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All Forum Posts by: Lawrence Potts

Lawrence Potts has started 8 posts and replied 443 times.

Post: Cash flow on LTR

Lawrence PottsPosted
  • Real Estate Agent
  • Posts 452
  • Votes 410
Quote from @Bonnie Glidewell:

@Payton Haight the goal isn't necessarily to get cash flow now, longer term appreciation is the goal. I just want to make sure that other investors out there recommend getting a LTR now knowing it won't cash flow right away.

Silly question about mid term rentals. I never hear much about it. How is there more ROI here than LT?

Mid term tenants are occupants usually beyond 30 days but less than a year. They are typically traveling occupants. Furnished units, rates sit between daily night rates and monthly long term rates. I have a contact in Medford that can share more insights on it if interested in the valley

Post: Cash flow on LTR

Lawrence PottsPosted
  • Real Estate Agent
  • Posts 452
  • Votes 410
Quote from @Bonnie Glidewell:

Hello, my husband and I are loving this podcast recently shared with us. We own one LTR (since 2021) and are starting to look for a second. Regretting not doing it last year with high interest rates now, however...besides that, I want to ask about cash flow. I've been approaching my LTR as a break even but keep hearing about cash flow. When I plug numbers into the cash flow calculator, I can't seem to find a property with any flow or hardly break even with all numbers considered even without PMI, no management fees, 20% down etc. There's a housing crises (Southern Oregon) so I think in a few years it will certainly be worth it, but what am I missing here?

Hey Bonnie,

No, you’re right, you’re not missing anything in regards to cashflow and the housing crisis in Southern Oregon. You’ll have to get creative like most of us are having to do in the rogue valley. Trial and error until you find a lane that works. Maybe that’s short term rentals, rent by the room, lease purchase agreements, etc. But you’re going to have to think outside the box and really work hard to find that cashflow. Another thing about cashflow is your tolerance to risk: you could adjust your maintenance reserves and capex, or manage yourself, etc., but it comes with its own challenges. Reality is that cashflow is not passive and never truly has been and never will. It’s a measure of how passive you want it to be to fit your lifestyle and at what cost. Hope that helps you taking the next step.

Post: Looking for builders and contractors in Corvallis for ADU

Lawrence PottsPosted
  • Real Estate Agent
  • Posts 452
  • Votes 410
Quote from @Damon Silver:

Looking to make contact with one or more builders/contractors in Corvallis, Oregon to understand pricing, timing, complexities of building an ADU within the city limits.

Hey Damon, more than happy to connect you with some guys that have experience. I have a friend doing an ADU build in Corvallis right now. It’s pretty straightforward but dependent on the property and what kind of ADU (detached, attached, etc)

Post: Investing in the Oregon market

Lawrence PottsPosted
  • Real Estate Agent
  • Posts 452
  • Votes 410
Quote from @Eric Lee:
Quote from @Jay Hinrichs:

Corvallis ???  


I did some work in Corvallis and thought about investing in that area as well...just seems like Eugene would have a more robust market. But I may just need to do some more research into the potential opportunities that Corvallis may provide!

Like @Jay Hinrichs mentioned, it’s more expensive, but for reasons. Corvallis is notoriously “anti-building”, a more hyper-inflated market inside of its own bubble compared to the rest of the willamette valley. OSU enrollment continues to grow and it ranks in the top 10 in the nation for highest enrollment to lack of housing ratio in the nation. No surprise, this, along with job growth (HP is a large employer) forces prices to stay high as demand creeps up too. If you can find the right deal at the right price, there’s a lot of equity and appreciation to capitalize on. But the cost to play that game is higher than the likes of Eugene or Roseburg or Salem. But the above statement is easily used generically for any market. 

We had an investment group willing to come in and zero-lot line a dilapidated apartment complex in Corvallis and give the tenants the opportunity to buy to help solve our affordability crisis here, but nonetheless, the city forced their hand by needing a half-street development after changing zoning that killed the deal. It’s an uphill battle with the city; many investors can look at this and see that this only forces appreciation and get in even though the cost to play is high.

Hope that makes sense. And not to drag the city through the mud. Just the reality of our market here and us trying to find ways to solve our serious housing problems.


Quote from @Talia Bollard:

I am also new to real estate investing and looking to buy a second home in the Newberg area and or possibly Salem. Most of these posts are in 2018 is obviously more expensive now.

I agree, I was reading through them and was very confused 😂

I will advocate for @Grant Schroeder he has the local knowledge with incredible real estate knowledge and backing that makes him an excellent resource in the area.

There are a lot of tertiary markets in between Newberg and Salem, I’d love to hear more on your thoughts on these markets, I’d be more than happy to help in the search too. Grant and I have helped a lot of local investors get started in the willamette valley with house hacking multifamily or buying live-in flips, or just strictly investment properties to add to their existing portfolio.

