All Forum Posts by: Pat L.

Hi all. I was recently in Dallas and was able to visit a few houses and sub-markets. I also made some could contacts in the area. But I have so much more to learn.

I'm looking for sub-markets that seem to have a decent chance at future appreciation. But I need it so that at least it cash flows with some cushion -- including work capital expenditures into the equation. I know, it's a lot to ask are.

Considering my general goals, are there any sub-markets you would stay away from? Are there any markets that might fit the bill? 

Thanks!

I'm a U.S. citizen/resident thinking about purchasing my first real estate unit outside of the U.S. We're probably going to buy in the Caribbean.

I want to figure out the best entity structure for me. Based on my initial research, I may have an International Business Corporation (IBC) that is held by a Limited Liability Company (LLC). But I'll certainly ask my CPA and get legal help to set up the best structure.

Have you had an international entity structure set up? Do you have any tips on setting this up effectively without breaking the bank on legal and other filing fees?

Great, I'll dig deeper into this.

@Howard Klahr,  thanks for posting!

Pat

I'm may make a real estate purchase outside of the U.S. For this purchase, I may use an international bank. Do you know of any good sites that summarize the overall health of individual banks worldwide? Thanks!

I'm looking to buy my first real estate property. I received a Fees Worksheet from my broker. I want to do my due diligence regarding the fees on the fee worksheet.

Do this fees look legit to you?:

Pay To: Broker

- Underwriting Fee

- Load Discount Fee

- Tax Service Fee 

- Flood Certification Fee 

- Hazard Insurance Reserves

- County Property Tax Reserves

- Daily Interest Charges

Pay To: Appraiser

- Appraisal Fee

Pay to: Kroll Factual Data (vendor name)

- Credit Report Fee

Pay to: Title Company

- Closing/Escrow Fee

- Lender’s Title Insurance

- Endorsements

Pay to: Surveyot

- Survey

Pay to: County

- Mortgage Recording Charge

- Doc Stamps on Mortgage

Pay to: State

- Intangible Tax on Mortgage

Insurance Company

- Hazard Insurance Premium

Your response is greatly appreciated!

Thanks,

Pat L.

Thanks @Patty Cox, @John Kent, and @Pavlos Kasselouris. All of your information is really useful. It will help me with my initial cash flow estimates. 

@Pavlos Kasselouris, I agree that I can't expect to be too precise. But one of my biggest fears is grossly overestimating or underestimating capital expenses, so I want to try my best.

Thanks again!

Thanks to the BP community for your posts on Capital Expenditures. I potentially would have let wishful thinking influence me to underestimate these expenses.

Obviously, it is best to estimate these expenses on a house-by-house basis. But, as a starting point when looking at pro-formas for Florida homes, do you have any tips? For example:

• with the weather being what it is in Florida, what would be the estimated cost and useful life be for a HVAC system? I would imagine it's shorter than average. 
• Would a roof have a shorter expected useful life?

As always, any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Interesting @Chris Romany, thanks again for your insight!

Thanks @R Derek Smith. I have not yet evaluated that area. I thought about investigating the "Creative Village" area when I was close by, but didn't. But now I'm thinking I should have.

Thanks for the link @John Kent. I've briefly taken a look at this site before, but I'll be sure to take a closer look. I just dabbled in it for a few minutes -- it definitely looks useful.

Thanks again.