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All Forum Posts by: Melissa Johnsen

Melissa Johnsen has started 0 posts and replied 19 times.

Post: Best cash flow regions in USA??

Melissa Johnsen
Professional Services
Pro Member
Posted
  • Rental Property Investor
  • Detroit, MI
  • Posts 24
  • Votes 19

Welcome @Juan Carlos Correa!

Best cashflow areas by far are in the Midwest and Southeast markets - great cash flow, great home appreciation as well as rental appreciation, cost of living is a lot less as compared to other parts of the country, great work force! If you can purchase a turnkey investment property in these areas, it's a slam dunk.

It really comes down to investing in a growing market, in a good neighborhood & building a great team to support you. It can be a lot of time and work if doing it on your own. It's helpful to work with a reputable team. That is what our team at Rent to Retirement has been helping investors to do for a decade now with BP. I'm happy to answer any questions you have about analyzing markets or getting started. Most importantly, choose a market that aligns with your goals!

Wishing you the best of success!
Melissa Johnsen
Rent to Retirement Investment Strategist

Post: New Member Intro

Melissa Johnsen
Professional Services
Pro Member
Posted
  • Rental Property Investor
  • Detroit, MI
  • Posts 24
  • Votes 19

Welcome @Nick Burrell!

Glad to have you on the BP forum! My home base is Detroit, Michigan :-) but I work to pair investors with turnkey rental investment properties nationally. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions! Would love to connect. 


Best,

Melissa Johnsen, Investment Strategist

Rent to Retirement

Post: What areas are currently cashflowing

Melissa Johnsen
Professional Services
Pro Member
Posted
  • Rental Property Investor
  • Detroit, MI
  • Posts 24
  • Votes 19

@Frankie Paterno hey!

Areas that cash flow well (of course this is contingent on your down payment when financing the home) are states in the Midwest and Southeast of the country - reasonable purchase prices, great home appreciation, great rental appreciation and growing work forces! I can send some turnkey properties your way to have a look if you'd like.

Best of luck,

Melissa Johnsen, Investment Strategist

Rent to Retirement

Post: Rookie In NJ

Melissa Johnsen
Professional Services
Pro Member
Posted
  • Rental Property Investor
  • Detroit, MI
  • Posts 24
  • Votes 19

Hello @Yaumari Gonzalez - I'm a licensed agent in NJ as well! My advice would be to look outside of NJ. NJ is notoriously one of the most expensive states to live and invest in. I would focus more in the Southeast and Midwest of the country and on turnkey rental properties so that there is more peace of mind when holding the homes. I have some inventory in these markets that might appeal to you. Let me know and I look forward to connecting!

Best of luck!

Melissa Johnsen, Investment Strategist

Rent to Retirement 

Post: Out of State Investing

Melissa Johnsen
Professional Services
Pro Member
Posted
  • Rental Property Investor
  • Detroit, MI
  • Posts 24
  • Votes 19

@Noe Alonzo Nesmith Jr - Hey!

Were you interested in other parts of the Midwest and Southeast of the country? Turnkey rental investment props in particular? Let me know and I can send some exclusive inventory your way that consists of new builds and completely rehabbed homes. Annual home appreciation, rental appreciation and the property management teams in these markets are attractive for investors too. 

Wishing you much success!

Best,

Melissa Johnsen, Investment Strategist

Rent to Retirement

Post: How do I Scale from Here

Melissa Johnsen
Professional Services
Pro Member
Posted
  • Rental Property Investor
  • Detroit, MI
  • Posts 24
  • Votes 19

Hey @Andrew Katz - How do you feel about Turnkey rental investment props in the South Bend, Indiana area - about 1.5 hours from Chicago, close to Notre Dame U, workmanship is beautiful and about 4% rental appreciation annually and purchase price under $200k. Private message me and I can send some along your way. 

Wishing you much success!

Melissa Johnsen, Investment Strategist

Rent to Retirement

Post: New investor here looking to make first investment.

Melissa Johnsen
Professional Services
Pro Member
Posted
  • Rental Property Investor
  • Detroit, MI
  • Posts 24
  • Votes 19

Hey @Rahul P.,

Great REI props can be found in various markets, particularly in the Midwest and Southeast regions of the U.S. These areas not only feature affordable purchase prices for many investors but also offer turnkey homes—either newly constructed or fully renovated—ready for tenants. These properties often have systems with about ten years of life left and are situated in neighborhoods with appreciating property values and rental income.

