All Forum Posts by: Marc Brenner

Hey @Milan Dixon , there's no doubt this will eventually be a great area but it is easily one of the worst areas I've driven through ITP and I've driven through them all. That doesn't mean it's not a great area to invest in, it just means you will have difficulty finding a property manager that will take on a home here and if you manage the property yourself, there may possibly be some safety risks you should take seriously. If you look just a little bit to the East, in West Lake, you'll find an area with much higher upside and less risk in my opinion.

Hey @Haley Thornton,

Welcome! I always recommend my clients start by developing their "personal investment philosophy" (taken from the Real Estate Guys Radio podcast which is awesome if you haven't checked it out). 

You need think about and write down what you want REI to do for you and how you want to be involved. If you know you want to do SFR and small MF already, then maybe come up with a 5 year plan for amount of doors or cumulative cash-flow and break it all the way down to goals you can achieve this year. Then you just need to come up with the action steps related to these goals.

When analyzing markets you want to look at things like population growth, job growth, a diverse economy and shortage of housing which Atlanta has in spades. There are certainly better markets and easier places to find deals, but don't underestimate how much of an advantage you're familiarity with Atlanta is. For instance, I bet you understand the impact of the Beltline, or the plans for Grove Park or Airport City, or what areas your millennial friends are buying houses in way better than an out of state investor would. Honestly I think you'll learn more and have more piece of mind at least starting out here. There are better markets than Atlanta but none that are so much better that it's worth the extra elements out of state investing will involve.

The best way to find deals is to build relationships with investor focused agents, get on every wholesalers list you can and unsubcribe the crappy ones. Also - strongly consider directing some capital to a direct to seller campaign. It may not sound like something you want to spend time on but at the end of the day, finding deals is the oxygen of REI and if you can go right to the source, you'll have no shortage of ways to make money.

I hope this helps! Best of luck! - Marc

Hey @Jacky Tu , I'm a Realtor in Atlanta who focuses mainly on investor clients. Feel free to PM me. Best, Marc.

Hi @Lory Lee, are you asking about the eviction process in Atlanta? There is currently a moratorium on evictions. Did you have a question or need advice?

Hi @Charlie Anne, it's tough to analyze with knowing the address but it's hard to believe a property at $45k only needs $25k to get it in condition to rent for $900-$1250. "Up and coming" 5 minutes from downtown? Are we talking English Avenue? Dixie Hills? Be careful you're not purchasing in a really bad part of town. As someone who analyzes deals ITP everyday I'm willing to bet one or more of your assumptions is unrealistic but it's hard to say without more detail. Feel free to PM me if you'd like a closer look.

Hey @Charles Pridgen , unless you're looking to spend thousands on a "guru", it sounds like you need a Realtor who is an investment property specialist. Unfortunately, most agents have little to no experience with investment property transactions. But there are a few that focus on this niche :)

Hey @Account Closed,

You're talking about a pretty large area. Care to specify? There is very little multifamily inventory so you may find the inventory dictates the location, not the other way around.

You should just use Georgia Realtor forms (GAR forms). Any agent can provide those for you.

Hey @Shyam Panchal , what does your Realtor say? They should definitely be providing you with that info!

Only you can answer that question based on what your goals are. But unless you're actually interested in the work a Realtor does and are willing to dedicate a lot of time and energy into creating a sustainable business, I would not bother to get licensed. If you're soley focused on investing, you will likely grow weary of spending the time working it requires to become a successful agent. 

Saying all that, I became an agent to fund my investing and it's one of the best decisions I've ever made. There is also a huge need for investor friendly agents in the marketplace. 

Both Wholesaling and Real Estate Sales are extremely difficult to achieve success in and both will require your full dedication and effort. Best of luck.