All Forum Posts by: Isaac Bartels

I will be moving to Charlotte, NC next fall, and am hoping to get into RE investing as soon as possible. Is there anybody from there who has advice on how to get started, what might be a good method, and any tips or advice! Thanks.

I've received an offer that I must decide on by Friday for an engineering job. My girlfriend is going into nursing. We will be graduating this may. I have a few cities available to me in the NC/SC states. Should I be looking to move and invest in more of a central city such as Charlotte (leaning towards this), or could I just as easily look into a coastal city such as Charleston or Wilmington? What is the better option? We are attracted to the many healthcare options in Charlotte for nursing possibilities, the fact that it seems to be growing, and its location between the ocean and the mountains to the west. We also love the idea of living right near the coast as we're both from Iowa, but are curious how big of a concern hurricanes are in coastal cities regarding RE investing? Some other cities we are looking into are: Cornelius, Greensboro, Fort Mill, Concord, and Raleigh.

Quote from @Michael Haas:

@Isaac Bartels HouseHacking & STR's are two of the most effective beginner strategies in the Seattle area - once you have a couple of properties and know a little more adding BRRRR and DADU / Condoization into the mix will work great as well.

There are a lot of Real Estate Investors in Tacoma and Seattle, and we're out here because its a growing and hugely profitable market to invest in - both from an appreciation and, if using the right strategies, also from a cashflow perspective. Dan and I work together on the HouseHack Seattle team doing these deals daily (I'm on HouseHack #4), so we're happy to share what we know. I'll shoot you a list of properties on the market now that are solid cash-flow househacks in and around Tacoma. I think you'll love Tacoma, but if you land elsewhere good luck wherever life takes you!

 I'm kind of intimidated by the astronomical prices in the Tacoma and Seattle area as a senior in college with an average amount of student debt. I will be in civil engineering and my girlfriend in nursing, which seem to pay decently. Does it seem wise for us to start building our portfolio in the Seattle area despite my concerns?

@Sherief Elbassuoni, It's good to hear that Seattle RE market has potential. My goal is to become financially free as quickly as possible. Do you think the Tacoma or Seattle area would be good for this, or would I be better served if I looked in a less expensive market with higher rent-to-price ratios and growth, for example?

Quote from @Paul Sandhu:

Secluded = Nothing to do

Find another strategy.

 Maybe this is just me, but I desire going on vacation in secluded areas (at least, from other people). There's nothing like spending time enveloped in nature while being with the ones you love. And there are plenty of things to do such as hike, fish, bike-ride, swim, etc. So I'd have to respectfully disagree with your saying that "Secluded = Nothing to do".

A goal of mine is to get into buying scenic/secluded pieces of land and building tiny homes on this land to list on Airbnb, VRBO, etc. I'd love to do primary design for these tiny homes or cabins myself (I've got some background in CAD work and am a civil engineer). I'm curious what the process would be with this as my goal. Could I bring my designs directly to a contractor, or would I need to have my designs checked with an engineering firm or architect before construction begins? If anyone has experience in this, please enlighten me!

Also, do you think that this business plan is sound? Or is it pretty risky and requiring of a perfect market? what cities and/or markets do you think this vacation rental business plan would work best? I will be graduating college soon and am open to moving anywhere.

Thanks in advance for all your input and advice!

Quote from @Daniel Nobile:

Hey Isaac, 

You're right about the price points being high in the greater Seattle area but there are still lots of great house hack & investment opportunities. Happy to send you a few examples of these types of properties! Also knowing what your budget is and what locations you want to focus on will give you a realistic idea on what is achievable.

 Thanks for reaching out Daniel. I would be interested in seeing some examples of these house-hackable properties. I would want to focus on properties close enough to Tacoma that I could manage them myself or live in and easily commute to my potential job in Tacoma. In terms of budget I don't have any specifics. We will be a 2-income household with me as a civil engineer and my girlfriend as a nurse.

Quote from @Account Closed:

Quote from @Isaac Bartels:

I'm considering the possibility of moving to the Seattle area after graduating college, and was wondering if anyone has experience with the RE market here. I know prices are pretty high, but wondering if It's still possible to make something work as a beginner. I'm looking to start out with house hacking.

Depends on your goal and if you mean Seattle itself or a surrounding city. We sold all of our properties in the city and moved to where landlords aren't treated like last year's Lutekisk. https://www.mashed.com/197530/...

If your goal is to cut down on the cost of living, having roommates help pay the mortgage is a popular way to go.

And buckle your seatbelt, Seattle is not Orange City, IA. I'm not sure if you can find two more completely different places.

I would be living probably in Tacoma, as that’s where the job is located. And my goal in RE is to achieve financial freedom through rental properties and possibly STRs. Does this seem like a good fit for the  area?

I'm considering the possibility of moving to the Seattle area after graduating college, and was wondering if anyone has experience with the RE market here. I know prices are pretty high, but wondering if It's still possible to make something work as a beginner. I'm looking to start out with house hacking.

Quote from @Sara Norman:

Hi Everyone

My name is Sara, and I am a newbie here. Real estate investing has been something I've been interested in learning about for a while now and finally decided it is time. I am excited that I have found bigger pockets and am ready to start soaking up the wealth of knowledge that is here. Any advice, knowledge, words of wisdom are always welcome. I am looking forward to connecting and learning with you all.

 Hi Sara,

I'm also a newbie in the RE Investing world. Bigger Pockets has been a great place to learn. I started out by reading The Book on Rental Property Investing by Brandon Turner. I would recommend this as your starting point! It breaks down all the aspects of investing through down-to-earth explanations and examples. I'm currently learning as much as I can about REI so that I can pounce when an opportunity comes.