, the Carolinas, Tennessee, Arizona, and Florida. There is a really nice class B multifamily in Houston we are raising for right now, as well as a fund. Happy to connect.

I would love to invest in Georgia, too, we fell in love with the country. But it's hard to do remotely, and as I understand it, you need someone who is sort of a local 'fixer' for you there. We also have a place in Oz, and 2 in the US. I live in Dubai, 52 years old. Happy to connect ☺️

Hi! I live in Dubai, too. Let's connect on the phone, met a few people here that way. I can tell you what I've done, been here 8 years. I haven't bought in the market in Dubai, either. Nice to meet you 😊

Thank you for your recommendation. I've read a lot on syndications this week and will get the book too. T

hink we will land on a mix. 

Yes, those are a few areas we are considering, just because we know that, as you said, they are stable areas, tenant-wise. The taxes are a killer, but we potentially might live there, or down in Geneseo, so something like a student home in Geneseo works nicely, as we can live there if we want, or just live there in summers and rent it out the rest of the year. It's a very different market than other areas, and because people are leaving NYC for work from home roles in nice suburban areas, the deals that I could normally get into are flying. Had 2 that we would loved to have bought in Pittsford, and they went over ask within a day, with multiple offers.

I love the South Wedge area, and happy to buy there, would be less expensive than Pittsford, too!

Thank you for your comment! Yes, on the whole, I agree with you. In the stock market, I spent a few months digging deep into educating myself (as I always took a pretty laissez faire approach to retirement allocations) in both the US, Australian & now Ireland domiciled (we have an offshore acct in my husband's name whose gains have zero tax obligation as long as we live in Dubai) markets. I have endeavored to strike the balance between solid growth and capital preservation, so it's a lot of pressure to not screw up, and none of us has a crystal ball. I have tried to invest in stocks and ETFs that I think will be as recession-proof as possible, and have diversified into other markets & across many sectors to account for the election, more outbreak, economy tanking, new business models, etc etc etc. It's pretty exhausting and at the same time funny because at the end of the day we have no idea what the future holds. 

With respect to long distance landlording, you're right, and I've had both good and bad luck, and as long as I'm living here, would only consider areas where we have family nearby to keep an eye on things. Plus the two houses we have have big deposits, and have great tenants.

After reading a lot of threads, might be worth waiting to see what the market looks like post election, but I still think the syndication I'm considering feels like as safe a bet as anything else in the market now. Huge apt complex in DFW area.

Fingers and toes crossed for us all!

Thank you! Our income gives us accredited status. Yes, this stuff keeps me up at night. The coronavirus has created a crazy time of future uncertainty, and created a completely new set of working rules, ie people are leaving the cities for affordable sfh in the burbs, as they get to work from home. Retail & office spaces will have to reinvent themselves/repurpose their use, the momentum investors are driving market sectors like tech through the roof, people are moving from stocks to gold and silver, or real estate, which then leads to market analysts posting all sorts of mixed messages about best strategies for growth and preservation. It's a lot of pressure to try to grow our portfolio in these crazy times. 

Might be interested in a partnership there, as NY taxes are high, but tbh Portland is a bit of a mess right now, and not sure how that will affect the market. Maybe it won't, but if I were to invest in Portland area again, the type of tenants are crucial for me, as a long distance investor. Not a fan of some of those locations. Happy to connect with you to discuss :)