All Forum Posts by: James Dickens

@Will Menard Great Job Will! Want to see the pics but they are not showing up. Already looking forward to seeing your next project. 

@Robert Rayford what area of Louisiana are you working in? I know where I am now the market is pretty slow but interested in what other areas may be worth looking in. I haven't started yet but hope to in the near future and it sounds like you are doing a good business. Rehab pics are nice too. Great Job!

@Aaron K. I'm pretty sure they should be able to make an adjustment to the code to fix that issue. I agree though that will be a problem. 

The change caught me by surprise as when I went to lunch is was one way and came back to the new way. I like change usually and I hope this one works for the better :)

@Omid A. Great Job! It's always good to see nice work combined with a nice check at the end of things. Keep up the great work and can't wait to see your next flip posted. 

@Anna M. For photos you need to use a wide-angle lens and a tripod (You can see a tripod leg in the shadow on the bathroom photo). DSLR would be the best but you can even get good shots with a phone with a snap-on lens and a tripod. Results will vary by phone type though. 

Also works well if you can remote fire the camera, that way you can get it into a corner and not have to stand behind it to shoot. 

Open all drapes and turn on all lights (see the Kitchen Photos)

Also don't be afraid to experiment with cheap external battery powered lights that you can use to light up a dark area. A flashlight and a paper towel tube can do some wonderful things :)

Last tip would be to use an area or grid exposure setting and not a point (center point of lens) This way the camera will try and balance out the lighting on it's own across the whole area and not just the center of the lens. 

Those should be some easy ways to improve your photos if you take them on your own. 

@Mindy Jensen as I was reading through this I was wondering why no one mentioned the book :) Glad you did. 

I have been reading my digital copy for the last couple of days (waiting for the hard copy) and it's great! A must for anyone considering investing out of their own area, with advice for anyone that can be used anywhere both local and abroad. David did a great job with it and I would say it's a must-read for any investor!

No I wasn't paid to say this either :D

@Steven W. did you ever follow through with this and if so how is it working for you and for the person who leased from you? 

@Martin Ruiz you may want to check out this thread: REIpro discussion on Bigger Pockets

@Ross Kerne LOL it sounds like that may be the case. If his books are not well kept that may give you some leverage on bringing your offer down. If he can't prove a steady income from the property due to shoty bookkeeping or if he has been collecting cash and not reporting then you could potentially use that as a pressure point. 

Anyway, good luck on this deal. Hope it works out for you and would love to hear an update after all is said and done!

Have you been able to see his books on the property? Rent collected? Former repairs that have been done? I think that kind of information would be of great value in your decision. I know that those numbers have to be taken with a grain of salt but might help you determine over time what has gone on with the property. I'm a bit new at all this so sorry if this is a dumb question :)