All Forum Posts by: Joshua Noth

Hey @Michael Sevilla - it's a tough question that people could argue over for hours on end.  Tons of criteria/factors to consider, but something I read a while back that has always stuck with me is to look to invest in a market/property that you COULD live in.  Is it a foolproof way to invest? No. But lots reasons why you may live in an area may actually be because of factors we consider for investing (consistent population growth, growing infrastructure, safe neighborhoods, etc.)

Hey @Brandon Mattingly, and welcome to BP! Looks like a solid investment, so congratulations on that first buy and hold of yours! Hopefully we will see more of these types of posts from you in the future.  The breakdown was straightforward and could definitely help people see a clear train of thought - great job!

Welcome to BP @Andrew Bowden, great to have you here.  Wishing you luck in your investing career!

Like @JD Martin mentioned, there are lots of other factors to consider for a decision like this.  In short, if the college city has seen consistent growth in years prior, I would lean towards that option.  If you are still positive in cash flow there, I would definitely choose that option.  Depending on your situation, you could also look to do a higher down payment and get better cash flow as well.  

Welcome to the site @Rohan Dodda, happy to have you here.  Educating yourself is a major component of the process, and is one of these best things you can do for your age - you're already doing that, so you're off to a strong start.  Building capital right now will only help you in the future, but also build up your credit.  The more qualified you are as a buyer, the better.

Welcome to BP @Caelan Lebryk, and congrats on house hack/flip of yours! Wishing you luck in your investments

Welcome to BP @Jared Kelley, happy to have you here, and wishing you the best of luck in REI

Welcome to BP @Keenan Steverson! Fantastic job at getting started - that's huge! Wishing you the best of luck on the next 2!

Welcome to BP @Kaya Spicer!

No need for me to belabor the point, Austin is incredibly competitive and that's easy to see (and experience as you recently have).  The city and surrounding areas show great potential, but in your case, it looks like most of your chips would be on potential appreciation.  @Victor Steffen just posted a very helpful analysis of rent-price ratios in the Austin area, and while that can be "disheartening", know that is not why SO many people invest in the area - they invest for appreciation, which many areas show double digit increases.  Even if you don't see the GLORIOUS 2500 in cash flow a year, your equity could potentially increase 10 times that. Obviously no guarantees, but there is plenty of data supporting it and firsthand accounts of investors achieving that.

For your situation, I would focus on 2 things: 1) Act quick, but don't hurry; 2) See how far you're willing to go.  1) If a house meets your criteria, it all adds up, be responsive.  Don't make an irrational or uninformed decision, but just be ready to act quick, making sure you have all your ducks in a row.  2) If you know you want to stay in the northern suburbs, then perfect! But, if you are willing to expand your search further, you may see more luck - just find how far is "too far" for you.

Welcome to BP @Ryan Baker! Great to have you.  Definitely have a solid education basis before jumping in.  You don't want to go in blind, because then you could be making an irrational and uneducated investment that ends up costing you too much to salvage.  Podcasts, books, youtube, these forums, etc., are all great resources.  Find a market that interests you, find a strategy that you think you could pull off, and begin networking.  Meet Realtors/lenders/contractors/PMs in markets you are looking at, and continue to narrow your search until you find the right, first property