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All Forum Posts by: Alan Brown

Alan Brown has started 17 posts and replied 194 times.

Post: New member from Montana

Alan BrownPosted
  • Rental Property Investor
  • NY MA CT VT MT, MO
  • Posts 200
  • Votes 116

hey welcome Breean!  you've definitely come to the right place.

the podcasts are fantastic, as you are discovering... I was doing a lot of driving at some point and listened through every one and it got me so psyched up again.  I remember listening to Jared's interview as well!  Thanks Jared.

And you're in one of the most beautiful spots in the world.  And I'll bet the market is very workable... you're going to do great there. 

Post: Looking to make contacs in Livingston, MT

Alan BrownPosted
  • Rental Property Investor
  • NY MA CT VT MT, MO
  • Posts 200
  • Votes 116

Hi Matt,

Welcome!  You are in the right place!  Livingston has some amazing potential... my kind of town.  Affordable, especially compared to Bzn, right on the river, room to grow, etc etc!  I'm a Realtor and I've been living in Livingston, but I'm on the East Coast at the moment and cant get free to get back West just yet... ugh.  I would recommend my business partner John Angst, who is dependable, works his butt off and is crazy about that river!  pm me and I'll send you his information.

As painful as it is to see the river hurting right now, it could create some great long term financial opportunities...

Anyway, good luck!

Post: Tenant hasn't put water bill in her name yet. Going on 3 months!

Alan BrownPosted
  • Rental Property Investor
  • NY MA CT VT MT, MO
  • Posts 200
  • Votes 116

amazing how a pay or quit will make things start moving!  

Post: Realtor in Pittsfield MA

Alan BrownPosted
  • Rental Property Investor
  • NY MA CT VT MT, MO
  • Posts 200
  • Votes 116

absolutely--Mike Sorrentino... great guy, with Century 21 (I think his office is actually in Lee or Lenox, just next to Pittsfield.)

Post: Raleigh, NC Investor

Alan BrownPosted
  • Rental Property Investor
  • NY MA CT VT MT, MO
  • Posts 200
  • Votes 116

yes, and Bozeman is all about investors parking money and watching for appreciation.  It goes against most things we see or hear on BP, that you have to have SOME amount of cash flow to protect yourself, hedge against global and national crashes (just heard Harry Dent say the Dow (I think!) will be down to 6000 next year!), and that makes sense (protecting yourself, that is), but these folks with tons o cash can take the gamble on those crashes in a market like Bozeman, where there's just so much pressure to live and be invested there... and theyr'e doing OK!  

HAVE A GREAT TRIP!  I went to school in Missoula, love it there!

Post: Raleigh, NC Investor

Alan BrownPosted
  • Rental Property Investor
  • NY MA CT VT MT, MO
  • Posts 200
  • Votes 116

Welcome Mark!  Grreat to have you on board.. 

When you are doing that calculus to figure out where your equity would best serve you, and this will be anathema to some, though you probably have already thought about this anyway: figure in some appreciation!! There. I said it. it's just that, since you're in such a desireable market (apparently--I don't know the area), that appreciation added to your ConC returns, will bolster them dramatically, I have a feeling. And if it is such a desireable place, that appreciation is probably going to stick around for awhile and keep your growth going. So it might be worth holding on longer, and possibly the rents will get crazy strong, where you won't have to factor in appreciation to see a good ConC return. Or, you could use that strength to borrow equity, and use the BRRRR plan to leverage into other properties, then refi out of them, leaving your ConC returns at infinite values!!

I still have some properties in Colorado (I'm selling one of them now), and the locations and potential upside are so strong for long term hold, I just plain hate to sell them.  So if you have a decent income stream that will allow you to gather strength to buy better "cash flowers" elsewhere, I say hold tight to the ones you love and imagine how much stronger the sales prices will be in a year or two with great appreciation.  Mine are hard to borrow against my equity, so I either have to suck it up and sell, or hold tight and wait.  They are already just too highly leveraged.  

just some thoughts.. good luck!

Post: 23 unit apartment built in 1908 gut out and renovation cost?

Alan BrownPosted
  • Rental Property Investor
  • NY MA CT VT MT, MO
  • Posts 200
  • Votes 116

Sounds pretty exciting to me!  if it's in Missoula you've got awesome rental capability at any size;  I do agree that 2 bed 2 baths are my faves, though I'm not scared of mixes with studios and 1 beds thrown in... 

I think the point is rehab costs, though, isn't it?  I don't know what your financial capabilities are, but this sounds like a good opportunity to consider partners, especially folks in the trades.  I would get it under contract, and get real bids from every trade. Be extremely detailed on your Scope of Work. Major due diligence, but you'll know a lot more when you're done!!  maybe enough to bail, or maybe enough to give em your best offer and be ready to walk away.  I would also pad your total rehab estimate by at least 20%, just because.

Post: New member upstate New york

Alan BrownPosted
  • Rental Property Investor
  • NY MA CT VT MT, MO
  • Posts 200
  • Votes 116

Lawrence/Larry,

I'm a recent transplant here from out west, and am getting increasingly excited about doing some flips and BRRR's in the Kingston area. I have a long history of flippiing houses and buying and holding rentals.

Selling some property in Colorado, and Am hoping to free up some cash soon;  I will need to start putting together a crew to flip, and/or may be looking for partners.  Let's get in contact if you want to discuss

Alan

Post: Any great tips on avoiding deposits for utilities?

Alan BrownPosted
  • Rental Property Investor
  • NY MA CT VT MT, MO
  • Posts 200
  • Votes 116

That would be great if i wasn't 2000 miles away!  I suppose it would be worth the plane flight, not to tie up that much cash.... excellent call.  That was something I underestimated, buying out of state:  personally taking care of stuff like that.  I had expected property management to be of some help that way, but not so much!

thanks!

Post: Any great tips on avoiding deposits for utilities?

Alan BrownPosted
  • Rental Property Investor
  • NY MA CT VT MT, MO
  • Posts 200
  • Votes 116

Just bought 12 units and the utility wants me to pay an average utility deposit for ALL of them together, which represents something like $4200 up front... I want to make sure that if a unit goes vacant, the utilities will revert to me, so no frozen pipes, etc... but I'm not going to give them that kind of workable cash!

Any ideas?  someone mentioned a surety bond, which seems a little overkill.  

thanks