All Forum Posts by: James Miller

If your a vet go VA.

With out knowing any more details it is really hard to say.  You need to know the rental income.  Is it going to need work or is it ready to go.  Whats the occupancy.  Are the tenants in leases.  Are you going to manage the property.  Use the bigger pockets rental property calculator under tools when you know all the necessary info.  Hope this helps.  

If there are a two that really interest you then research them.  Look under the education tab.  Search for the subject in the forum that interests you and then message a member that seems knowledgeable on the subject.  Look for a mentor in your area that specializes in your area of interest.  It may hep to do 2 that are semi related.  House hacking and doing brrrr on multifamiles.  Wholeselling and flipping.  Notes and private money.  Hope this helps.  Knowledge is power.  

Dont do any thing with your money until you know what you want to do.  Listen to all the bigger pockets pod casts.  Read the books.  Go to real estate meet ups but don't go there and say you have money to start investing you could potentially set your self up for scammers.  There are so many different areas of real estate to choose to invest in.  Educate your self and find what fits you,  whole selling, flipping, house hacking, thats my personal favorite.  Try to pick one and stick with it.  Don't spread yourself thin especially in the begining. This forum is a great place to start, get educated, learn your market, build your team.  

Don't go to the rich dad poor dad classes.  The books are awesome, the classes are not worth it at all.  I've gotten way more from the podcasts than the rich dad classes and they were real expensive.  Also look for a local real estate meet up.  Hope this helps.  

Claire,

Welcome to bigger pockets. I house hack on whidbey island not far from you. I looked into moving to bellingham and trying a house hack but the few duplexes I found on the MLS were way over priced imho for what the rents would be. Like 375k for a 2 unit that gets 1200 a month per unit, that is what i get and my property is 100k less. I would highly recommend looking off market. Talk to property management companies and tell them you are interested buying a multi family they may know an investor or 2 interested in selling. Be patient what for a deal where the numbers make sense. I love bellingham. My wife and I are up there a lot. Maybe we can get a coffee some time. I've talked to a few realtors up there and haven't found one that impresses me yet. Make sure you find one that is actually an investor. The'll understand why your not willing to buy a duplex for 100k dollars to high. Feel free to send me a pm if you have any questions ill be happy to help. I don't know Bham well enough to advise one neighborhood over another but let me know if i can help in any other way.

Ill keel my eyes open.  I looking to expand into snohomish county.  So I've been busy looking down there.  But ill keep my eyes open.  

I will second koetje property management.  I rented from then before I owned my multi family and they are awesome now that I'm an owner.  If you don't mind me asking aproxemtly where was the triplex. What are you currently looking for.  I am pretty intuned to the market.  I was heart broken when a duplex extremely similar to mine sold for 255k about 2 weeks ago.  That was a screaming deal.  If any one on here got that deal I would love to hear the details.  Hope this helps.  The other big management company in town is terra property management I have no experience with them.  

How is it going.  I love my property management company.  They only mange my one rental but I was a tenant of them before I was an owner.  So i have seen both sides of how they operate.  I should have some free time later on in the week if you want to talk.  They are kotje property management in oak harbor wa.