All Forum Posts by: Jacob Kocent

This is awesome Andrew, looks great!

Hey Glenn, welcome to Bigger Pockets and investing in the Pittsburgh area! Check out areas like Brighton Heights, Plum, and Allison Park for good rental numbers. I'm an agent for investors in Pittsburgh and would love to connect. 

Tomer, welcome to Bigger Pockets! Pittsburgh is a great place to get started because there are so many areas that are affordable to get into and generate a positive return. A few promising neighborhoods include Plum, Baldwin, Bellevue, and Carnegie. These are very affordable and are strong neighborhoods that are rising in appreciation and have good schools. As far as neighborhoods to avoid, I would steer clear of McKeesport, Aliquippa, and McKees Rocks. They all have high crime rates and generally low property values.

I'm an agent here in Pittsburgh that works specifically with investors. Would love to connect further!

I'm not sure about other markets/states/cities etc., but here in Pittsburgh, PA I see a ton of listings marketed on Facebook. I know it is similar to Instagram but there are so many real estate groups on Facebook that have (tens of) thousands of agents/investors/home buyers and once you join, you can market the property in general but also market the open house. Hope this helps!

Welcome to the real estate investment world, Grant! It's great that you are trying to learn more about something that piques your interest. It is never too early to start, and I think a great first step was posting on BP. You will learn a lot from the forums and podcasts available here but also don't be afraid to branch out and find local real estate meetups in your area. You will be able to meet and build relationships with experts in your particular market(s) as well as learn more about how to get started in general. Best of luck!

@Itamar Halevi

Hi Itamar, I would start looking into areas such as Brighton Heights, Bellevue, Plum, Carnegie, and Baldwin. All have a generally cheap barrier to entry and have potential for cash flow. There are tons of other options and areas, but some are harder to get into and others don't have as good of cash flow. I'm an investor-friendly agent in the Pittsburgh area and would love to connect further!

Congratulations on your first deal! Sounds like you did a lot of the work yourself which is always a bonus when you are trying to save money. The picture shows the house looks clean, well maintained, and like it would be a perfect rental. Great work, and I hope you find continued success!

Hi Laura. I have heard many people investing from out of state in several OH markets. These include Cleveland, Cincinnati, Akron, Columbus, Toledo, Dayton, and even more. Those markets in particular have the ability to cash flow and have a generally low barrier of entry. I know it wasn't on your list, but Pittsburgh, PA is also a great location to invest as it has very affordable options. I hope you get more feedback and ultimately find a market that suits your investment needs! 

Naturally, you will learn a lot about RE from being licensed, but as you are starting, it is definitely overwhelming. I suggest attending local RE meetups as they are going to be extremely beneficial to you as you are starting out. You will meet so many people and build relationships while also being able to listen to experts in the field. Best of luck!

That is awesome to hear Cedric! Welcome to Bigger Pockets and the investment real estate world. There are so many helpful resources here on BP so make sure you tap into them all. House hacking is a great idea for your first property, so I hope you find the same success so many others have. Good luck!