All Forum Posts by: Alexa S.

My husband and I just purchased a rental property in DC. We live several miles away in Virginia, but we understand DC law states landlords must have a registered agent for business transactions since we are out of state. We will be managing the property ourselves.

Can anyone in this situation make recommendations for a registered agent service that you personally have used and have had a good experience with?

Thank  you!

@paulewing, yes, there is definitely crime nearby. I have checked the reports, but the trick is that there is crime all over DC. I checked several nearby zip codes that I have previously lived in, close to this one, and crime rates are comparable.

We've got the disclosure statement and there is definitely no HOA. It was built as a row house, connected to two others, but not sharing maintenance costs in a community. We've talked to the owner of the adjacent home on one side and she has been there for 5 years and is happy in the area. We have not met the neighbors on the other side but they have a nicely kept yard that shows pride in ownership.

Thank you for posing good questions.

@ Joe Fairless 

Thank you for your response. I'll look into talking to a property management company. I can say that covering the mortgage (the price we plan to rent for) is lower than most properties in the area for 1 bedroom and certainly for 2+ bedrooms, but the trick is that we'd be 'competing' against luxury units/highrises in the area so of course ours would be cheaper. There are few townhomes from which to draw a comparison, but your point is well taken.

The house would be move-in ready as its fairly new and we would plan to take care of any repairs in the purchase agreement.

The schools in the area are middle-range, but that is most of DC. I would imagine for the size of the unit (1000 sq. feet) prime renters would be a couple or a person with a small child.

Thanks again. Good points to consider.

Hello,

I'm new here on this site. My husband and I are considering a townhouse purchase in Washington, DC. The price of the 3 bedroom townhouse, which comes with 2 parking spots (and has no affiliated HOAs) is the price of most 1 bedroom condos in the area. Its within walking distance of 3 metro stops which is valuable to city dwellers. We anticipate covering the mortgage and taxes and coming out even or with no more than $200 per month in excess earned. I would not buy the property with the expectation of cash flow. My hope is that the property will continue to gain value because of the multiple bedrooms, small fenced yard and parking, as well as proximity to public transportation in an area filling in with high rises.

So my big question mark is whether to proceed, given that this house is directly across the street from a low-income housing development. As in many parts of DC, there are extremely high cost properties directly next door to low income properties, but I have no idea how to anticipate whether we would be able to rent it out. There are condos for sale with similar square footage on the adjacent streets within 0.2-0.3 mile away for double the price and luxury high rises, high end gyms, restaurants, bars, and yoga studios, all within a few minutes walking. There are also projects in the pipeline for additional high rises (condos and rentals) that are either under construction or breaking ground soon.

Does anyone have thoughts on whether this is a good idea to move forward? I should add that this would be paid for out of savings, the house is newer construction (1994), and its not a giveaway price as in some markets in the US.

We hope to make a decision 11/23 so any input quickly is appreciated! (I have probably broken a cardinal rule of this site by posting the same question in the 'starting out' forum as well. I apologize for the double post- wasn't sure where it would be seen).

Hello,

I'm new here on this site. My husband and I are considering a townhouse purchase in Washington, DC. The price of the 3 bedroom townhouse, which comes with 2 parking spots (and has no affiliated HOAs) is the price of most 1 bedroom condos in the area. Its within walking distance of 3 metro stops which is valuable to city dwellers. We anticipate covering the mortgage and taxes and coming out even or with no more than $200 per month in excess earned. I would not buy the property with the expectation of cash flow. My hope is that the property will continue to gain value because of the multiple bedrooms, small fenced yard and parking, as well as proximity to public transportation in an area filling in with high rises.

So my big question mark is whether to proceed, given that this house is directly across the street from a low-income housing development. As in many parts of DC, there are extremely high cost properties directly next door to low income properties, but I have no idea how to anticipate whether we would be able to rent it out. There are condos for sale with similar square footage on the adjacent streets within 0.2-0.3 mile away for double the price and luxury high rises, high end gyms, restaurants, bars, and yoga studios, all within a few minutes walking. There are also projects in the pipeline for additional high rises (condos and rentals) that are either under construction or breaking ground soon.

Does anyone have thoughts on whether this is a good idea to move forward? I should add that this would be paid for out of savings, the house is newer construction (1994), and its not a giveaway price as in some markets in the US.

We hope to make a decision 11/23 so any input quickly is appreciated!

Thanks Robert and Roger. I look forward to soaking up all of this information and connecting with other investors in the area!

Hello,

I'm interested in learning about buying fixer uppers, renovating, and selling for profit. I'm not sure if the flip market is only open to all cash offers in the DC area these days. It would be great to connect with people who are still doing this (not just people who had luck a few years back) in the area.

Thank you!