All Forum Posts by: Fred Conway

@Tom Keith how was your experience with auction.com? I've heard mixed reviews

hey @Robert Curls what is it you like about pinellas?

I think it will probably depend on what part of tampa you're in. Obviously the suburbs are going to attract more families, which most of them would require something bigger than 2 beds. However if you're near USF, downtown or the beach, you may be able to appeal to younger couples or students. As long as you can make money off the deal, it doesn't really matter.

Has anyone had experience with electronic key pads and giving passwords to tentants as opposed to using actual keys? I've thought about doing this and if I need to evict a tenant, all i have to do is electronically change the password. They're out of the house and I didn't have to change the locks. Thoughts?

I think it's going to be more about the cities in those states than the actual states you purchase in. For example, it wouldn't be a good investment to buy a house in west Texas like Amarillo and expect it to gain any real value or produce cashflow because there is an overall lack of economy and population. Dallas and Fort Worth, along with the Houston are usually noted as great areas to buy and hold because of the good schools in the suburbs and career opportunities. More career focused individuals (in my opinion) would create a solid stream of renters because they are less likely to want to purchase a home if they know they may be moving on to another city or job in less than 3-5 years. Houston and Dallas have this type of environment vs cities where people are born and raised their entire life. I've heard cities with large millitary bases are good for this reason.

So a little about myself, I'm a younger guy, have a good amount of cash saved up and looking to invest into rental property within the next few years. My biggest problem is I'm not sure where I want to settle down and begin investing. There's great job opportunities for me in Texas (Dallas, Austin, Houston) and Atlanta, GA, I enjoy Dallas, but can't see myself investing in property here. I also enjoy Atlanta, but not sure of the rental income possibilities, along with the 7% state income tax. My ideal situation would be to own real estate near Arizona State University (where i went to school) because i know the area very well and the property tax is next to nothing.Which makes the monthly note on a home very manageable, as well as the constant stream of students coming in every year. Problem is, there aren't many good paying jobs there for what I do. I would take about a 20%-30% pay cut to move to Arizona.

So what i'm looking for I guess is how much do property taxes factor into your decision of where to own and which market do you think is best for investing in monthly rental income.

Thanks