All Forum Posts by: Kelly Asmus

I would advise no. As the seller's agent you aren't being their fiduciary if you are personally involved. In certain states you are not allowed to do this at all. WA requires you refer the transaction to someone else if you are the buyer. So get some professional advice before you proceed. Some brokerages don't have insurance coverage if you are the buyer and broker, so if the seller sues you - you are up the creek without a paddle. No single transaction is worth losing your license, your reputation and your livelihood.

Get back to basics. Call everyone in your database and assess their needs. Reverse prospect with your listings to your database. Get out and hustle. Follow up with every showing/every agent. Host open houses for every listing regularly and make them fun. Door knock the neighbors. If you get a low ball offer on a listing - counter everything and don't take it personal - it's a business transaction. Get out and network - it's the holiday season so be merry but stay focused. Make a goal to hand out so many biz cards per day to your dry cleaner, the guy in the line at the grocery store - talk to everyone. Be known for who you are and what you do. Post to social media. Keep yourself motivated with webinars and education so you are in top shape. Be positive when others are down. There are opportunities in every market. 

I'm in the NW and we deal with water and mold issues so frequently that I give buyers a heads up before every inspection. If we don't have a roof leak, mold in the attic or crawl and/or water in the crawl then it's a home run. We have specialty contractors who perform mold inspections and who remediate the mold, find and repair the source, add ventilation to attics and crawls PLUS provide a 5 year guarantee that if the mold comes back they will come back for free. So get a good team of people together, perform your inspections and if so renegotiate for $ off for repairs or if bad enough walk away.

I'm in Oregon and it is 90 days, also depends on what city you are in if there are relocation fees but I would get a consult with an attorney. Will be worth paying for a little time to save yourself a potential lawsuit later.

Jesus- exciting that you are getting started on your real estate journey. Like the advice above, find out what you can qualify for on your own, research 1st time buyer programs like Nehemiah, Oregon Bond, USDA and others that offer down payment assistance. Once you get your financial footing, then start searching. Depending on what's available in your market, a multifamily or a house hack might be the way to go to offset your payment. Good luck to you!

@Michele Velazquez I always vote for going where you know - especially as a newbie investor - buy in your own backyard so you can have boots on the ground. Be your own property manager, do your own repairs and have a face to face with your tenants. You are learning how to run your business, so learn how to run the business and then expand. There is opportunity in every market to cash flow - you just need to find it. Too many new investors are chasing it - somewhere else - when there are golden nuggets right where you live. You understand your area, which neighborhoods are better, trust your own instincts, not the advice of lots of people you don't know or trust yet. Assemble a great team of people in your own backyard, do a couple of deals, then grow. Good luck! 

Send your best counter offer back and let the buyer's agent figure it out. If they don't go for it, sell it to someone else. Your broker should be an integral part of your team and you should treat them as such. If not, they are free to go work with other investors who value their time and expertise. You get what you pay for. Good brokers bring you off market opportunities, help you see value in other project opportunities, bring market knowledge and also keep you out of court by following contract law. 

@Audra Smith Market is adjusting away from total sellers market - trying to adjust to a more balanced market. MF properties are available and I am happy to help you understand pros and cons of each state. I am licensed in both OR and WA, so can assist with Portland Metro and SW Washington. I am a landlord myself in OR, owning long term rentals, so can help you get off to the right start. 20+ years in real estate. 10+ years owning rental properties! Message or call me. Happy to help.

Thanks @Roarke Van Brunt! Happy to help investors reach their goals! I've been in real estate since 1995, and I am an active investor myself - I own long term rentals and do BRRRs. Licensed in both OR and WA and have over 20 years development experience working with builders - so I get zoning, use issues and can help with HB2001. Reach out!

@Natalie Lopez @Tim Cavanagh @Karthika Logan

I use Listing 2 Leasing. You set up an account, add the property you want to lease and send the potential tenants a link. They fill out all the information, pay the fee to run the credit check, background check, etc. The company does all the work and sends you a notice when the application is complete. Easy and no cost to you.

Free Online Tenant Screening Services | Listing 2 Leasing