The cash flow from a property largely depends on your down payment. A lower down payment might lead to a break-even scenario or even negative cash flow. However, some investors embrace this strategy, especially if they want to minimize their upfront capital and plan to refinance within a few years—particularly with ongoing discussions about the Federal Reserve potentially lowering interest rates into 2025. The good news is that with the right approach, you can also achieve positive cash flow in these markets.

Ultimately, success in real estate investing hinges on selecting a growing market, a desirable neighborhood, and building a strong support team. Navigating this journey alone can be time-intensive, so partnering with a reputable team can make all the difference. That is what our team at Rent to Retirement has been doing for the past decade with BP. I'm here to answer any questions you may have about analyzing markets or getting started. Most importantly, choose a market that aligns with your investment goals for the best results!

Wishing you all the success!

Melissa Johnsen
Rent to Retirement Investment Strategist

Post: New to the game but ready to play

Melissa Johnsen
Professional Services
Pro Member
Posted
  • Rental Property Investor
  • Detroit, MI
  • Posts 24
  • Votes 19
Quote from @Sinuway Martinez:

Gooday to all. I was referred here from Jake and the flipping secrets family. I am looking to build a team of like mined go getters and go givers to make a dent in the up and down market we are in . All advice welcome here. I am located and investing in west burbs of Chicago, but also branching out to flip in other states. Any recommendation on hot spot location to search for properties for fix and flips?? Also looking for R E Agent / Investors form out of state to give me some insite of your market. 

To me its looking like a lot of  properties are over priced, but I will keep digging. I am also looking for info on creative purchasing and "Subject to" purchases, especially BRRRRs. I planning to invents in purchasing single and multi-fam, fix and flips, Short term rentals and buy and hold single and multi-fam properties. Always Happy Investing & Gooday. Thanks in advance.

Hello @Sinuway Martinez,

There are real estate investment opportunities across various markets, particularly in the Midwest and Southeast regions of the U.S. These areas not only offer reasonable purchase prices for many investors, but also feature turnkey homes—either newly built or fully renovated—ready for tenants, with systems that still have around ten years of life left. Additionally, properties in these markets tend to appreciate in both value and rental income.

The cash flow from a property will depend largely on your down payment. A smaller down payment might lead to a break-even situation or even negative cash flow. However, some investors are comfortable with this approach, especially if they prefer to limit their initial capital and plan to refinance a few years after purchase—particularly as discussions about the Federal Reserve lowering interest rates into 2025 continue.

Ultimately, successful investing hinges on selecting a growing market, a desirable neighborhood, and assembling a strong support team. Managing everything solo can be quite time-consuming, so collaborating with a reputable team is beneficial. For the past decade, our team at Rent to Retirement has been helping investors navigate this process effectively with BP. I'm here to answer any questions you have about market analysis or getting started. Most importantly, make sure to choose a market that aligns with your investment goals!

Wishing you great success!

Melissa Johnsen
Rent to Retirement Investment Strategist

Post: Open Permit for Oil tank

Melissa Johnsen
Professional Services
Pro Member
Posted
  • Rental Property Investor
  • Detroit, MI
  • Posts 24
  • Votes 19
Quote from @Tyran Melong:

Thank you for this info Melissa! 

Apparently the company that applied for the permit is no longer in business. That’s what is making it hard.

Call the building dept at Newark asap. The inspector should be able to do an inspection and close the permit out. Make sure you ask what needs to be done/seen for the inspection to pass.

Post: Open Permit for Oil tank

Melissa Johnsen
Professional Services
Pro Member
Posted
  • Rental Property Investor
  • Detroit, MI
  • Posts 24
  • Votes 19
Quote from @Tyran Melong:

Hi Melissa, 
     The tank was already removed. The sellers have no idea about why the permit is open. 


It's likely that the contractor they used to hire to remove the tank didn't close the permit with the township. I would try and get a hold of the contractor to close it out. Maybe the sellers have documentation to see what the company's name was?  The town should have that already on file too for when the permit was applied for. You can always run an OPRA (free open permits search) on the property as well. Every town in NJ has the doc on their website. 

If the property is in Newark:
OPRA Records Center | Newark, NJ (govqa.us)

Once that is submitted via email the township has 7 days to get back to you with the information requested. I usually fill out the form like this:

1) All open and closed permits on (property address) (lot) (block)

Let me know if this helps! 

-Melissa