All Forum Posts by: Mirinda Lowe

I agree with J Scott, you have to build relationships. Investing money with someone requires a great deal of trust and due diligence, and building your reputation, brand, and network are the keys.

Another thought - I recently saw a car driven by an investor here in LA that had advertising on it for his business. Along with his business info, it said something like, "if you're not earning 10% on your money, ask me how". I'm not sure if it's at all effective, and I'm certainly not speaking to the legality of anything here (do always consult an attorney), but I found it interesting.

I'm in the LA area. Would love to connect.

Paul, I'd love to connect with you and keep abreast of what you find out. I'm next door in Woodland Hills and becoming a lender is a goal of mine as well. I do my own deals, but sometimes also want to put other money to work for me that I don't have the cycles to keep busy myself. But...I trust no one with my money but me; assume everyone is a Bernie Madoff, and do mountains of due diligence before I step into anything. Just haven't had enough time to dive into the due diligence on this one yet. Perhaps we can help one another.

Unfortunately the article is a jumbled mess, and if there was a concrete point in there it was certainly lost. That aside, yes the realtor industry is threatened by all the major RE sites. For good reason, one way or another it will disrupt the status quo. How far and how quickly remains to be seen. As for errors on the site, that's a human and/or technology issue/limitation where they exist. May be Zillow's issue, may be issues downstream.

Those who fight the Zillow's of the world will be harmed in the fight, just as the record industry and countless other industries have been in the past. Most "regular home buyers" (non realtor and/or investor) I know use these sites as starting places to find homes to buy. They then call their realtor with a list of homes they want to see or go direct to an open house. If your homes aren't on there, you certainly may miss out on potential buyers.

Fighting them may feel good, but they are here to stay. Like the record industry did (well, sort of...), eventually realtors will have to figure out how to work profitably in the new technology age or go the way of the buggy whip. (I know many realtors are forward thinking on this, lest anyone think I'm lumping all realtors in with this poster.)

Definitely move on. It's temping to want to bend the rules because you want that renter moved in, but in the long run you want the best tenant you can get. If they're not willing to do what they need to now, just imagine what trouble you're in for down the line.

I know you said that you don't want to sign up, but I recommend Redfin. I'm pretty sure Boston is one of their markets. I've been signed up with them here in LA for years before I got my RE license, and find their search and content very useful. You will find what you are looking for on their site and I can tell you they've never bothered me with anything that I didn't ask them to.

Lots of great file sharing sites available. Probably the easiest is Google Docs. If the information contained in the documents is sensitive, the files are secure, but you may be best to add an encryption program on both ends to fully secure them to your level of comfort.

Speaking of insurance - anyone have a good Earthquake Insurer for their flip properties?

Great advice from several folks. I'm always interested in others' use of multiple LLC structures.

I would definitely talk to an attorney and an accountant about your particular circumstances. Beyond liability, you should consider the tax implications, as well as the organizational, reporting, and paperwork requirements that pertain to different tax entities.

As for piercing the corporate veil, remember above all else to keep your business and personal accounts and activities 100% separate.

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Grocery IQ for keeping grocery and other shopping lists (you can sync it to other iPhones, iPads, etc in your house too so everyone has access to the list)

VocabAhead for learning fun new words every day!

Brian - I can't imagine anyone not loving the iPhone, but I suppose it's possible. I can't imagine life without mine.