All Forum Posts by: Dawn Vacek

I am a buy and hold investor in the Highland Falls to Newburgh areas of the Glorious Hudson Valley.  I won't comment on flips because I don't do them but I have been successful with buy hold.  I will say that I find I am always buying projects where I have to fix them up and the key is to buy low enough and fix cheap enough.  It is as important to understand fair cost of construction as the markets for me.

Here is my idea for dealing with a popcorn definaltley asbestos containing ceiling in a 3800 sq ft house I am buying.  Would love your ideas on it. 

 I plan to reframe all the ceilings with 2 x 4's in an opposite direction and spray3 1/2" foam insulation ...then just rock over.  It will be permanently encapsulated and less disturbance than removal... 

If you have the money to be a real buyer call a CCIM.  You can look up the agents for the philly area online.  What you want is pretty small but all ccim's invest and will be able to send you to the right agent in that area.  

I guess I need to ask more questions.  How much is a 3-4 family, owner occupied (although I don't really understand this criteria) in this market?  Is $5-8000 enought to be a real buyer?

Are you in ROmania?  I have been speaking with someone else investing in Bucharest.  All of the Central/Eastern European countries have tremendous potential now.  Everyone is looking at Bulgaria and wanting to play!!  I have only been to Bucharest-beautiful city, and there was a lot of opportunity there.  How are you doing with mortgaging?  It had been quite limiting.

Congratulations on having become an investor.  I have found that there are times not to buy.  Sometimes. looking for another area is a good idea.  Where is Mures?  It's hard to recommend alternatives when I don't know where you are.

OK Joe,  I can help you.  Tell me what you are looking to buy in Phillidelphia, how much you have to spend and when you will be buying.  I'll tell you why the brokers don't take you seriously enough to answer your calls.  deal?

Due Diligence...I don't care what an asking price is...I do my own numbers and offer based on the market and the value of the property to me .  For you to have made an offer on a property and not been aware how good a deal, how "hot" a property it was, just shows me you don't know your market well enough.    I've been both a broker and an investor for many years.  I still have to spend a lot of time answering unknowns and researching before I buy.  The wins in  investing are big, and so are the losses.  

when I was working as a full time brokerI would offset my net with improvements to my buy and hold property,  As I got more of them and the "little bits" added up I was able to relax with a nice residule income.  No pressure.  I would never get that from flips since it's so much about the timing.

There is no right answer to if or how someone should invest.   I think there are lots of people who should not be in real estate at all.  Nothing is for everyone.

Hi,  I am an agent and while many times they can help, I doubt it would matter in this case.  If the buildir is selling units without an agent they will not be inclined to negotiate and pay a Realtor's commission.  Usually, these projects under construction appreciate quickly so they will be worth more when you close than now.  If it is a nice project and a good builder, and the price is fair to the market I would say go for it.  If you buy with the language "YOUR NAME and or assigns"  as the buyer you can possibly flip it if you find something you like better between now and closing.  Where in Boston is it?  I've done a lot of due dilligence in neighborhoods there, there are fewer and fewer bad areas.