All Forum Posts by: Pragati Soni

Originally posted by @Brandon L.:

Hello! @Pragati Soni

Welcome to BP, and congratulations on making the decision to invest in your future via real estate.

I have written a few blog posts that may help you get started here on BP, and with your investing. Please click on the links, give them a read, and share your thoughts in the comments.

First is a post that I feel will help not get overwhelmed with the amount of info that is here on BP:

https://www.biggerpockets.com/blogs/5868/52761-the-simple-guide-to-getting-started-on-bp

The second is a post that will help get you focused with your real estate investing goals:

https://www.biggerpockets.com/blogs/5868/52743-im-new-to-bp-any-advice-would-be-appriciated

The last one is a post that will help you choose an “investor friendly” real estate agent.

There are many agents out there, but it’s important to choose the right one.

https://www.biggerpockets.com/blogs/5868/52724-im-new-to-investing-how-do-i-find-an-investor-friendly-agent

I love answering questions if you have any! Good Luck :)

Thank you so much for sharing Brandon. I am going through these posts and will provide feedback/questions I have!

Originally posted by @Jim Cummings:

@Pragati Soni. I'm certainly not the expert on Brownsville, but it will be a solid area. 

1. On the coast (Beaches). 

2. Large Shipping industry.

3. Farming.

4. Port Of Entry - should be enhanced with new trade agreements.

5. Continuous stream of folks trying to move in from South.

Thank you! Those are all great points. I didn't think about number 2 and 3 so thank you for your insight. 

Originally posted by @Jason Hirko:

Originally posted by @Jenna Lee:

@Jason Hirko Jason, I’ve been interested in looking into Texas for potential investments, can u elaborate on which areas of Texas?? So I can start my research. Thank u so much

 When it comes to buy and hold, I could make an argument for any area you name in Texas. Rio Grande Valley is a great play for low priced homes (you can get the 2% rule there and some speculative appreciation), between San Antonio and Austin is the fastest growing area of the country, Houston and Dallas have excellent $100k neighborhoods that are great passive 1% plays, the Permian Basin is blowing up right now, etc., etc.

Thanks for the insight. What do you think of Brownsville, Texas? The homes are priced relatively low. I looked at the rent of the area and depending on the house it falls between 1% - 2% rule. 

Originally posted by @Lynn T.:

Great Metro Area to invest in. Lots of wholesalers in Atlanta. Make sure you are on their buyer's list. You may get lucky. But do your own number, don't use theirs. With your budget you may find a seller financing deal where you can fix up a little bit, your money will go further than buying from turnkey providers. Just my two cents.

Thank you for your input. I would love to connect.

Has anyone used Real Estate Express for pre-license and post-license courses to obtain their real estate license? I am looking into it and so far it seems to be the cheapest option with good reviews. It's $207 for the course. Please share your experience and thoughts on Real Estate Express.

Originally posted by @Andrew Fregeau:

Hi Pragati. Obviously there are many ways to get involved in real estate, but getting a real estate license is the path that I chose for myself. I am now working for a real estate investment firm where we only deal with investors and not traditional home buyers. This is a great opportunity to have a career inside the business, to deal directly with investors and investment properties, and to learn the ins-and-outs of the industry. Real Estate Investing is still the end goal, but why not have a paying job in the industry in the meanwhile! 

Thank you. I figured it can't hurt. I want to learn as much as possible through experience. Right now, I'm listening to podcasts but things will not really click until I go out and learn through doing. Thanks for your comment.

Hello everyone,

 I am actually going to start looking for a home for myself in the next 6 months and figured I could save some money if I obtain a real estate license. I have been passively looking for the last 3 months and have not had the best experience with real estate agents. Plus, I am really interested in doing my own research and would like to have control and access to additional tools that agents use. 

My long-term goal is to own multi-unit properties but considering I don't have a lot of a capital I am willing to do whatever it takes to learn and gain some experience with properties. What do you guys think?

Any feedback/advice is appreciated. 

Thanks!

@Dylan Mathias I am in a similar situation. I am working a full-time job as an analyst and will be 25 soon. Also, I am in the Atlanta area so if you are interested in investing in particular surrounding neighborhood let me know if you need any insight! I am currently looking for my first deal.

Originally posted by @Aditya Namjoshi:

I recently bought a condo in Hampton GA. I put around 22K for a 88k property and should cash flow around 150/month.....I am based out of CA so all my research was online...so would love to hear about your foot on the ground research in atlanta......let me check out athens....

I actually live in Fayetteville which is about 20 minutes from Hampton. I am very familiar with that area. Fayetteville and surrounding areas are considered good investment because of the long-term potential due to the Atlanta airport being nearby. Also, Pinewood Studios (located in Fayetteville) is the largest studio complex in U.S. outside of Hollywood. I believe there is huge potential there due to growing film industry in Georgia. 

I haven't seen any recent good deals in Athens that are under $70k (I saw a lot a few years back). Athens is home to University of Georgia and the university always has housing shortage each year due to the increase of incoming freshmen each year. I remember one year they offered to pay upperclassmen money to move out of dorms so that incoming freshmen can live on campus there first year. Apartments are usually booked fast. I know this because I graduated from there.

Let me know if you need help with any specific areas. I love driving around and checking out different spaces in person. The only thing that has stopped me from investing is cash limit. I am also currently working on networking and finding the right people on my team especially when it comes down to contractors, property management company, etc. 

Originally posted by @Ian Kee:

Welcome to BP @Pragati Soni! I know a group of investors in the Atlanta area and there area a LOT of opportunities near you! You are in a fantastic location to begin investing.

Thank you! Do you know what areas they are focusing on?