Skip to content
×
PRO
Pro Members Get Full Access!
Get off the sidelines and take action in real estate investing with BiggerPockets Pro. Our comprehensive suite of tools and resources minimize mistakes, support informed decisions, and propel you to success.
Advanced networking features
Market and Deal Finder tools
Property analysis calculators
Landlord Command Center
$0
TODAY
$69.00/month when billed monthly.
$32.50/month when billed annually.
7 day free trial. Cancel anytime
Already a Pro Member? Sign in here
Pick markets, find deals, analyze and manage properties. Try BiggerPockets PRO.
x
All Forum Categories
All Forum Categories
Followed Discussions
Followed Categories
Followed People
Followed Locations
Market News & Data
General Info
Real Estate Strategies
Landlording & Rental Properties
Real Estate Professionals
Financial, Tax, & Legal
Real Estate Classifieds
Reviews & Feedback

All Forum Posts by: Jason Schaefer

Jason Schaefer has started 2 posts and replied 13 times.

Post: New Member form Huntington Beach CA

Jason SchaeferPosted
  • Real Estate Investor
  • Chino Hills, CA
  • Posts 13
  • Votes 4

Welcome @Matthew G.

You came to right place to network with other investors. If you haven't already listen to the podcasts. They are excellent and I find myself listening to them over and over while taking notes. Also try to find a REIA in your area. I've met other BP members at the meetings and they are a great place to network as well.

Welcome aboard and good luck!

Post: Buy and hold in the High Desert Area CA

Jason SchaeferPosted
  • Real Estate Investor
  • Chino Hills, CA
  • Posts 13
  • Votes 4

Hi @Tri Tran ,

Welcome to BiggerPockets. You came to the right place to learn about real estate. Everyone on here is really helpful and very resourceful. Make sure you listen to the podcasts and take notes.

I was looking very heavily in the high desert about three months ago but couldn't find any properties that would meet the 1% rule. If I'm going to buy I'd like to see 1.4% or higher which is really tough in Southern California right now. I did end up finding a great investor friendly real estate agent up there who I'd recommend if you do end up buying up there. The agent has a spreadsheet that breaks down the income, expenses (with vacancy) and a cash flow number at the bottom. The agent and I came to the conclusion the area has dried up as there are a lot of investors out there now.

Hope this helps and let me know if you have any questions.

Best of luck

Jason

Post: Seller financing question, Need Help

Jason SchaeferPosted
  • Real Estate Investor
  • Chino Hills, CA
  • Posts 13
  • Votes 4

Thanks @Jon Holdman for the excellent explanation. I have to admit I didn't completely understand some of the contracts until I read your post. I will copy and paste your explanation into my real estate notes for future reference.

Post: Home Path for Investors

Jason SchaeferPosted
  • Real Estate Investor
  • Chino Hills, CA
  • Posts 13
  • Votes 4

This thread caught my attention as a newbie, I wasn't aware of homepath or the ability to put a 5% down payment and no mortgage insurance. I did a little research on the home path website and came across the restrictions of investor financing.

" Investor Financing

Expanded financing opportunities are available for investors who may have existing financed properties to allow mortgages up to a total of 20 financed properties (Fannie Mae–owned properties only; consult your lender for details). The investor may be an LLC or an individual. HomePath Mortgage (HPM) is available on eligible properties noted with a HomePath Mortgage logo on the Property Details page of this site. Currently, a limited number of lenders offer this expanded financing.

HomePath Renovation Mortgage is also available to individual investors (no LLCs) for up to four total financed properties. See the Financing tab for more information about HomePath Renovation and for a list of HomePath Renovation lenders."

If I am reading this correctly then you can finance up to 20 but only a limited number of lenders offer the expanded financing. The 4 financed properties appears to be tied to the Homepath Renovation Mortgage program. Hope I'm reading this correctly and this helps @Elizabeth Colegrove

Post: Looking for feedback on investment strategy

Jason SchaeferPosted
  • Real Estate Investor
  • Chino Hills, CA
  • Posts 13
  • Votes 4

Post: Looking for feedback on investment strategy

Jason SchaeferPosted
  • Real Estate Investor
  • Chino Hills, CA
  • Posts 13
  • Votes 4

@Darren Sager

I agree the highest returns are in multifamily properties. Investors I spoke with tell me the turn over is higher, tenants tend to be a bigger pain in the rear and it can be a huge learning curve for a newbie. They definitely cash flow the best though. The problem is the price to get into one in Southern California can be in the 400k to 500k range for a 3 or 4 plex. That is a unit that is built in the 1920’s and will need ongoing repairs. The down payment on 400-500K will eat up all savings and leave nothing for reserves to cover the unknown once we get in. We can definitely save up for another 6 months and go that route. Moving into one of the units, however, isn’t an option. We don’t have enough equity to justify selling the primary residence and it is way too nice to rent as it isn’t tenant proof. We haven’t given up completely on multi unit and may have to go a couple hours out of area to find a property we can afford and still have a reserve for unforeseen repairs. Thanks for your input!

@Lisa Phillips

I couldn’t agree with you more. I’m also an advocate for properties that are more profitable and cash flow enough to pay off in 3-5 years. This is one of the reasons I started looking out of state. I don’t need properties with granite countertops or walk in closets as I don’t plan on stepping foot inside of the properties. They are just a number that counts towards my goals of financial freedom. BTW I visited your website and enjoyed your perspective on buying low price houses. Thanks for your input.

@Dawn Anastasi

I must start off by saying that I really enjoyed your podcast. I’m extremely jealous that you are getting the 3% rule when I’m trying really hard to get 1.3%. Hopefully I can partner up with someone like you and hit the measly 2% rule.

