All Forum Posts by: Jorge Vazquez

Hi Gina,

After managing hundreds of properties and working with investors for over 20 years, I can definitely appreciate your background and the systems you’ve built—especially having three contractor teams ready to go. That’s gold in this business! It’s great to hear you’ve got experience across both Indiana and Florida markets. I’m based in Tampa and run Graystone Investment Group, focusing heavily on helping (out of state) investors find and manage properties here in Florida.

Totally agree on the importance of understanding those short-term rental rules in Florida—each area can feel like its own little country with all the different regulations! Would love to connect and see how we might collaborate or share some insights.

Here if you ever want to chat!

Hi Daniel,

At 23 with a $500K HELOC, you're in a great spot to get started! Fort Lauderdale is a tough market for cash flow, so you've got to be strategic. House hacking could work if you find the right deal, but I'd also look into BRRRR or flips in secondary Florida markets like Tampa or Jacksonville, where acquisition costs are lower. Out-of-state investing is another solid move if you have a strong property manager. The key is velocity—keep your money moving and growing. Happy to chat more if you need insight!

— Jorge

Hey Rosendo,

After 20 years in the game, owning 32 properties and managing 300+, I’ve seen a range of markets and strategies. Florida has some strong rental areas, but things like insurance, taxes, and property management can vary a lot depending on the city.

If you ever want to compare notes or chat about market trends, happy to share what I’ve seen!

Jorge

Hey Jacob,

I like your approach—partnering up is a great way to scale and spread the risk. I own 32 properties, some with partners, and have structured deals with zero down or covering the costs myself when it made sense. Been investing in Tampa for 20 years and run Graystone Investment Group, helping investors find and close solid deals.

Let’s connect and see if we’re aligned. Shoot me a message, and we’ll chat!

Jorge

Hey Shiloh, within 20 years of doing this and 3,500 transactions helping investors, I’ve learned that you either do distressed properties or you don’t—there’s no in-between. If you’re buying turnkey, you’re basically paying someone else to do the work and hoping they didn’t cut corners. But when you’re intimate with the property, you know exactly what’s going on behind the walls, under the floors, and in the systems.

For example, a seller might tell you, “This property has a ton of equity.” But instead of just taking their word for it, you gotta run the numbers and confirm it with math. If I see the kitchen is outdated and I know that spending $10K on a remodel will increase the property value by $30K, then that’s real equity—not just talk.

Same with a roof. A seller might say, “This place is a steal,” but if the roof is 20 years old, I know I’m looking at a $12K replacement soon. If I negotiate a $15K discount because of that, now I’m actually creating value, not just buying into someone else’s numbers.

A good turnkey operator shouldn’t just flip a house to you at market price—they should be finding off-market deals, adding a flat fee, and making sure you’re stepping into real equity. Otherwise, you’re just paying retail for a dressed-up property and hoping for the best.

Hey Matt,

I’ve been investing and managing properties for over 20 years, and choosing the right market is key—especially as a new investor. Florida, particularly Tampa and Central Florida, is a strong option because of steady demand, landlord-friendly laws, and solid appreciation.

If you’re debating between short-term and long-term rentals, I’d say long-term rentals are more stable, especially with the recent saturation of Airbnbs. Markets like Tampa, Orlando, and even Jacksonville offer good cash flow and growth potential without the extreme price tags of places like Miami.

Happy to chat more if you want to dive deeper—let me know how I can help!

Jorge

4o

Hey Adam,

I’ve been in the Tampa real estate game for 20 years as an investor and owner of a property management company. I’ve built a ton of solid connections with reliable contractors. Reach out—I’d love to help!

Jorge

Hey Jonathan, welcome back! Sounds like you've covered a lot of ground in just four years—BRRRRs, wholesaling, land flipping, and now lending. In the past five years, I've picked up 20 more properties using BRRRR, plus some subject-to deals, wraparounds, novations, and JVs. Always good to connect with others in the space, especially in the Orlando market. Are you focusing more on private lending or traditional financing these days? Let's connect and exchange ideas! Looking forward to hearing more about your journey.

Hey Robert, welcome to Tampa! When you say commercial, are you thinking multifamily, retail, industrial, or something else? If it’s multifamily, I’ve been in the business for 20 years and can share some insights. Commercial deals take longer and are all about relationships, so connecting with investors, brokers, and property owners is key. Also, zoning and market trends matter a lot more than in residential, so it’s worth getting familiar with Tampa’s landscape. Buyers in this space are more strategic, so having a solid buyer list early helps. Happy to share what I’ve learned if you ever want to chat!

Hi Ivan,

Yeah, it’s been tough, especially the last couple of years, but the deals are still out there—you just need the right strategy and team. Instead of focusing only on Tampa or St. Pete, try looking at cities within an hour of those areas.

Lately, I’ve actually been seeing more properties hit the 1% rule, which hasn’t happened in a while. A lot of sellers are panicking, thinking the market’s going to crash, but they don’t really understand what’s happening behind the scenes—demand is still strong, people are still moving to Florida, and that creates opportunities.

I own 32 properties, and I’m always tracking values—rents, insurance, taxes, all of it. Right now, I’m seeing rents starting to go back up, insurance costs dropping, and even taxes flattening out. Plus, rental demand is picking up again, which is a good sign.

I can point to at least five properties that are hitting solid numbers now when they weren’t just a few months ago. A big part of that was the insurance crisis, but that’s settling. Even on my own properties, I’ve seen insurance rates drop a lot, and that makes a huge difference.

Rents dipped about 10% over the last year, which made everything look worse than it really was. But if you get in now and hold for the next cycle, by year two or three, those numbers will look way better. I’ve been doing this for 20 years, and I’ve seen this pattern before—it’s all about timing and patience.

Let me know if you want to chat more about this!

— Jorge