All Forum Posts by: Kerlous Tadres

Hey Vinod, welcome and congrats on your first two deals! As you grow, focus on refining your criteria (property type, returns, location) and surround yourself with a solid team agent, lender, contractor, and possibly a mentor. Leverage investor meetups and online forums to learn what's working in today’s market (creative financing, partnerships, off-market deals), and don’t be afraid to reach out to others. Real estate’s a relationship game as much as a numbers one.

You're already doing a great job by asking thoughtful questions and trusting your gut, huge first steps. What’s worked well for me is starting with small test projects to gauge how a contractor communicates and handles timelines, asking process-focused questions (like how they manage crews or deal with delays), visiting their current job sites to see how they operate in real time, and always having a detailed scope of work with a milestone-based payment plan. At the end of the day, you won’t fully know until you work with them, but these steps help you stack the odds in your favor.

Hey! Great to see you're getting started.

Right now, mortgage rates for investors are typically around 6.5–7.5%, depending on your credit, down payment, and loan type. It's smart to shop around with a few lenders, especially ones that work with investors (some offer DSCR or portfolio loans, which can be more flexible).

As for rent-to-price ratios, a solid benchmark is the 1% rule meaning if a property costs $150K, you’d want to get at least $1,500/month in rent. In today’s market, that’s still possible in some areas, especially with a little rehab or creative deal structuring.

The best strategy really depends on your goals. If you're trying to build fast and recycle your cash, BRRRR can work well. If you're looking to reduce your living expenses while starting out, house hacking is a solid move. And if you're in it for long-term cash flow and appreciation, buy and hold is always a strong play.

Most investors are being more cautious, focusing on minimizing risk by ensuring solid cash flow and having reserves. Waiting for the market to stabilize is fine, but if a good deal comes up, act on it. The key is sticking to the fundamentals, stress-testing your numbers, and not forcing deals in uncertain times. There's still opportunity, but it’s about moving smart.

Hey! Franklinton still has solid potential, especially if you're in it for 4+ years and focused on appreciation. The Gravity projects brought attention and some real momentum, but it's true progress has been uneven. Some areas are seeing major upgrades, while others still feel pretty rough around the edges.

If you buy in the right pocket close to development zones or where new builds are popping up there’s room for growth. Just make sure you really know the block you’re buying on. Price appreciation is still possible here, but it's definitely a block-by-block game.

Hey Tyler, welcome to the community! Sounds like you’re already off to a solid start with homeownership and shared ownership out of state that’s huge.

If you're looking to grow, I'd recommend getting really clear on your goals (cash flow, appreciation, time freedom, etc.), then figuring out what strategy lines up with that whether it's BRRRR, buy & hold, or something else.

From there, surround yourself with the right team agent, lender, contractor, PM and start running numbers consistently. Even if you don’t pull the trigger right away, analyzing deals regularly will build your confidence fast.

Keep showing up here, asking questions, and connecting with others this space is gold if you stay engaged.

House hacking is when you buy a multi-unit property (like a duplex or triplex), live in one unit, and rent out the others to help cover your mortgage. It's a powerful strategy, especially for people starting out with lower income.

Yes, you can use an FHA loan for this they allow you to buy up to 4 units as long as you live in one. You only need 3.5% down, and lenders can sometimes count rental income from the other units to help you qualify for a bigger loan.

Your counselor may not have mentioned it because not everyone is familiar with house hacking it's more of an investment strategy than a typical homebuying path.

Unpermitted units can be rented, and many people do it, but it’s a risk. Property managers are hit or miss some won’t touch them because of liability, others don’t care as long as it’s safe and rentable. You need to call a few local PMs before you offer to see who’s willing.

Insurance is another big one. Some policies won’t cover unpermitted structures or will exclude liability claims. Talk to a broker who handles rental properties don’t guess.

Also, think about whether the city cracks down or a neighbor reports it. In the worst case, those units could be shut down. That’s dangerous if your numbers rely on them.

If you’re stretching financially and need those units to cash flow, this deal might be too risky unless you can eventually permit them. Do your due diligence, talk to PMs and insurance now, and don’t skip inspection.

For financing the $175k rehab, you have several options. A HELOC could be a great choice if you have enough equity after the down payment, offering low interest and flexibility. Another option is a renovation loan (like an FHA 203k or conventional), which combines the purchase price and rehab costs into one loan. You could also consider a cash-out refinance after purchasing to pull out equity for the rehab, or a hard money loan for quicker access, though with higher interest rates.

If you're comfortable with it, you could also lower your down payment slightly to use some of those funds for the rehab. Just be sure to have a contingency budget for unexpected costs and get a few contractor quotes to make sure the rehab estimate is realistic.

A HELOC could be a solid option since it offers flexible access to funds with a potentially lower interest rate. However, make sure your cash flow can cover both the mortgage and HELOC payments.

Another option is a cash-out refinance, which could give you access to your property’s equity at a fixed rate, and help with the renovations and modular units.

If you’re thinking about adding modular units, it may be best to focus on getting the property cash flowing first with renovations and rent increases. Once stabilized, you can explore financing for the additional units.

A hard money loan could also be worth considering if you need quick access to funds for renovations with a clear plan for refinancing or selling later.

Start with a solid budget and timeline to make sure you’re prepared for any of these funding strategies. Best of luck with your project!