All Forum Posts by: Jerry Ciesielski

@Pache Akono

Please re-phrase your question to be more specific. What, in particular, are you asking about?

I think you forgot to mention whether you have viewed these properties personally, or if you had a trusted property inspector view them.  In either case, you would want a list of recent improvements, to see how that will affect your capital expenditures.  Are the furnaces, boilers, appliances, roofs, all new - or are they all twenty+ years old and in need of replacement in the near future?  

Hi Nickolas,  welcome to Bigger pockets!

You'll find a wealth of information on BP - explore all the resources on the Education tab.  My favorite is to listen to the podcasts as I drive in the car, which is something you should do as you work.  

There are a few meet-ups that happen in the Buffalo area - keep your eye open for that, it may be worth the hour drive up.

I'm a Buffalo native, and work in real estate.  Feel free to reach out with any questions.

Best of luck with your investing future.

Jerry

Hi Brandon; Welcome to Bigger Pockets! If you haven't already, set up keywords for "Buffalo" and other topics that interest you, such as "hard money" or "private money." Also, check out the BiggerPockets podcast #9, Using Hard Money Lenders with Ann Bellamy. It's a great introduction to the subject! https://www.biggerpockets.com/renewsblog/2013/03/14/hard-money-lending-ann-bellamy/

@Himilce Phelps

Definitely do NOT paint the garage door black.  Now that you have it tan, leave it as is.  But I still DO like the idea of black decorative hardware to tie it together.  I like your new matching lamps.

After that, add the window boxes and shepherd's hooks with colorful flowers (even fake flowers added in for extra pop - really, who's going to look that closely)  and call it a day.  Don't keep spending money undoing things you've already done.    ;.)

@Courtney Joseph  Hi Courtney;

To find people in Buffalo, use the 'Community' tab, and then chose 'Find Members'

Assuming you filled out your profile completely, BP will show you members in the Buffalo area first.  You can also set search parameters.

I find the 'key word alert' function very helpful, and you should set your account up with that under 'profile options.'   Save 'Buffalo' as a keyword, and anytime someone posts anything with the word Buffalo in it, you will get an alert.

There are many members from Western New York on BP, so have fun exploring and making connections!

Jerry

I think white cabinetry is a great idea in properties where the kitchen has a northern exposure and lacks natural sunlight. Anything you could do to brighten up kitchens that are naturally dark is a big plus. If you chose dark cabinets, countertops, etc, you'll need to use more lighting. If you kitchen had a southern exposure, I'd steer away from white cabinets unless your whole house is designed with distressed white accents, such as casual country, English cottage, etc.

I listened to some older BP podcasts lately, and Patlive was a sponsor of the show.  There may be a discount or free-trial offer associated with BP.

Hi Holly;

Welcome to BP.  There's so much to learn here!

Be sure to set up 'keywords' on your account, of course 'Buffalo' should be the first, but you can also set others according to your interests.

On the Education tab, there is a "Free Course" that I can really recommend.  Also, I listen to the podcasts while I'm driving, there is a wealth of knowledge there.

Hope to see you around town at one of the upcoming MeetUps.

Best

Jerry

Hi Himilce;

I saw your post and lamented the fact you painted the front door black.  When I see a recessed door like that, I would try and paint it a light, bright, color, to accentuate the entrance and make it more welcoming.  Now that it's done, there's no sense going back and repainting - instead, I would leave that front door light on to brighten the entrance, at night, during the day, anytime the house is being shown.

Another thing I would consider, this house, like many newer homes, screams WELCOME TO MY GARAGE DOOR!   Anything you can do to de-accentuate that giant wall of white will be good.  If the budget allows, you could swap out the top panel of that overhead garage door, with a panel with windows.  Alternately, you could use black paint to paint faux windows there.  Also, for less than $40, you could buy faux decorative black hinges and handles to add some interest to the garage door.

Then, like others have mentioned, a white window box filled with colorfull flowers, a pair of shepherd hooks with two matching flower baskets, and some dark mulch, would add punch.

I used photoshop to create a picture of what I'm describing.

Best of luck with your flip!

Jerry