All Forum Posts by: Olivia Radziszewski

@Robert A Rodriguez- I know plenty of people that invest in that area. Good first step would be to connect to a real estate investor-savvy agent! Under the Network tab, you can find the Real Estate Agent link. If you ever start to look in Chicago I am happy to help!

@April A.- It can be hard to put together a solid team. Finding a good contractor can also be challenging. Going off of @Ned Carey- there are many great reasons to be involved in a network of investors. Even better if they use the same strategy as you! You will have access to referrals that they can vouch for. 

That is not to say that every referral will be great, sounds like this contractor was a referral and it did not work out well. However, it can definitely help to have connections in the business. It will be more appealing to do a solid job all around when they know that you may need to use them for future deals and you know their other clients. Also, sometimes it is a trial and error with finding the correct person for your team. I also find that getting multiple bids for a job is a great way to go. Good luck!

@George Duchatelier- Thank you so much for sharing. And congrats on the deal!!

@Hadley Martins- Congrats! Thank you for sharing your lessons learned as well.

@Samantha Brett- Amazing! Thank you for sharing. Yes- unfortunately, pools and hot tubs, although great amenities for STR's and MTR's can be a hassle to maintain.

@Nicole S.- Thank you so much for your honesty! I always like to tell people that your first few deals are your way of building confidence within yourself and building your education. The properties we lose on are typically our greatest learning experiences.

@Hariharan Elavarasan- The other comments are filled with great advice! I always like to tell my clients that although, yes, it is very important to buy good deals. Your first few deals are you building confidence in yourself and your abilities! As well as learning key lessons that you can only learn while getting your feet wet. 

Keeping your fixed expenses low is key to growing your real estate portfolio. If you can do this by having a renter pay most or all of your living expenses while you live for free or close to it on a different floor you are setting yourself a solid foundation. Good luck!

@Corey Mitchell- Many lead generation services do not really know how interested the leads are that they are sending you. But, yes they do charge you.

It definitely can help you with giving you the ability to have access to people who are at least thinking about real estate in some capacity. However, they are cold market leads. So, in my experience you need to be quick about touching base and do a good job proving your value and staying in touch. They do not know you, therefore have very little invested in the relationship. I would definitely try it if you never have! 

Or simply hone in on other strategies that have helped you generate leads yourself. Good luck!

@Qui Chau- Love to see it! Hands down agree with working with an investor focused real estate agent, a definite game changer. 

Hi @Drew Leonard- I would say go for it! I have found that it is helpful in being able to put in offers whenever you want at whatever price that you want, not having to wait on someone else. It is definitely nice when you get paid at the end of purchasing a deal as well. 

What I do like to mention to people considering getting their license is whether it is worth it or not. In terms of, becoming an expert on the material and making sure that you are in fact able to allot enough time into learning this side of the business to make it worth it for you and not a detriment. Then finding the correct brokerage, will you have to pay a monthly office fee? What split will they have you at? Making some money on closing your own deal is better than nothing, just some items to consider. 

I know plenty of people who are investors, licensed GC's and real estate agents that purchase their own deals. I have not heard of it being an issue in my area. However, you can always speak with an attorney to double check.