All Forum Posts by: Adam Baker

I have started my real estate investing journey by buying a "live in flip" with my wife. we bought it a couple years ago, and have taken our time (mistake) to fix it up. We are almost ready to move onto our next investment either by selling thi house and doing the live in flip again, or by finding enough money (hard) to buy a rental and get that ball rolling. It isn't easy to find extra money for a down payment, at this point and so it kind of leaves us in an undesireable spot to be in. I really badly want to buy rental property, and have been studying as much as I can about the types of properties to buy, but I just dont know how to pull money out of me a$$. any advice on trying to find some extra money would be great, I am tired of just getting by and I want to start down the road to financial freedom. Thanks for any help.

Thanks for all the feedback. I suppose i am just a bit anxious about the outcome of our project. I like the idea to focus more on curb appeal than the basement so i will be doing that.

Hello. So last June my fiancee and i moved into our house with the idea of renovating it with $20,000 that we tacked onto the mortgage. We bought it for 158,900 and are hoping to sell it for 205,000 or more. I have been doing all the work myself which is the only way we can make any. Money off this flip. So the whole main floor has been renovated (new bath, kitchen, appliances, tore down and fixed sagging trusses, etc etc) and so now i have about 2200 left and i want to fix up the basement with mostly free materials, and paint the outside and fix the fence (minor things) so i am just wondering how far i should go with all these renovations? I am the type of person that sees every flaw and wants to fix it and make this house perfect. But what actually effects resale value? Andwhen have i gone too far? I am worried that i have done all this work over the past year and it will not pay off and it will just be a big learning experience...i can send pics if needed, i live in winnipeg, MB. Thanks for help.

Where can i find inexpensive but quality kitchen cabinets? Is there an online resource for designing and ordering cabinets? I live in Canada but would consider ordering from the US if the price is right. Thanks 

Hello, 

I am currently living in a house while renovating it top to bottom in order to force appreciation so that I can either; a) sell the house and buy an investment property or, b) force appreciation and draw out equity as a loan in order to finance a rental property.

I am curious what the best route would be to take as I would need to purchase two properties if I sell the house, but only one if I draw out equity. What is the process i would have to take for plan "b"? do I call the city to get the house reassessed? or do I call my bank to come look at it (when it is done), and is the equity loan equal to the difference in what the house has been appraised by the city before and after or the difference between what i owe on my mortgage and the re-appraisal?

Thanks for any help on this matter.

Adam

I find it really hard to find and compare prices for things like appliances, tubs/toilets/sinks, fixtures, etc. Does anybody have any tips or tricks on how to find and compare items? I live in winnipeg, mb, canada so any american comparison websites might not be the best idea. Thanks for your help!

Thanks everyone for your ideas! I like the pre fab awning idea, and the walkway definitely needs some work to make it all look more symmetrical, I didnt even consider the lawn other than adding some flowers/bushes. I will definitely use some of the input. Thanks @Jason Kopke @Kate Horrell and @Jean Bolger

I was wondering if anyone has any advice on how to boost the curb appeal of this house i recently purchased? Any advice would be great. I don't want to spend my whole budget on the exterior, but I do realize that curb appeal is a major selling point. I was toying witht the idea of building a small roof over the door but I feel it would take away from the tudor style. The neighbourhood is an old character area so I want to keep that feel. Thanks for any help!

(sorry about the poor picture quality, I pulled it off of google maps)

I am contemplating if finishing the basement in my 855 sq. foot house would be a worthwhile venture. I would do all the work myself. How does a finished vs. non-finished basement affect the price of a house? and what are the pros and cons of fully finishing vs. partially finishing (everything but the ceiling)??

Thanks for any answers or help.

Thanks everyone for the responses. I realize it probably is an unnecessary thing to do. I was just curious about wether or not it would be unethical. But I suppose it would be more so a biased opinion that potential buyers probably wouldnt trust. Again, thanks for all the responses.