All Forum Posts by: Jonathan Makovsky

Welcome @Kevin Overstreet!

@Kevin Overstreet unless you know of liens on the property, or if the seller won't/can't pay off the liens. Get the deal under contract, and your attorney will run a title search and everything should come up in the search.

We write on the bottom of our mailers that "some members of our team are licensed real estate professionals". 

Most people don't bother to bring it up, and we write it because we also like to keep everything on the up-and-up with the local laws. There was one message that I found humorous (although the receiver of the mail of course did not find it funny), transcript below:

Can't win 'em all.

@Michael G.

@Sterling Parker incredible admiration for your desire to succeed! I agree with the comments above and cannot wait to hear about your successes!

@Shawn Torsitano great approach!

@Steve Sapowsky normally I would say don't give it too much thought (because why is the price that you're comfortable to pay, different than the price they're comfortable to sell - it's a marketplace after all?) However, I completely understand the sensitivity around it, especially that it's a neighbor.

The first thing to note is that some sellers are going to be insulted with a lower offer than they feel, no matter how much you dress it up. With that said, we sometimes will tell a seller that we might not pay what other buyers will, but we are reputable and very easy to work with and will close the deal without any trouble or hassle. Please let us know if you'd like us to submit an offer. I have never anyone say no to that question, and they usually know that your offer is not going to be within 5% of ask.

Best of luck and feel free to share what happens.

@Adam Wells

I will paraphrase what I think your question is, because I'm not positive I understand: "Should you invest in Boston because eventually appreciation will be more, or should you invest in New Bedford where you will have higher cash flow and less appreciation?" (Is that correct?)

For starters I don't know NB, however, I imagine it's no different than most major MSA's and secondary or tertiary markets. 

A few questions to ask yourself:

1) What are your financial goals? Given the choice of one or the other, do you prefer to buy a place that in 20+ years from now will be paid off and will be your source of retirement but not much income now, or buy a place now that will cash flow but will not appreciate so much down the line? (This probably doesn't answer your question, but it's a personal decision.)

2) Where do you think the Boston market is headed in the next 5 years? Many investors are predicting a correction in the major MSA's, that may not apply to Boston at all. However, if you think Boston will see a correction soon, maybe it makes sense to invest in a cash flowing area now and use that money to buy in Boston when (if) prices come down.

3) How management intensive is it to invest in NB? Is it low class? If yes, you might not want the headache of it, and prefer the Class A tenants in Boston. Or maybe you prefer to put in the work and plow through the headaches to make the extra return. It's really a personal decision and there's no right or wrong answer across the board.

Good luck in whatever you decide!

@Account Closed's book (The Book on Flipping Houses), met my business partner through BP and one thing led to another and we have been very focused on flipping homes.

My recommendation in no particular order is 1) Read, re-read, and take notes on J's book; 2) listen to the BP podcasts and take notes where appropriate; 3) read the blogs; and 4) read/post in the forums. You will really be able to find all the information you need through this site.

Best of luck and hope to hear about your future successes.

@Vincent Badalamenti awesome post! If I were near UNLV I would meet with you. (If I lived near UNLV I also would likely be a gambling degenerate as well).  :)

PM me if you would be interested in a virtual mentor/mentee relationship - glad to speak with you.