Post: Small and Mighty Real Estate Investor Hopeful

Lawrence PottsPosted
  • Real Estate Agent
  • Posts 452
  • Votes 410
Quote from @Chris Watkins:

I agree with building upon a successful strategy, rather than stepping too far out of your comfort zone early on. With interest rates and inventory where they are on-market, you're likely to have too much competition to win a good deal off of the MLS. Either finding off-market properties, taking on a rehab project, or looking at STR/MTR are going to be needed to get a foothold in this market. @Lawrence Potts knows the area well and can speak to the availability of properties and what kind of strategy might best fit your skillset and goals.

Thank you Chris! Happy to help however I can @Daniel Lee

Post: Small and Mighty Real Estate Investor Hopeful

Lawrence PottsPosted
  • Real Estate Agent
  • Posts 452
  • Votes 410
Quote from @Daniel Lee:

Hi BP Community,


Introducing myself as a "new" member, though more like newly active member to the community. Looking for cash flowing single family homes in the Portland, Beaverton, Newberg, Salem areas of Oregon. Currently have two long term rentals and looking to slowly and deliberately scale in a disciplined way.

Thanks!

Happy to have you here, Daniel! I went to college at George Fox and live just south of Salem. More than happy to connect sometime!
Quote from @Chris Watkins:
Quote from @Brian Kloft:

Anyone on here very familiar with Ashland OR and or live or work there? We might have an opportunity there but are not as familiar with the inland cities of Oregon as we are the coastal towns. Our son will be going to SOU in the fall so we are a little familiar with it, just not as much as we would like and so we have some questions.

 @Lawrence Potts splits time between Salem and Ashland/Medford area, so he'd have some insight!

I went to SOU for about a year and grew up in southern Oregon, I’d be more than happy to take a look and see what you’ve got going on.

Thank you Chris!

Post: Cash Flow in Oregon? - Albany, Lebanon, Corvallis

Lawrence PottsPosted
  • Real Estate Agent
  • Posts 452
  • Votes 410
Quote from @Chris Watkins:
Quote from @Chris P.:

@Tanner Lewis Thanks for the reply, seems like driving for dollars or connecting with a wholesaler would be my best bet to find a property to brrrr.

@Chris Watkins thanks for the insights and suggestions, Chris (great name by the way!). I realized really quickly while browsing the likes of Zillow that there aren’t simple turnkey 20-25% down properties and will need to be creative with a solution. My wife and I are considering multifamily house hacking but seems like inventory is very slim around my area and retail prices still don’t make sense for cash flow. We have small children so I think the benefits would really need to outweigh the negatives to make a move like this. We would plan to keep our current home and rent it out as well if we did this.
I appreciate your insight on the tenant-landlord relationship, makes sense to target a better quality neighborhood to hopefully prevent some of those issues.

@Mike Grudzien Thank you! Looking at local groups, it looks like we have one that meets very close to me in Corvallis. Eugene is a bit of a drive, but I’m sure the insight gained would be well worth it. Would likely start more locally and venture out from there. I appreciate the recommendations!


Wholesalers can be a good source for off-market deals, but the challenge is that a quick close (10-20 days) is often necessary to buy from them, so traditional financing is often not an option. That means that you're likely going to either need to pay cash or use a hard money lender to buy the property. If going the hard money route, you need to have a relationship with one, be pre-approved and ready to go fast when a deal comes available. All adds up to a lot for a first-time investor, so proceed with eyes open.

You're also right that small multi-family properties are hard to find because they are attractive to investors. House hacking is a great way to start if your family situation will allow it, paying 3.5-5% down instead of 25% can be a huge advantage. Keeping your current place as a rental is also a great move, though lending guidelines have changed recently to make it a little harder to count that rental income when qualifying for the new place. Traditional lending will be easier to get, but you'll still want to be pre-approved, connected with a good agent, and ready to pounce on a good deal, as they move quick!

If you can connect with @Lawrence Potts or @Dan Gandee, they're both great resources for investing in the valley. I can help on the lending side if you have questions there!

Happy to help out @Chris P. My wife and I got started house hacking in Lebanon and Albany. Send me a message or give me a call and then I can get you connected to the REI group in Corvallis.

Sometimes wholesalers are assigning contracts to other wholesalers without even knowing it. So by the time it gets to you, it may have already passed a few assignments. Which can cause higher risk of the deal falling through if any of those parties fail to perform. Very common with inexperienced wholesalers.

Post: Cash Flow in Oregon? - Albany, Lebanon, Corvallis

Lawrence PottsPosted
  • Real Estate Agent
  • Posts 452
  • Votes 410
Quote from @Chris P.:

After years of being on the sideline, finally taking the plunge into real estate investing. Prices here in Oregon just don’t seem to support real estate investing in my area of Albany, Lebanon, Corvallis. I have hesitation with out-of-state investing, and I would like  be hands on with my rentals as well as not use a property manager. I know Oregon has its issues with being a very tenant friendly state, but people are making it work. How are people investing here and making cash flow? I get you can make anything cash flow if you start with a big enough down payment. Would appreciate any and all suggestions and guidance!

Thanks

There’s a Corvallis/Albany REI group as well if that is a closer commute for you. There’s a private FB group that we can add you to.