All Forum Posts by: Kimberly S.

@Matthew Rogers  Thank you very much!  I believe it was originally built as a live/work unit as opposed to a conversion, but I didn't think to check that--you may have saved me from a lot of headaches.  Thanks again!

Good Evening,

I have recently come across a live/work unit with separate entrances in a price range I am comfortable with.  It features a 1 bedroom apartment with a separate entrance and a work space on the lower level.  How do I go about assessing the "work" area of the space?  I was hoping to live in the apartment and rent out the lower half, but I don't know how to assess the commercial viability of such a location.  It's a good, reasonably wealthy area that is currently in a building frenzy with restaurants and recreational areas.  Has anyone done this before?  It's a bit different than what I originally envisioned, but if its economically viable, I wouldn't mind.  Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

Kim

@Cornelius Charles Nice to meet you!  I enjoyed reading your investor diary a little while back (when I was still lurking)!  Reading it really gave me hope :)  I'd love to keep in touch.  Have a great evening.

@David Faulkner  Thanks for all of the info!  I definitely want to get my hands dirty when the time is right.   Argh the amount of HOAs around here make me crazy.  

@Jeff Wallenius Thank you!  This is such a great resource.

@Ali Boone  I'm a mechanical, but my SO is an aerospace engineer.  Have you stopped at the Waypoint Café?  I really enjoy watching the planes from Camarillo come and go (and the occasional pilot running to grab a burger hah)!  Thank you for the two resources, out of state is tempting, its definitely something I'm willing to consider, I just need to learn more first.  

@michael Sato thank you!

Hi everyone, I'm Kim.  I finally decided to stop lurking and to introduce myself.  I'm an engineer by trade currently living and working in Ventura County, CA.  I've been in the area for about four years and have really enjoyed all the hiking and biking in the area.  I am a very hands-on sort of person and spend most of my free time tinkering with projects. 

In late 2015 I started seriously looking to buy property, but after looking around a bit, ultimately decided to build up my reserves a bit more before embarking on such an adventure.  I initially wanted to purchase a MFH and live in one side and rent out the other, however I was discouraged from doing so by both the realtor I was working with and the people in my immediate sphere of influence (mostly quality of life concerns--they're still appalled I live in such a tiny apartment by choice :)  ).  

Ultimately, I still like the house hacking plan, but I am not sure as to the feasibility of this plan in California.  I'm hoping to meet some positive, knowledgeable folks on here so I can learn as much as I can for the future.  Anyways, nice to meet you all!