All Forum Posts by: Craig R.

Another problem I see is the attitude of fiscal irresponsibility that's growing in the U.S. I see this affecting the rental market as well. I remember a time where people fought to maintain and improve their credit scores. Now, as bankruptcies, short sales, or credit restructuring become commonplace, having good credit doesn't seem a priority. Tennants who don't want to pay rent will simply not pay. Landlords who want to collect will become the bad guys, equivalent to the "big banks" sticking it to the common man.

Look how hard it is in some cities to get people out of foreclosed homes that they're still living in. It'll be the same with delinquent renters. The courts will be so backlogged, that tennants will stay in the apartment for months before seeing any legal action against them.

Not to mention screening all these potential renters. All of these former homeowners will have major hits on their credit scores, so how will this affect the screening process? It's going to make things much tougher for landlords.

People are bitter and disillusioned. If someone can justify a strategic default on their own home, how are they going to treat one that they're just renting?

I prefer photos as avatars too. More importantly though, I think it's smart to not change the avatar too often. I associate the picture with the poster more than the name, so when the picture changes, I get confused! Personally, I don't think I ever took a good photo until I started wearing a uniform, but that's just me.

Free cable is nice in a hotel, but I'd leave it out of a rental property. Tenants may want options as to their cable/phone provider. I know in many markets there are usually at least three service providers to choose from. Plus, many people rely on mobile phones as their primary telephone, so they may not even want a land line.

You may make a few extra bucks by rolling in the costs to the rent, but vacancies will end up eating those gains and possibly costing you in the long run. It's just not worth the risk. Ignore the hassle and let tenants get their own cable.

Charles is right. The level of experience and knowledge that the core group of posters has is far and away above that of the average reader. I'm not intimidated as much as the fact that I know others can answer questions much better than I.

Trust me though - don't mistake silence for disinterest. I'm on these boards almost every day reading and following along on discussions. Judging by the forum viewer numbers, it seems I'm not alone.

Hey Eric,

I'll be moving to Columbus later this year once my military contract is up. I'm deployed now, and Afghanistan has afforded me plenty of down time to read these forums and network with other investors. Keep us posted on how your investing goes, and in a few months if you're still motivated, we can grab lunch or something.

Great. 250,000 posts. I thought I was making progress by reading 50+ posts per sitting. At this rate, it'll take me years to finish them all!

Seriously though, congrats Josh on the milestone. What makes this site great is not the quantity of forum posts, but the quality of information. I have yet to find a topic that hasn't been discussed on this site.

If I could make a suggestion, maybe you could send out an email to anyone who hasn't posted in more than a year and invite them to come back to BP and update us on their REI progress. My biggest forum dissapointment is when a new user posts their short-term investment opportunity or upcoming deal and then fail to follow through with a conclusion to their initial post.

I'm an active duty Soldier finishing up my tour in Afghanistan. I enlisted as an Infantryman, but ended up on a special ceremonial assignment in Arlington National Cemetery for 4 years before becoming a military broadcast journalist. I worked in TV and radio for a few years in Seoul, S. Korea and as a combat videographer here in Afghanistan. For the last few months I've been the military liaison for embedded journalists who come through southern Afghanistan.

After nearly 8 years of military service I'm ready for a change. I was very fortunate to have held some interesting jobs in some exciting places, but I am now in a position financially to begin investing in real estate. At 32, I regret not buying property sooner, but reading through these posts is great inspiration.

It's also nice to see other current or former military members on BP!

Alex,
I know this thread is about 5 months old, but I wanted to add some comments. I'm also in the military, and despite what anyone may think, the money is pretty good. You can most definately save a lot if you're smart about it. If you haven't already, look into the Soldiers and Sailors' Relief Act to get all your cc interest rates dropped. You can very easily leave Germany in 18 months with NO DEBT, if you make that your goal and stick to it. Trust me, I've been there.

I've been in the Army 7 years and before I enlisted my credit stunk. I made all the young guy mistakes (late payments, too many accounts open, debts going to collection, etc.) Well, from day one I made an effort to get my finances on track and I am just now at the point where all those negatives have disappeared. It's a great feeling, but it took time!

Have patience. You're on the right track. We share similar goals and I hope you stay on BP and keep us updated on your progress.

Mark,
Keep us posted on how this plays out. I've been following along with you, and I think I speak for others on here that we're pulling for you! Kudos for being frank about your missteps throughout this process. For a lot of us newbs this is golden information! I've spent the last few months reading through literally hundreds of threads on BP, and there's nothing I hate more than when one just dies without a conclusion. Yours is great so far...keep it up!

Why the negativity about Columbus? I'll be relocating there in about 6 months to begin investing, and the strategy I'm looking at will be buy and hold, with the intent of renting. There seems to be a ton of inventory right now, and I'm seeing most of the homes listed on the HUD site and others are selling for much lower than listing. So the deals are there. In a city like Columbus, which some of you don't see as worthy of the top 5, what would be the best investment strategy? I don't plan on flipping and my plans are to hold the properties for at least 3+ years. Should I focus elsewhere? I'll be living in Columbus, so naturally I intended on focusing on that area. Now maybe I should rethink my strategy.

Any advice on the best investment strategies for Columbus, OH (in this market, and throughout 2011) would be appreciated!