All Forum Posts by: Matt A.

Rich Weese that helps. I can see speculating in appreciation down the line when my monthly cash flow can afford it, but the early days of building capital require immediate returns.

Thanks Marco Santarelli. The idea of my first purchase not being in my market is a weird idea to get my head around. I see the reasoning but it's going to take getting beyond the comfort level of that "drive by" ability!

You would say that every beginning investor, even with 1 or 2 rentals, should use professional property management?

Just downloaded your report. Thanks!

Wow thanks for all these great responses.

It sounds like in a market with a diversity of A, B, and C neighborhoods (like Seattle) there should be a starter property which will offer immediate CF.

Robert Steele, my approach would be to find the B/C cusp areas that are moving away from problem tenants and into solid appreciation.

Marco Santarelli, do you think it is better to start with a property in my immediate area to get my hands on it and learn the ropes first hand before investing in an out of market property?

I started a topic yesterday about markets which are more or less likely to produce positive cash flow. Related to that- what is the opinion on how important immediate cash flow is?

I see that we want both cash flow AND appreciation. Posts here say CF is sometimes sacrificed for appreciation, while others say go for both simultaneously. My area of Seattle suffered less of a value hit during the last decline, and is well developed and stable from what I have seen so far.

Any investors who went through the first early years with negative cash flow? With a stable, appreciating area, is it to be expected? Or does every market, either slow or rapid growth, have areas which are undervalued and thus can be rehabbed and offer positive flow?

And are there ways to mitigate the hit you take when starting to invest?

I am particularly interested, of course, in what my fellow Seattleites/Washingtonians have to say!

Thanks All,
Matt

Will Spruill

Have you dealt with other properties South of us or are you trying to look in W Seattle?

thanks Brandon
Matt

We live in the southernmost area of the city limits (in West Seattle) so Renton/Burien/Des Moines/Kent are not unreasonble.

I would like my first property to have immediate positive cash flow, and learning the best area from local investors like yourselves is a big help.

Thanks Brandon.
I wish I could have made the Tacoma meetup but it was short notice for me and I had work. I should have joined BP before my last schedule was made!

Hopefully there will be one in the future, perhaps in Seattle/Bellevue????

We get Grays Harbor patients at my hospital regulalry, so let me say, I, er, know the population..... :)

Nope that tag didn't work!
@Tony Khuu

Did this work?

Tony Khuu, (hope I'm using that tag correctly), we are looking at long term appreciation w/ cash flow and less so at immediate profit. It seems that there are plenty of areas where immediate monthly flow is impossible.

Looking at this downtown listing that was recently posted on this site:
http://prevailpm.vflyer.com/home/flyer/home/230314001

449k for a duplex w/ $2062 in total monthly rents!

Since we are learning, we want to invest in local properties in our area that we can manage. After we get comfortable with how management works we'd be willing to farm it out.

Thanks for your information!

Matt