All Forum Posts by: Jorge Vazquez

Within my 20 years of experience, I’ve seen both routes. Wholesalers usually use a basic assignable contract, while flippers or agents often go with the Florida FAR BAR. If you want a copy of the assignable contract and assignment I've created and used for the past 20 years, just let me know—happy to share.

– Jorge

Hi Tina, I’ve been in the game for over 20 years and currently manage 250+ properties in the Tampa/Clearwater area with my team at Graystone Property Management. We're investors ourselves, so we manage properties the way we’d want ours handled. Happy to connect if you’d like to chat and see if it’s a fit.

– Jorge

Hi Alec,

After 20 years in the business, managing hundreds of properties and helping plenty of new investors right here in Tampa, I’d say the best move is to find someone local who doesn’t just teach theory—but has actually done deals in this market. Tampa’s got its own rhythm, and having someone in your corner who knows the area makes all the difference. Feel free to reach out if you want to chat through your first deal—I’m happy to share some insights.

Jorge

Hey Alex, I’ve been managing properties for 20 years—mostly long-term, but I’ve got a few short-term rentals too, so I know the struggle when it comes to cleaners. I’ve dealt with teams raising prices and still missing spots (super frustrating, right?). I’ve got some solid folks in the Largo/Clearwater area who handle big houses and actually care about the details. Shoot me a message and I’ll connect you—happy to help!

Hey Sas,

Appreciate you sharing your journey—sounds like you’ve done really well! I just wanted to offer a little perspective from my 20+ years investing in Florida, especially around Tampa Bay and Pinellas.

First off—the hurricane fear is real, but maybe a little overblown. Tampa Bay hasn’t taken a direct hit in over 100 years. It’s actually one of the most hurricane-dodged areas in Florida. Now, beachfront properties do carry higher flood and wind insurance, no doubt, but the key is staying just a few miles inland. You’ll often find safer zones with lower premiums and the same strong rental demand.

The real insurance hikes we’ve seen lately? Not from storms, but from past fraud—things like sinkhole scams and lawsuits against insurance companies. Florida passed new laws in 2022 to stop the abuse, and rates are already beginning to settle down.

Now—about condos. I started with them too, and I totally get the appeal. But over time, the HOAs became a real pain. I’ve dealt with surprise assessments, changing rental rules, and fee hikes that killed my cash flow. These days, I stick to single-family homes or small multis where I control the asset—no board approvals, no drama.

One of the first Canadians I ever helped 20 years ago started with one rental and ended up building a multi-million dollar Residential Assisted Living business. He used the real estate as the foundation, converting homes into care facilities. Now he’s cash flowing heavy and helping people at the same time. So yeah—what you’re doing has serious potential if you stay focused and strategic.

You’re already ahead of the game. Just avoid the condo traps and don’t let fear of storms make you miss out on a strong market like Tampa Bay. Happy to share zip codes or areas that cash flow well with low risk if you’re ever interested.

Cheers,
Jorge

Hi Takarra,

Within my 20 years of experience managing over 300 properties and doing 30+ BRRRR deals myself, I've found that it's a smart idea to focus on properties that build equity fast—especially early on. In my opinion, single-family homes tend to be stronger for comps and resale, especially in gentrifying areas, while duplexes are often better for house hacking than the BRRRR strategy.

My personal sweet spot has always been buying in the high end of the low-end neighborhoods—those spots where gentrification is already in motion. I stay away from condos and duplexes and instead stack single-family homes in areas with strong rental history over the past 5–10 years. That way, I can predict rent growth and time my cash-out refi better.

If the deal has enough equity, even if cash flow is a little tight at first, the BRRRR still works great. Just make sure you're setting realistic timelines, and use historical rent trends to estimate when you'll hit that break-even or positive cash flow mark.

Congrats on taking the leap—this is where it starts! Happy to connect if you ever want to chat strategy.

Jorge Vazquez

Hey Angela,

Love what you’re doing—sounds like you’ve got some big plans, and I’m all for that. I’ve been doing this for a while here in Tampa, helped a bunch of investors from Asia get set up. One of my clients from Hong Kong actually bought 15 properties with me.

I'm not here to pitch anything, just always happy to connect with like-minded people. If you ever want to bounce ideas around or need tips on BRRRR, flips, or building out your team, hit me up anytime.

Jorge

Hey Nico!

Welcome to the Tampa investment game! I’ve been in the business here for 20+ years, own 32 properties, manage over 300, and run a brokerage with 40 investor-only agents. Tampa is a great market if you know how to play it right. Since you’re looking to buy your first rental in the next six months, happy to connect and share insights on what’s working best for investors right now. Whether it's off-market deals, financing strategies, or property management, there’s always room to collaborate. Shoot me a message if you ever want to chat!

Jorge

Hey Kosh, yeah, this has been hitting everyone hard. In Florida, rates jumped because of fraud and lawsuits, but things are slowly improving with new laws cracking down on that mess. Alabama's seeing similar hikes due to reinsurance costs, inflation, and risk assessments. Best move? Talk to an independent broker who can shop around, raise your deductible to lower premiums, check your policy for unnecessary add-ons, and see if bundling with other insurance gets you a discount. It’s frustrating, but staying on top of it each year and adjusting where needed can help. Hope that helps!

Hey Yair, sounds like you're in a solid position to make this work. We work with investors from all over—even just helped a client in Europe buy and manage their third property remotely. With today's tech, it's easier than ever. I own 32 properties myself and have clients in places like Italy with 25+ rentals, so out-of-state investing is definitely manageable. With $250K, you could realistically get at least two properties, then use the BRRRR strategy to keep growing. On the material participation side, the real number is 750 hours, not 500, but it's achievable. I recently helped a client build a solid participation report using WhatsApp as a ledger and lighter involvement strategies to get approved. I also have a report that breaks down how to track everything you do in real estate to count as active involvement. Our property managers make sure you stay engaged in decisions and even provide a timesheet to help document participation. If you need guidance, happy to help.