I agree that I couldn’t live next to my tenants either. It takes a certain type of mentality to live next to them and I'm not that person.

Post: Looking for feedback on investment strategy

Jason SchaeferPosted
  • Real Estate Investor
  • Chino Hills, CA
  • Posts 13
  • Votes 4

Hello BP,

It's been a few weeks since I introduced myself and I wanted to get some feedback on my investment/exit strategy as it is constantly evolving.

Here is a little background to tie everything together. A little over 6 years ago I left a corporate job as an IT manager and started an IT consulting business and it's been a blessing. My wife and I paid off all debt except our primary mortgage and are pulling in just over 200k a year. Instead of buying toys or moving to a bigger house we both want to use our money for nothing but investing.
Our goal is to generate enough passive income that my wife can quit her job and I can back away from my business by hiring people to do what I do and manage it from a far and pull a smaller salary. To reach this goal we want to buy 5 sfr properties per year for the next 5 years. We will use the income generated from the properties to buy additional properties and at some point anticipate the combined income from all the properties will help us add an additional one or two to this portfolio. We want a passive income of $13-15k per month from our investment properties. To achieve this we are looking at long term buy and hold properties that cash flow at least $150/month ideally $250/month. 25 properties at $150/month doesn't achieve our financial freedom goal but once the debt service is paid in full and after the 50% rule we should be in good shape. We have $150k to work with now and should be able to save up the same amount each year until we reach our investment goal.

Our exit strategy is either sell to the existing renter, put it on the MLS, or by word of mouth such as BP MarketPlace we can sell to another investor.

I would love to invest in Southern California. The clients my business supports range from contractors, plumbers, electricians, attorneys, accountants, etc so building my team was a piece of cake. Finding a property that will help us reach our financial freedom goal is not so easy. We’ve been scouring Southern California for at least 6 months without one deal to show for it. I haven’t given up on So Cal yet but feel frustrated to say the least.

Since California is next to impossible to accomplish this goal and with the help of some great BP members we have honed in on the Dallas/DFW area for now. This will probably change as the years pass and we would like to diversify in other markets as well.

I know this goal is definitely feasible. Based on our savings, income, investment strategy, I would like to get the collective input of BP members if we are choosing the correct strategy for our goal. Is there something else we should keep in mind? Should we look at a different investment area? Should we look at NNN instead? If there is one tip that rings out from the podcasts on what separates successfully investors is persistence so we are ready for failure and of course ultimately, success. Thank you everyone.

Jason

Post: Is Southern California really that bad?

Jason SchaeferPosted
  • Real Estate Investor
  • Chino Hills, CA
  • Posts 13
  • Votes 4

Hey @Trevor Lohman

What a great thread you started! I’m glad you asked the question as it created a lot of feedback. I feel just like you, I missed the boat. I live and work in the Inland Empire and as an IT consultant I drive over 30,000 miles a year. My client base is heavily in the IE and I know the area very well. I’ve been scouring the area for 6 months and every time I find a property that will meet the 1% rule and cash flow a little someone comes in with all cash and closes it right away. I can do an all cash deal myself but one of the reasons I chose REI is the ability to leverage my investment. An all cash deal is going to kill my CoC. It can be very frustrating to say the least.

I have a client that left his company 4 years ago and started buying in the high desert (Victorville, Apple Valley, Hesperia) and now owns over 30 sfr. Now that area is dried up as well. The worst part is I remember him telling me 4 years ago why he was leaving. I didn’t think much of it as I wasn’t concerned about REI at the time. It would have been a perfect opportunity to partner up with him. Again I missed the boat.

I have a REA that specializes in the high desert, another in IE and yet another in Los Angeles county all on the lookout for my investment criteria. I won’t purchase unless the property cash flows $100 per door after the 50% rule with a 10% or higher CoC. All they have been able to find is around $23/door which doesn’t cut it. I haven’t completely given up on So Cal but I have started looking out of state where the numbers make sense. If you go out of state, make sure you learn about the area. So Cal would be perfect for me as my clients range from plumbers, electricians, accountants, attorneys, contractors, etc which made building my local team extremely easy. Everything I need except for the property that makes sense.

Jason

Post: New member introduction from Southern California

Jason SchaeferPosted
  • Real Estate Investor
  • Chino Hills, CA
  • Posts 13
  • Votes 4

Hi @Marco Santarelli

Thanks for the welcome. I couldn't agree with you more on buying in a market that makes sense. I'm still going to keep my eyes open in So Cal for the 1% chance that something does come up but I've shifted my attention and research to finding a market that make sense based on crime rates, unemployment rates, job growth, etc.

Your rule #7 makes common sense but I hadn't though about incorporating that into my overall strategy. Thanks for the link and your help.

Post: New member introduction from Southern California

Jason SchaeferPosted
  • Real Estate Investor
  • Chino Hills, CA
  • Posts 13
  • Votes 4

Hi @Joe Fairless thanks for the congrats! I agree the profits are much better when you do it yourself. Most of the turnkeys we have looked into have a better return than So Cal but the numbers are definitely thin. Ultimately we want to do it ourselves and have a team established. Any help or guidance you can share from your experience is very much appreciated.

Hi @Ali Boone, we love muscle beach (Venice Beach)! We've been on your website several times and have been following your posts regarding out of state investments. You really opened our eyes to looking out of state and in particular turnkeys as we were continually running into walls and negative profit margins here in So Cal. Even though we've never talked or met you've been a huge help, so thanks.