All Forum Posts by: Kyle Bryant

@Hadar Orkibi You can get between 1-2% in the 5th Ward. 2nd Ward, you will get around 1%, just over 1% max. I could be wrong though...that's just the deals that I am looking at over there. You might want to ask people who have done deals over there lately.

@Hadar Orkibi Using Trulia.com should give you a decent picture of the crime rate along specific streets/pockets of the neighborhood. Just east of Hwy 288 gets a lot of migration from the Medical Center/Museum District, so it tends to be a little "nicer" than further in 3rd Ward territory. 

2nd Ward is also on the major upswing in terms of property value. The Metro Rail has been there for a couple of years, there are scores of new townhomes going up, and it's generally considered one of the up-and-coming places. Lots of gentrification over there, commercial properties, and new apartment builds. But you could probably still find a handful of deals that would cashflow. Generally a "better" area than 3rd Ward or 5th Ward in my opinion. 

I had a conversation with a 5th Ward resident today who said all of the development will be along Lyons Ave. Agree about 3rd Ward—that ship has sailed for buy and hold (in general). Home values are skyrocketing. There is very cheap land in 5th Ward and a lot of organizations planning its revitalization. I'm also looking at investing in the 5th Ward for buy and hold. 

@Nick Deutsch I'm a Houston attorney as well, looking to get a side-hustle going. Would love to know more about the  commercial tract you are developing!  

@James M. As an attorney, I've seen many landlords screw it up and many Tenants get several chances. My (non-legal) advice to you would be to keep a copy of Chapter 92 of the Texas Property Code nearby at all times. Memorize it if you have to. And whenever the Code requires you to give notice to someone, always opt for CMRRR (certified mail) and hand delivery if you can. The "belt and suspenders" approach is helpful in foreclosures and evictions. 

My second piece of advice is to make a fool-proof eviction checklist that you can run through each time you need to do an eviction. If your first one works well, jot down each step you took in meticulous detail and then follow that process each time. 

If the tenant vacates before the court date, I would ask your attorney if there's any money remaining from the $650 (minus their time and filing fee). You might get a couple hundred dollars back (or you could ask that any money left over be applied to future invoices). Sticking the tenant with attorney's fees, while potentially allowed, won't guarantee that you'll recover. And going after $350 "on principle" is throwing good money after bad. 

I would avoid taking legal advice from people in Florida when your property is (presumably) in Ohio. Each state has different laws regarding what remedies are available to landlords. In Texas, for example, the law does allow landlords to collect "liquidated damages" in some cases for tenants withholding of rent. Bottom line, check your state's property code (Landlord/Tenant chapter) for appropriate remedies. It should be fairly straightforward.

I would love to go to a monthly meet-up. Tuesday/Thursday nights at 6:30 would be preferable. Like @Cody L., somewhere inside "civilization," i.e., inside the Loop.

Hi BP, my name is Kyle Bryant and I am an attorney in Houston, Texas. A few months ago, a friend introduced me to Bigger Pockets and the BP Podcast. I've always been interested in real estate investing, but I've never taken any steps toward that arena. This site and the podcast have been a great tool for me over the past months.

I currently live in Houston, Texas and practice law (part time). I also am a school administrator for a small private school, and I am looking for investment opportunities on the side. I am interested primarily in small multi-family buy-and-hold properties (duplex, tri- and quad rentals), with an eye towards larger multi-family and maybe commercial in the future.

At this point, I am looking to network with other investors, lenders, and people who are generally knowledgeable and successful in the Houston area. I've never done any deals myself, although I have been on the legal side of several investment and commercial real estate deals. I would love to accompany someone on a deal to see how the sausage is made. My goal is to do my first small multi-family deal within the next 2-3 years. I hope to be able to jump into the fray soon! 

-Kyle Bryant-

@Wesley Rich welcome! I'm also practicing law in Houston (part time) and new to real estate investing. Hope to see you around at a networking event. Send me a PM if you like to connect in person sometime. 

-Kyle Bryant