All Forum Posts by: Jacob Wathen

Hello @Karen Margrave! I hope all is well. I am still interested in attending! February may be better but I am not local so let the locals determine what works best for them! 

Have a great week! 

Hello Rochelle! I know of a couple investor friendly agents in DFW area. One of which is @Adam Wright! Let me know if I can help you in any other way. 

Also, I am down in Lakewood/Long Beach a couple times a year. It is rather expensive down there but I like the area a lot :) 

Hello @Christopher Benjamin! 

I am an agent/investor in Portland as well and I like what the previous responders mentioned. Although you may not be obligated to pay a commission to your realtor you should still try working them into the deal in some way. I never suggest just giving them a cut to keep them loyal to you. Make him/her work for the money. Ask for their help with the negotiations, writing the contract, scheduling inspections, etc. Anything they can do to bring value to you and then pay them for it. 

Also, congrats on finding a good off market deal! The market in Portland is tough and it is important to look both on and off the RMLS to find properties that will work. 

Hello @Deann S., 

I would suggest working with a hungry new real estate agent. One that has little experience but knows the market well and understands real estate investing. They will be more willing to spend the time with you to put in a lot of offers. They will establish a template for just you and make it an easy process. 

I will say you won't end up putting in 200 offers because a realtor will be able to communicate with the listing agent and determine if the seller will consider a low ball offer prior to submitting it. That will save the agent and you a little bit of time and help to preserve the agents' reputation. That will in turn help to preserve your relationship with the agent. 

I do agree that it may benefit you to get your own license like @Russell Brazil mentioned. If that does not make sense with your life then I would definitely try to find an ambitious newbie. 

I have a couple clients that ask me to write offers on every single distressed property they see. The problem is there are so many other investors in my area (Portland, OR) doing the same thing but they have a lower reno budget and are able to be a bit more competitive. That being said, one of the most important parts about making sure you can be as competitive as possible is to make sure you have a team of workers that you can trust to do the work quickly and for a decent price. A realtor should be able to help you build a team if you do not have one already. 

Jacob Wathen 

I agree with @John Knisely entirely! Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn are important to keep updated on a regular basis. I would also throw in Pinterest if that is something that interests you. 

A friend of mine generates 3 solid leads per week with Pinterest alone. I think there are so many Pinterest boards for DIY projects and things like that and that is how she generates leads. Communicating with active DIYers and talking to them about taking to them about flips. It is not something I have mastered but it is an interesting concept! 

Hello @Chris Shepard! It is awesome to see experienced investors in Portland willing to help out other local investors. I am a real estate broker in Portland as well and I am always looking to grow my network. 

I work with a lot of newer investors and would like to hear a bit about what you do specifically and what you mean by sharing your knowledge. 

@Omid A. That looks like a great flip! I am an investor/agent in Portland and I love seeing a well done flip. It looks like you cared about quality and staying on budget. Congrats! 

@David Oldenburg that is great David! I know a lot of investors in the area and a couple of them are actively seeking partners. I will suggest that they make their way over to your REI meeting. Can you give me a little more info?

@Daniel Derrick Congrats on your flip in progress! I would love to hear more about it. I actually live in SE Portland and it would be great if we could meet over coffee sometime! 

@David Oldenburg Sacramento is my hometown! That is awesome to hear because the prices in Sacramento are high and there are investment opportunities for people with less capital. They just have to be creative and consider investing in mobile homes. 

Most people I know would not consider that a sound investment and as a result they sit on their hands and wait years until something better falls in their lap or they accumulate more money. 

@David Oldenburg Sacramento is my hometown! That is awesome to hear because the prices in Sacramento are high but there still are investment opportunities for people with less capital. They just have to be creative and consider investing in mobile homes. 

Most people I know would not consider that a sound investment and as a result they sit on their hands and wait years until something better falls in their lap or they accumulate more money.