All Forum Posts by: Michael Davis

My partners and I are working on our first flip in Dekalb County and we have run into permitting hell. The house is a 3/1, just over 1000 square feet, and we are planning to make it a 3/2 by adding a master bathroom to the back of the house into the back yard. I hired a surveyor to do a site plan, which he did and which he stamped. I then hired an architect (or at least I thought it was an architect) to use the CAD file from the surveyor to draw the proposed addition to the house by using the surveyor's site plan. His final drawing had no stamp but had the addition. I gave the drawing to my contractor to file for the permit. After a few weeks of hearing nothing, we hired a permit expediter, who says we can get our permit on Monday. Now, the expediter says they will only approve stamped plans. I asked the architect to stamp the plans so we can get the permit and he responded that he can't stamp the plans, and they shouldn't need them because we can submit the stamped site plan from the surveyor and his drawing together. I relay this to the contractor, who relays it to the expediter. Now the expediter comes back and says no, we have to have a plan stamped that has the addition drawn on it. I asked the surveyor if he would stamp the drawing that the architect did from his site plan. He says no because he didn't do the drawing, and asks why the architect won't stamp his own plans. Good question but, possible pending lawsuit aside (I am an attorney), what do we do now to get this permit? Can an architect just look at the plan the other "architect" did and stamp it? I don't want to pay for yet another architect. It is such an incredibly simple addition it makes no sense that this is so complicated. The drawings just have the site plan with the house and show a little box on the back where the addition will be. Any advice is appreciated.

Josh, can you send me the details? [email protected]

Bill Hampton Hi Bill, I'd like to set up a meeting to discuss my group's business plan and LLC formation if you're accepting new clients.

Just saw this thread. I'm in need of an accountant in Atlanta to help with setting up our multi-member house flipping LLC.

@Jesse LeBlanc My email is [email protected].

@Jesse LeBlanc Please add me to your buyer's list. Looking in Reynoldstown, Grant Park, Summerhill, Ormewood Park, Kirkwood, EAV, Edgewood, Oakhurst, and Decatur.

@Curt Smith Thanks for the advice. That's too bad that it seems like auctions are just for the pros. 

My team and I are getting our finances lined up and are looking at properties for our first flip. We want to make sure we explore all options when finding deals. We have scoured the MLS listings but I think we should also explore the foreclosure auction process. We want to have all avenues open to us and don't want to be intimidated by foreclosures. Are there any local investors out there who regularly attend the courthouse auctions who would be willing to let me tag along to learn the ropes? I can buy lunch and help you with the deal however I can.

Welcome, Chris! I'm actually an attorney and I have a few partners working on our first flip! As an attorney I am drafting our LLC Operating Agreement but complete transparency is key. The ethical rules require me to recommend to the other partners that they retain their own attorney to review it, which I've done. Attorneys are held to a higher ethical standard when self-dealing so it's probably easier for you to sue your attorney partner than vice versa. And it wouldn't make sense to risk my Bar license and friendships to try to screw over my partners. I want partners for the long haul so we can all make money. One and done doesn't make sense. Just my thoughts. Good luck and let me know if you'd like to chat!

Have any investors done flips in Belvedere Park? It looks like there are still a lot of affordable houses (under 100k) but is there demand for rehabbed houses around 200k in the area? I am exploring the area for my first flip and any advice is appreciated.