All Forum Posts by: Nathan Joens

What is the most common way you finance your properties?

This may be a very broad question, but some guidance in this manner would be greatly appreciated: If you would, could you walk me through exactly how you acquired your last income property, from start to finish. You do not have to be specific at all, just a quick step-by-step guide to 'reverse engineer' yoiur property acquisition.

Originally posted by @Michael Seeker:

Are you referring to buy-and-hold? I usually think of types of investing as "buy-and-hold", "fix-and-flip", "wholesale", etc. Depending on the type(s) of investing you want to do, there may be better websites to recommend.

For buy and hold, I'd try to find access to your local tax assessment site (preferably something that has as much info on every property in your local as possible). You'll also want to pick out a site or two for determining rents (I like www.padmapper.com). As for sourcing properties, if you don't have MLS access, the next best options are www.realtor.com, the top 2 or 3 FSBO sites and Craigslist.

I'd suggest staying away from Trulia and/or Zillow.

Why do you suggest staying away from Trulia and ZIllow? Is it because because of Zestimate?

Originally posted by @Seth Williams:

I've got a rental property ROI calculator that I use. I'm happy to send it to you if you think it would help. I use it to input all the variables and determine what the projected cash on cash, monthly cash flow and ROI will be.
Having the calculator is helpful, but what REALLY matters is plugging in the most accurate data. Your projections will only be as accurate as the numbers you use in your calculations. It is VERY easy (and very dangerous) to just "shoot from the hip" and pull numbers out of thin air without verifying them. I always have to do a lot of homework to verify my inputs before I know I've got a solid deal on my hands.

What is your process for verifying that your inputs are accurate?

Residential, but looking to move into commercial.

I am a new investor and am wondering what the best software/online tools are for investing. What are the biggest flaws with this software/online tools?

I was just wondering what some of the problems that you ran into throughout your unique investing process. What is your least favorite part about this process and why?

I was just wondering what some of the problems that new investors (or experienced investors) run into throughout their unique investing process. What is your least favorite part about this process and why?

Hello all, I am looking for some advice from all of you experienced investors. I am a 19 year old college student from Iowa and for awhile now I have been dedicating myself to become further educated in the world of real estate investing. I've read numerous books, spoke with a variety of both local and more distant investors as well as real estate agents and brokers about the tips and experience they could offer me and of course I will still continue to diligently increase my education in real estate investing. I am looking to try and take the next steps into actually going out and investing in a property and I just wanted to hear from some of you as to what those first steps should be, or if I should even begin to take those first steps in acquiring an income property at my age. Thank you for all of your help!

Thank you all for the great imput and help. I am really looking forward as to see what investing holds in store for me and I have a lot to look forward to. I will take all of your helpful tips into careful consideration and I hope to be in contact with all of you as I go along this road of investing.

Best-

Nate