All Forum Posts by: Troy Fisher

Most of the GC's I've worked with (that fix and flip) contractors bring to bid a property rarely do 3 things: 

1) Climb the roof to evaluate it

2) Inspect the attic for any needed repairs

3) Inspect the crawlspace for needed repairs

I always suggest to new investors trying out new contractors that they also get a home inspection with the bid so that they can gauge the trust worthiness of the contractor and the bid.

I don't trust anyone with my money other than myself.  And I'm definitely not going to grant a portion of the money I've made to someone else, to give me low yield returns, when I can have much better success by myself.  

Like much that goes on, people are throwing out advice, without trying to understand your goals.  Want to retire with $5.5M at 67.5?  Want to stop working when you are 40?  Do you have family history of medical problems to look at?  Are you planning on taking care of parents?  There's a 1000 questions that need to be answered to determine what your risk acceptance is.  

But what I didn't see in 2 pages of responses was someone suggesting you diversify in real estate.  Just like Bonds, ETFs, Foreign Stocks, CD Ladders, et al... almost any instrument you see suggested has an equivalency in real estate. And you get the joys of being able to diversify your allotments, Projected Returns, you even get geographical diversification.  Plus, and here's the big one, you can get just as good, if not better Tax Treatment on these investments as you can in "retirement" vehicles, without any dodgy "Maximum Contributions"

But even if you decide to go with a FA, you should go in with enough knowledge to be able to verify what they are suggesting to you.  You wouldn't let a Property Manager manage your property without interviewing them first, would you?

How long are you gonna be on the mainland?

Oh sure, call my rates out.  but I'm not a private money lender.  I'm an attractive alternative to a cash partner who is going to steal 50% of the equity of deal, for providing the same level of service.  And I come with some shiny bonuses.  But the OP doesnt state whether he is trying to get the whole deal or part of the deal financed.  Which is going to attract different types of lenders.  And I know that @Julian Buick was getting my level of returns in Spokane.

 ... Yup.  It wasn't just Lane who got kicked out.  My one experience with them was poor.  I arrived early to see @Natalie Kolodij speak, and while the meetup page said 7, I got there at 6 for networking.  When Shirley arrived and kicked all of us out of the room while they "set-up", which included just putting tables out so they could register, instead of allowing the new and not yet members into the room first, they had what felt like to me a caste-like system for allowing people to enter and sign in.

While I was there, engaging with the speaker and being involved in the conversation, because the speaker was AWESOME, people wanted to come up to me afterwards and talk.  When I started handing out business cards so I could go home and reply to emails later, I was told that because I was a vendor, because I was not a business member, I could not hand out cards.

When I mentioned that I heard I would not be allowed to join, she asked me why not.  And I said I heard they has a policy of not allowing people who run their own groups membership, she then tried to ask me who I'd heard that from, and looked like she'd be slandered.  But Lane isn't the first I've heard this happening too.

Go if you find value in it, but like everything else, you get out of it what you put into it, for my time and money there's better networking/learning to be had.

What better way to end the summer, than with Labor Day Networking? Here's your chance to come meet with other investors and download your summer Activities

Share your summer stories, good and bad!

Did you write a lot of checks with the expectation that it'll payoff?

Did you rent out commercial space?

Did you build a building?

Did you flip a house?

Did you have a big win?

Fall is right around the corner, and it's time to clean up your yard, and prepare for the end of the year! Get out and meet the people who will help you make it happen.

As always, this is a Dinner, Drinks and Deals event, so please bring your appetite for all three!

If you don't know about Cascadia Investors Alliance, here's the downlow: We are a loosely organized networking group.  We are like the forums, just local, and face to face!  Got questions? we got answers.  Need Referrals?  We know the people you should talk too.   Deals get done face to face, money gets made with people you've met.  No Guru's, no Speakers, just good to honest getting to know thee community!  We host investors from the greater Puget sound.  From Marysville, and Everett to Seattle, and Issaquah.  From Olympia to Tacoma, and everything in-between!

Let us know you are coming: 

I don't know any who are paid hourly up here.  Most are commission.

@Enrique Jevons!

 Hopefully not during the winter!

Make sure you are comfortable with coming face to face with some interesting things, and that you don't suffer from claustrophobia!  Those crawlspaces and attics can be tight some days!  It's a great business, but there's a ton of information to know to be a great inspector!