All Forum Posts by: Melissa Justice

@LaShon Evans Hello!

It's exciting that you're starting your REI journey! If you're concerned about asset protection, LLCs are great for shielding your personal assets, especially if you already have significant wealth. While it's not necessary to set one up immediately, it's worth considering to protect against tenant liability. I recommend consulting with a lawyer or a company that deals with setting up entities to assess what's best for you. Investors tend to incorporate in either Nevada or Wyoming because the corporate veil is the hardest to pierce in those states.

As for market selection, there are great opportunities in the Midwest and Southeast. These markets offer affordable homes, many of which are turnkey (new builds or fully rehabbed), with properties that have 10+ years of life left and are ready for tenants. This helps minimize upfront work and risk, and rental prices are appreciating.

The key is investing in a growing market with strong neighborhoods and building a solid team. It’s time-intensive, so working with experienced teams can make the process smoother. That is what our team at Rent to Retirement has been helping investors to do for a decade now with BP.

Best of luck! Wishing you success!

Melissa
Rent to Retirement Investment Strategist

Welcome @Andrae S Wiggins

There are REI opportunities in different markets - markets in the Midwest and Southeast of the country are great - where not only are the purchase prices reasonable for most RE investors, but the homes are turnkey (new builds or completely rehabbed homes, tenant ready, systems 10 years of life remaining on them, property management teams in place) with appreciating home value AND appreciating rent.

Real estate is and always will be a good idea because it allows you to create lasting generational wealth and leverage cold, hard, tangible assets!

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

Rent to Retirement Investment Strategist

Hello @Timothy Villa, 

Welcome to the BP community! We are glad you are here! 

Passive income is certainly the name of the game - building a real estate portfolio and creating generational wealth are key ingredients to long term holistic financial health and success.

There are fantastic real estate investment opportunities in various markets, particularly in the Midwest and Southeast of the country. These regions offer affordable prices for most investors, with homes that are turnkey—either newly constructed or fully renovated, tenant-ready, and with systems that still have 10+ years of life remaining. Many of these areas also benefit from both rising home values and increasing rents.

Ultimately, successful investing comes down to selecting a growing market, a strong neighborhood, and building a reliable team to support you. It can be time-consuming and challenging if you try to do everything on your own, so partnering with a trusted team can make all the difference. At Rent to Retirement, we've been helping investors navigate these opportunities for over a decade, and we're here to guide you too. If you have any questions about market analysis or how to get started, don't hesitate to reach out. Just make sure the market you choose aligns with your investment goals!

Wishing you the best,
Melissa
Rent to Retirement Investment Strategist

Hello @Alev G.

Welcome to the BP community!

There are really great REI opportunities in different markets - markets in the Midwest and Southeast of the country are particularly lucrative - where not only are the purchase prices reasonable for most RE investors, but the homes are turnkey (new builds or completely rehabbed homes, tenant ready, systems 10 years of life remaining on them, property management teams in place) with appreciating home value AND appreciating rent. The amount of cash flow on a home will of course be contingent on the down payment. Putting less down may subsequently put you in a break-even scenario or possibly even a negative cash flow. However, some investors don't mind this strategy if they prefer not to put a lot of liquid in up front and plan to refi out within a few years of closing (which seems to be a great option with the talks of the FED reducing interest rates this year).

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
Rent to Retirement Investment Strategist

Hello @Vince Au,

Thank you for sharing your story here. I admire your steadfastness and perseverance during those volatile, uncertain times and continuing to have a great, positive attitude.

In regard to REI investing currently - There are great real estate investment opportunities across different markets, especially in the Midwest and Southeast. These areas not only offer reasonable purchase prices for most investors but also feature turnkey homes—either newly built or fully renovated, ready for tenants, with systems that still have 10+ years of life remaining, and property management teams in place. In addition, these markets are seeing both home values and rents appreciate.

Cash flow from a property will depend on your down payment. A smaller down payment could result in breaking even or even a negative cash flow. However, some investors are fine with this strategy if they prefer to minimize their upfront investment and plan to refinance in a few years, especially with potential interest rate cuts from the Fed this year.

At the end of the day, it’s all about investing in a growing market, selecting a solid neighborhood, and building a strong team to support you. It can take a lot of time and effort if you go it alone, so having a trusted team can be a huge advantage. Our team at Rent to Retirement has been helping investors with this for over a decade, and we’re here to assist you too. If you have any questions about market analysis or how to get started, feel free to reach out. Above all, choose a market that aligns with your goals! Don't let "analysis-paralysis" prevent you from your next great deal(s)!

Wishing you success,
Melissa
Rent to Retirement Investment Strategist

Hey @Cole Bossert! Welcome to the BP community!

I wanted to share some advice and answer the questions you posted from my own experience being in RE in different capacities for over 12 years:

Have any of you been in a similar situation where multiple partners were involved? What are some common issues you faced, and how did you resolve them?   - I have one of my LLCs with a family member that is a 50/50 partner. Issues we faced were conflicting opinions on the next home we should purchase for our portfolio and what upgrades to do when we were doing a flip, the cost of labor and materials, etc. We resolved them by constantly reminding each other about the bigger picture (the profit we can make and how we can scale) and having full transparency. That really is the only way to have an efficient professional partnership - total open communication whether the conversation is pleasant or sour. 

For those of you who’ve invested in student housing, what are some things you wish you had known before diving in? Any tips on managing properties rented by students? - I would have regular check-ins to make sure the property is being cared for and not destroyed. If the students do not have the income or credit to warrant the rent amount, I would require that they get a cosigner (like a parent or another relative that can vouch for them). Students tend to take better care of the home when they know their relative is on the hook for damage, etc.

We’re primarily focused on long-term buy-and-hold properties, but we don’t want to miss opportunities to flip for a quick profit. How do you balance these strategies, and what signals do you look for in deciding to hold or flip a property? It really depends on the markets you are looking in, if you have the bandwidth to handle general contractors and their subs, and the amount of capital/liquid you have. I think buy and hold is a better long-term strategy in terms of scaling and definitely comes with much more tax savings incentives to offset your regular income.

If you were in my shoes, what would you prioritize at this stage of the journey? - Definitely long term buy and hold of TURNKEY rental investment properties.

Wishing you much success,

Melissa Johnsen

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

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

@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

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