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All Forum Posts by: Ethan Tomlinson

Ethan Tomlinson has started 3 posts and replied 4 times.

Post: How to invest sooner?

Ethan TomlinsonPosted
  • New to Real Estate
  • Idaho Falls, ID
  • Posts 4
  • Votes 4

Hello! My name is Ethan, I am a brand new college student and I have been kind of stunned by what I have heard on BP, as I have listened and read books through High School. One thing that is common amongst all the podcasts and books is that its always said the beginning is the hardest, the first deal is the hardest. I want to do an FHA loan, except for the fact that I don't have the few year span of tax documents needed to get a bank loan. I know it's possible to have a parent cosign, but is it also possible to just find off market deals? I forget the name for it but it's when the owner sells the property to you directly and they basically become the "bank". Hopefully this question makes sense. I am just itching to do something about my life with real estate so I can start changing the lives of those around me.

Thank you for any replies!

Post: Coming Home to a New Life.

Ethan TomlinsonPosted
  • New to Real Estate
  • Idaho Falls, ID
  • Posts 4
  • Votes 4
Quote from @Dallin Watson:

Hey Ethan love specific criteria you have set for youself. I did something very similar in Pocatello. Bought a duplex with an FHA in 2021 and been slowing remodeling the whole thing.

Getting a job is probably the first step when you get back. Finding the highest pay job and living below your means so you can start saving money to get the 15k more that you want. I personally live on 50% of what I make so I can save part of that and use the rest to fund the rehab of my duplex. 

Cost of living is usually the biggest expense each month so if you have family you can live with when you get back that would be a great route to go. Paying little or no rent to family is a huge money saver than the rent you would pay in the IF or Rexburg area.


While working and saving you can study your market inside and out so when you are ready to buy you know what a deal looks like.

You can also start building relationships with other local real estate investors. On here is a great way to find local people. I see @Don Spafford on the Idaho forums all the time and where he is also in the IF area he would be a great person to link up with. There is also a real estate group in IF as well that does monthly meetups. I've been to it and it's full of great people and information.

Building relationships with people may also help with getting into a deal sooner. Rather than saving up all the money yourself you could find someone to partner with who has money and from all your learning of the market you can be the brains of the deal.


I love to see that there is more people wanting to get into real estate in the south east Idaho. This area is amazing! Just don't tell everyone that haha.


 Thank you for all of this! Those are all amazing tips.  Yes the housing expense is one I will do anything to minimize. Im very confident I will get the funds needed for my first deal bit it's still good to know people for various reasons. I'm sooo glad there are meet ups. I was going to start my own when I got back if there already wasnt one! Haha.

Its great to hear that south east idaho is amazing in real estate. Studying the market will be key. Theres just so many things that you hear often but think "okay but how do I actually do that?" when getting into RE. I really doubted home because after being in new england for so long, every other property is a multi family and maybe I just didnt have my eyes open 2 years ago but it feels like there are hardly any multi families in south east idaho. Plus you just never hear anyone say "oh I have a few rentals in [insert any place in idaho besides Boise]"

Regardless, thanks for your comment! I feel bad cause as a newbie there is hardly any value I can give to those who help me at this moment in time.

Post: Coming Home to a New Life.

Ethan TomlinsonPosted
  • New to Real Estate
  • Idaho Falls, ID
  • Posts 4
  • Votes 4

Hello! My name is Ethan Tomlinson, I am from south east Idaho. I need some help/ideas. I got into bigger pockets when I was 17-18, starting reading BiggerPockets books, listening to podcasts while working a job for a year, and saved up around 10k before I left on a volunteer religious proselytizing mission for 2 years. I have learned a TON in New England in all sorts of great ways, I'm soon to return home in about 6 months and turn 21. I really want to just get started and buy a small-multifamily ASAP when I get home, and my church actually have us start a thing called "my plan" for our return home. The thing is, I don't have enough taxes or proof of income to begin, plus I want to try and save up 25k (15k more) before diving in (which in my situation could get done in 1 year, I got no college debt and can take time in between semesters if needed). I just don't know if I can make a deal happen in the next year or if I am going to have to wait 2 more years (I don't want to wait 2 more). I really want to do a house hack with an FHA loan, 3.5%. Please feel free to say what you would do if you were me!

Regardless, this is what I am thinking, hopefully soon.

•Location?

-In Idaho falls if possible, or Rexburg 

•Property type?

-small multifamily tri or quad, side by sides or up and downs. Would even accept a duplex if it was a good deal, even if I had to Airbnb to make it work like Craig Curelop (check legality for that)

•Condition?

-Fixer upper ($7,000-$10,000)

•Price range?

-Minimum of $100,000

-Maximum of $350,000

•Profitability?

-8% CoC return, depending in the deal.

-Honestly mostly want experience from the first deal, even if "low" profits.

Post: In Need of Your Story (House Hacks)

Ethan TomlinsonPosted
  • New to Real Estate
  • Idaho Falls, ID
  • Posts 4
  • Votes 4

Hello! I am a 19 year old, I'm currently in the process of saving up money to buy my first house hack. I want to work on a big project showing the power of house hacking and I am trying to convince some of my friends and family to look into it. Part of that project was going to be putting together some sort of list/document of people's success stories. Whether a comment on this thread or a personal message to me, either works. It would just be something along the lines of just: 

-Your first name (unless you say you don't want me to use it, I wont)

-How much you were paying for rent before house hacking 

-What type of property you started in (can also include the details of the price of home/mortgage/how many rooms/what city/the rehab/literally whatever you wanna include, or not)

-What you were paying (or being payed) to live somewhere after the first house hack process

-You, just mentioning that I have permission to use your inspirational story

I hope that all makes sense, I would GREATLY appreciate literally any comment. These stories would also just be extra motivation for me as well. I also hope this isn't against the rules. If it is, mods just let me know or I guess take the post down. Thanks!! ((: