All Forum Posts by: Kevin Crowell

Hi Reggie,

So regarding my first note purchase, it went smooth, but I could've learned a lot more from it. It took me buying more notes / seller finance paper until I was totally comfortable with the process. If I was start again from scratch, I would ask a lot more questions in the buying process and challenge my vendors. When I bought my first, I acted as if they knew everything and they don't. You are the one in charge and you are paying for their time. That's my 2 cents. Hope that helps! Happy Holidays!!

Hi Josh-

So sorry this is causing you unwarranted stress during the holiday season. Everyone has given you great advice. Here is some of mine

1) Pull the ad - People can see how long your place has been listed. Maybe give it until the end of the week, but if nothing, pull it. 

2) Complete a serious comp review. Look at your prices in comparison to the area in terms of square ft, bedrooms, bath, etc. Please reach out if you need any help with the review. Also, get some good pictures of the place and show them to people you trust. Are they good or are they not? Use the best ones

3) RELAX!! In this world, you will undergo some stress and some much worse than this. Just take a deep breath, forget about what you can't do and only focus on what you can control. Good luck with everything. Happy Holidays!

Hi Justin -

Regarding my location, I'm in the Boston area. Typically, this takes anywhere from 2-3 days to about 1 week at the most. You can do a fast screening process with using things like social media and a job screening. A simple resume can help with that. If it feels weird, do a credit check. It's better to be safe than sorry. What good is it to have a body in your place that isn't paying? Food for thought. Good luck and happy holidays! 

Hi Vincent-

I can imagine it would drive you nuts! It would drive me nuts as well. End the problem!! You need to have a brief but firm conversation that outlines the lease - Full rent is due by this date and on time!! You know you can't just keep getting partial payments. Make sure you are aware of eviction laws in your state and how many payments need to be missed and how conversations need to be had, etc. PA isn't my home state so I don't know (sorry). Be prepared to get a new tenant in there. It will also prepare you in the future if this happens again. I know it isn't easy. But you're dealing with the problem isn't of avoiding it. Good luck and Happy Holidays!

Hi Dennis -

Unfortunately, you learn the best from bad experience. In this case, you will never put up with this for as long as you have again. Remember, while the land is worth a lot, the time you've invested in this squatter alone in this guy has been an investment as well. Time is an investment, don't waste it!! 

1) Get the attorney first!! A real estate attorney who has experience with squatters.

2) You can make a deal for him to leave. $1000-$1500. It is totally up to you. Give him 1-2 weeks to decide (Final Offer). Next letter he gets is from your attorney. If he doesn't accept, have the attorney take it from there. 

Sorry you're going through this. We all have our big learning experiences but in the end, you'll be a better REI for it. Good luck and Happy Holidays!

Hi Brian -

Wow, you opened a can full of worms. It's a very good question. I think Chris took care of answering the information regarding the SDIRA. However, I wanted to shed some light on the mutual fund question as I was in the industry for about 10-15 years. The biggest thing you need to account for is fees. The average fee a fund manager take is 60-70%. Crazy, right? I am not telling you what is better, but there are a lot of things that Mutual Fund companies do not tell you. They do take a cut for the work they do. The hard part is that you don't see it unless you look hard at your investment. Let me know if I can help. Good luck.  

Hi Rachel,

I am an investor from MA and invest both in the midwest and the southeast. Feel free to DM me and I'd be happy to give you some thoughts. Welcome to BP!

I know it seems nowadays it seems a recession is likely with the rates an such. But how long have we heard this? Has it happened? Not yet. Will it? Who knows. Might be flat. We can't say for sure. Regarding the use of AI depends - it depends on how it is used. I know, very helpful, right? What I mean to say is many people in other fields tend to use it too much and it takes over and in Real Estate, it cannot replace Face Time or what we do on a regular basis. Yes, Justin has a good point, it can be more of a helpful tool, but it cannot replace what we do on a regular basis. My opinion, of course. 

Hi Jason,

RIght now, I have about a 50/50 split but I am constantly moving it around depending on opportunity that I see within my area and the people that I meet. Within each area, it also depends on how you invest. Are you looking for cash flow in real estate or are you looking for the home run investment? Within the stock market, are you investing in dividends or are you investing in tech? It all depends on what your end goals are. Keep the end in mind and your current actions will help dictate what moves you can take right now. Please let me know if you have any questions. Good luck. 

Hi Colby -

For one, start here. You're in the best place to find agents that think like investors. You need to brand yourself like such. And like some of the previous writers said, go to REIAs and study your A%$ off and become an expert on investing. Get outside your comfort zone and you will find those people that you're looking for. Wishing you the best. Good luck!