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All Forum Posts by: Ethan Davis Brackin

Ethan Davis Brackin has started 3 posts and replied 6 times.

I am in the process of studying for my licensing exam in the state of Tennessee and plan to work in the Chattanooga area upon completion of the test (which will be quite soon). I have been eyeing a few brokerages around that general location and was wondering if anyone familiar with the area had any recommendations regarding which brokerage to pick, as there are quite a few to choose from. Any advice would be much appreciated!

Quote from @Cliff Benner:

From what I see and my experience, it is a bit hard to find one that is going to Cash Flow positively right away. You will have lots of expenses with the formation of a new LLC, lawyer fees, costs to start up payroll for this company, workers comp, new insurances, immediate repairs, etc. But you will be getting cash inflows that may reduce that burden.

You will have to stabilize the turmoil that comes with drastic change, and changes you implement to increase efficiencies. Where as a Turnkey rental has some of those same charges but can be rented and be a bit more passive, depending on the route you take. 

I would suggest working in your new business 6-12 months before you are able to see trends and find who can properly lead so you can step back from operations and focus on growth. 

Cash flow for businesses require more time which usually means higher returns in $ amount, % of CoC Return is more difficult, and keep in mind your time. my rental takes a hour a month and maybe cash flows $100, $100/hour is nice, but took $60k. My Bookkeeping is $65-$70/hour and but cost $1,000 to make it operational. I spend lots of time to automate and duplicate reports in order to save time to increase my efficiencies that help me increase the use of my time. I can't do anything to my rental to increase efficiencies in creating more income until it is vacant or the market decides I can.

Businesses will require workers, that require leading, and that requires more patience and more hard decisions/conversations to make. But can you find additional revenue sources for a business, yes. Sometimes it's not easy or cheap for Real Estate. 

For finding businesses, I use BizbuySell, Crexi, LoopNet, and Facebook. 


Good luck! I have interest in the Laundromat world too so let me know how this goes for you!

I greatly appreciate the response, very insightful. 

Quote from @Maureen McCann:

Hi Ethan...I have the best resource for you.   You need to connect with John Barry.  He has owned and operated 4 laundromats and would serve as an exceptional resource for you as you begin to explore investing in. Here is his contact information: 

[email protected]

Thank you! 

I am a 21 year old would-be investor looking to get into the world of real estate within the next year or two. I already have a general game plan set up but am trying to explore all of my opportunities before committing to any specific strategy. One of these opportunities I have been considering is investing in businesses like laundromats, as they supposedly can produce substantial cash flows (according to an investor I’ve spoken). I have a couple of questions regarding this investing strategy:

1. How much more challenging is getting into cash flow businesses (like a laundromat) than typical investment properties? (As opposed to SFH's or Duplexes, ect.)

2. Is it difficult finding actual businesses to buy? 

3. How long does it take to generate cash flow, and how would the cash flow compare to  “traditional” real estate investing? 

4. What are some other general challenges and things to consider when investing in these kinds of businesses for cash flow? 

Thank you for your time! 

Quote from @John Jones:

@Ethan Davis Brackin welcome to the Memphis market! If I could give one quick tip, I’d say be sure to get the deal under contract! No contract, no deal. It’s basic, but I’ve interacted with many wholesalers that seem to get so excited about the transaction that they neglect to properly secure it. Good luck and feel free to reach out if you have any questions or have any deals!

For sure! I’ve got some good contracts that I use and try to get the property under contract as soon as possible. I also work with a great title company in the Memphis area that have been very helpful on that front. 

Over the past couple of months I have been earnestly learning about the world of real estate and all that it has to offer. I’ve recently taken a jab at wholesaling, specifically marketing to the Memphis area, in an attempt to build enough capital to buy my first investment property with cash. I’m also beginning the process of getting my real estate license.

I am really trying to be a sponge of information right now because there is still so much I don’t know as a 21 year old finishing up college, so any tips or guidance will be much appreciated and put to good use!