All Forum Posts by: Kadidia Cooper

I've worked in a law office where we have dealt with evictions. In California. Start the process - in the end it'll be shorter than anything else you're trying to do. Have the eviction notices served by a law office, though you can of course draft them yourself. it'll make a stronger impact that way. If the tenant has not moved out within the 30 or 60 days, the process is actually not that long anymore. You file for an unlawful detainer in court, serve her and she has 5 days to answer. If she doesn't - default for you, have the Sheriff go over and move her out. If she does answer, ask for a court date which is usually set within a week and - I am assuming you are in the right here - same thing, take your judgment and have the Sheriff move her out.

And yes, it is illegal for you to go in and start taking her appliances ... even if you own them. If you are really unlucky she will end up suing YOU as a slumlord and she may win!

Hi Danielle, I have worked at both CPA firms and law offices and done business formations in both. I would use the CPA to select the best business entity for your purposes and to lay out all the steps that need to be done (people often forget "small" things such as requesting an EIN from the IRS) but you can do the actual paperwork and filing yourself.

OK, I admit, I have lived in that house for the last 8 years but yesterday I signed a lease with a very nice family after only 1 day of advertising (I used Postlets.com and Craigslist - it worked!) I am lucky. MY SFR could easily be divided into two separate units without me actually having to do any work. The upstairs unit has been rented out for about 6 years now and last week I finally made the decision to move and now the downstairs unit is rented as well.

I have equity in the home, the rental income will cover mortgage, insurance, taxes AND my son's school tuition.

My next step is to finally get that first wholesale property under contract and start looking for another multi-family unit I can move into while renting out the remaining units.

BTW, I am looking in Santa Cruz - so if you know of anything let me know!

Wow! and Congrats!

I have read a lot about cultivating a relationship with a Realtor in the area you want to invest in, but not much about how that actually works in practical terms, especially for a wholesaler. As a wholesaler I want to have as little Realtor involvement in my transactions as possible, yet I may use my Realtor to find deals on the MLS. If my Realtor sends me leads, do I (have to) use him to make offers? He may end up making a lot of offers that go nowhere. Especially if he does not write my offers, if I profit from a deal, do I send him a referral fee?

How do I politely tell a Realtor that - while I may not be currently represented - I also have no wish to be represented by him or her, but keeping the relationship a positive one for the future.

Can anyone provide a referral for a good Realtor in the Santa Cruz, California area? Thanks!

If you are starting out in any new business, you should have a mentor. No matter whether you have been in business before, have taken tons of classes, you need a mentor. You know why it's easier for people to stick to a work out plan when they have a buddy? Or the personal trainer who yells at you for 45 minutes and then claps you on the back and says "Good job, but next time we can do better"? Because there is somebody who holds them accountable, who encourages, gives advice, shares wisdom and when needed kicks them in the *** - repeatedly.

For some of us the money we have spent on education, training and resources is not enough of a motivator. Some of us need a mentor to get over the fear of failing. After all, you can't fail if you never get started. Some need to learn to be accountable to ourselves and not a boss. Some of us suffer from information overload and do not know what the first step is, or how to execute it. Some of us have gotten to step 6 and are now stuck. It's is so much harder to give up when you have somebody you can call up for guidance.

So go out into your community and find one. Visit the Chamber of Commerce meeting, go to a real estate club, simply call them up. Your mentor does not need to be in the same industry as you, they just need to be successful. And what constitutes success is probably different for all of us. For some the guy with the biggest house on the hill is the most successful. For others it's the woman who knows just about everybody in town and can tell you exactly who to call depending on what you need. And when you call them, give them a reason why they should mentor you. And it should not be "because I want to be successful, rich ..." Let them know why you admire them and what you hope to learn from them.

And if all else fails, do not be afraid to pay for mentoring. 

Good morning, I am looking to build relationships and meet experienced people I can learn from in the Santa Cruz area/Bay Area, California. I am so excited to get started and really need to learn, learn, learn, listen and find the best people out there! I want to exchange information about deals, experiences, resources and much more. I am also just looking for like-minded people to talk about real estate with.