All Forum Posts by: James Lawrence

Scott - That's not such a radical idea. Although I might be in my element with that type of work, I have to wonder how I would be able to get that type of job without any prior experience in the industry. I'll look into it. If anyone out there is looking for someone to help them out with their investment projects (due diligence, financials, project management, etc) I would appreciate some input. I am even willing to work a project or two for free just to get the experience. Thanks again to all of you.

Thanks guys. You are correct; $2500 is a tall order. I can pay cash for several properties to reach that goal, but I'll probably never see the 10%+ return I am looking for. I have also been looking at SFH and Multi's, but haven't found anything that gets me the returns after all of the other expenses are factored in. I'm not looking for a get rich quick approach but I'd like to diversify some of my resources out of the stock market. Real estate seemed to be one possible avenue since I now have time to manage whatever needs to be managed....

Okay  - I'm seeking input from some seasoned / battle hardened real estate investors about my next investment move.

Here is a synopsis of our circumstances and what my goal is: 
1: I am unemployed (semi-retired or you might say fully depreciated in my industry;-), but I continue to look for work.
2: I have a strong operations background and know how to determine whether I can turn a profit on an investment
3: I have a respectable amount of capital available for the right investment
4: I am not afraid to micro manage an investment project
5: Perfect world I would like to "net" a minimum of $2500 per month within the next 10-12 months and would like to continue increasing that amount through further investing
6: Any return on my investment "must" give me a minimum of a 10% return on my investment.
7: I am pre approved to finance up to $200K

Some personal notes: My son has a mild disability and is our greatest concern. He will likely never make enough money to survive on his own, and will probably need some long-term financial help. My initial thought is to eventually buy him a condo and provide him with enough dividends from investments to supplement his current income. That being said, at this time I would like to avoid dipping into my investment money unless it's for a profitable reason.

Here is the big question for those who are "in the know" - Is real Estate the right direction for me? If so which area do you think is best for me to explore?

Great advise Paul. I already have plan to attend 2 REIA events over the next couple of weeks. I'll definitely look into the reading material. I have also reached out to a couple of relators for some mentoring help. Since my initial post I ran across two 10 year old condos in pre-foreclosure. They are very close to me and would be easy to manage given their age and location. Frankly I am torn between single families or large enough multi-units that I can have a property management company take care of. Thoughts?

Hello all,

I am new to the real estate investment club and looking for guidance from experienced pros. I've heard every comment in the book so far: 

Single family flips or rentals?

Multi units - landlord?

Multi unit  - owner only?

Investor only?

I have capital to purchase a property, but qualifying type, location and starting point are where I may need someone to "hold my hand" through the process. For those of you who have "heard it, seen it, and done that", what can your past experience tell me?