All Forum Posts by: Casey Burns

Thanks everyone! Responding to the PMs separately. 

Hey folks,

I'm a frequent lurker and infrequent poster. I'm on the hunt for a real estate agent for my parents rental home in Columbus, OH. It's a smaller SFR in Clintonville. I helped them remodel and then lived in it for several years during college. It's been a rental for the past 10 years or so. They need a savvy agent experienced in the local market that can help them prep, stage, and get it on the market fast. Any recommendations?

Casey

Thanks @Upen Pateland @Chris MasonI've definitely been considering the FHA route, but had not thought about using the FHA 203(k). The 203(k) was something I looked at in DC, but decided I did not want to get under that much of a project.

For us, one of the major advantages of the using FHA for a multi and owner occupying is that we don't have to use all of our capitol on the downpayment. Some of the cash we had saved for a downpayment on a home in SF can instead be used for repairs/upgrades to whatever multi we end up buying. We did well when we sold our condo in DC, so we probably have the capitol to do a moderate overhaul assuming we can finance the majority of the multi unit.

Thanks again for your welcome and great tips for a newcomer!

Casey

Hi There New Bigger Pockets Friends,

My wife and I relocated from Washington, DC to San Francisco a little over a year ago. We sold our condo in DC thinking that we would buy immediately in SF. We then got here, the prices really set in, and we decided to rent until we figured out what we were doing. Neither of us wanted to make a $1m mistake.

We're now considering purchasing a duplex in Berkeley or Oakland that we would owner occupy. This would be our first investment property. Both my parents and my wife's manage several of their own rentals (in Columbus, OH and Long Beach, CA, respectively), so we are not coming into this totally blind. We know enough to know we need to know a lot more before we pull the trigger on a deal.

I've done several rehabs with my dad. My preference would be a property that needs some work but not a total gut. We are not in a rush. We are paying through the nose for a rental in Noe Valley, but we would prefer to find the right deal instead of a fast deal.

I've been reading all the great info on the Bigger Pockets forums and other getting started pages. It feels like a good time to start seeking advice from experts, attending local meet-ups, and start interviewing real estate agents who know the east bay rental market. Does anyone have any suggestions on agents that know the east bay rental market? 

Looking forward to getting to know all of you better!

Cheers,

Casey