All Forum Posts by: James Nicholson

@Collin Hays - that's precisely the concern I have. Is Disney going to turn into the next Bud Light for large segments of the population? If so, then this may not be such a temporary downturn. But on the other hand, the Disney brand and experience are so strong that it seems like they would be able to withstand this and make adjustments.

Hard to invest in a market with these uncertainties.

I've been thinking about investing in a high-end STR in the Kissimmee/Davenport market (Reunion, Encore), but have seen that attendance at Disney World is way down. Most Airbnb calendars in that area are completely open for the next several months.

For any STR owners in this area, have you experienced this downturn? Are you concerned about the long-term viability of STRs in this area or do you think it's a blip? Any feedback from actual owners in the area is much appreciated.

 Thanks Scott - very helpful info.

I'm launching a stylish high-end STR in California wine country and I was thinking about contacting some travel influencers for a complimentary stay at the property in exchange for posting about their experience to their followers. Has anyone had experience doing this? If so, was it worth it and what were the terms of the influencer arrangement?

Hi Michelle,

Welcome! I'm a California-based investor who recently started investing in the Des Moines area.  Happy to talk about the market there.

Cheers,

James

I have a vacation rental in Sonoma that just burned down in the fires, so I'm going through this process myself.  With the scope of the devastation the insurance claims process is going to take awhile and all owners will have to go through that before considering selling.  That being said, I suspect there will be many homeowners who are underinsured, so they will likely take the insurance money and not have enough to fully rebuild, in which case they would be open to selling.

I have been wrestling with the question of rebuilding and/or buying some of the lots that burned in my neighborhood.  The difficulty is in identifying and contacting the owners of these lots - it's not like you can mail them a letter because there's just nothing left.  

The other, bigger, question is how long will it take the most impacted areas to recover.  The neighborhood that my rental home is located in looks like a lunar landscape. Even under the best case scenario I can't imagine it getting anywhere back to normal in less than 3-5 years.  The Sonoma and Napa building departments will be overwhelmed with applications and good luck finding a contractor in the next 3 years.

So if you're thinking about buying some of these burned out lots - as I am - you need to have substantial capital and be willing to wait possibly 5+ years before you'll have something to sell.

Interested to hear other people's takes on the situation.

Hi!

I'm an out of state investor interested in the Des Moines multifamily market.  Can anyone recommend a local agent who has experience working with investors on multifamily deals?  Ideally looking for someone who knows the Des Moines area market inside and out and has experience with multifamily from 5-30 units.

Any recommendations are much appreciated!

I'm investing for current income. I'm 40, so I'm nowhere near retirement, but I want my assets to produce more income that I can live on now.

I prefer something in decent condition and would hire a management company to manage the day-to-day operations. I will most likely hold the property for the long term.

With this strategy would you recommend apartments or offices? Thanks for your response!

I am getting starting in commercial investing. I have the ability to make a large down payment, so I've been looking at properties in the $1 million - $2 million range. So far I've been focusing on apartment buildings, but not finding cap rates to my liking. Should I instead consider offices or industrial properties? Seems like cap rates are a bit better for these types of properties. Any reason not to invest in offices or industrial spaces?

Any advice would be most welcome.