All Forum Posts by: Renee Burke

Hello, I am a total newbie wanting to do my first house hack. I have great credit, some liquid and looking to find a deal towards the end of the year. I've started looking at sources for deals on duplexes and I ran across the INvestor Underground FB page. There is also an Above ground. Do you have any experience using these sites? Are they a could way to find properties? Or is it better to go with the MLS?

I am looking for a duplex in NW Austin, looking to move ahead with a deal in a couple of months.

I guess this happened already.

I am also thinking on house hacking. I am working on the plan and strategy and trying to come up with the sweet spot...

@Lexi TeifkeI saw the posting about the property. It looks good. How much do you think one side would rent for?  My goal is to house hack in the next 7 months, most likely ready to buy in November or early January. Will be looking for a conventional loan and putting down at least $20k.  Looking for duplex max $400k. My biggest want is having something as close to FAR WEst/Andersoon school as possible.

I want to house hack in NW Austin, area as close as possible to Anderson High school.

@Jordan Moorhead that make sense. The question is, what are the decent areas in Austin to find deals?

Thanks to all for your feedback. The search is on. So, where and how do i find deals in Nw Austin for example? the MLS has retail prices that are not necessarily good prices.

This past week I attended an investor seminar with Austin RENC. They share a few tips but nothing in depth.

Thanks so much guys. I had not even thought about a duplex! Excellent ideas. So with that in mind, what are the best areas, zip codes in NW Austin? Far West, area of 2222, and anything west of MOPAC up to 183 is very expensive. 

Additionally, I have a few friends who manage rental properties and have had lots of issues with non-paying tenants. How do you handle that situation? I would think that the lower the income area, the more issues there are with the tenants--although this may not be completely true.

Thoughts?

Thanks, all good responses. The other dilemma I have is that I currently rent close to my daughter's school (NW Austin) and would hate to buy and live on the East side (traffic). I am VERy interested in the East side and see potential, but living there and commuting every morning and afternoon to Nw Austin would be a nightmare. I've seen some properties in NW Austin and while the neighborhood is very established, It is expensive and I am not sure if it is good area regarding growth compared to East Austin.

Hi, I'm  currently renting in Austin. I have access to some funds to provide a good down payment for an investment property. But still debating whether it makes sense to invest here. In 4-5 years I plan to move overseas. However, i am considering whether to have a property in Austin, maybe live it in (or not) until I leave, rent it out while I am away, and I get the passive income. I also want to leave the property as inheritance to my child, or even resell it during retirement if I need the funds.  I am an older worker who will be facing retirement in about 10 years or so. Austin is a nice city and I see potential for more growth.

My gut is to get a small apartment downtown, but the HOA fees and taxes may be a killer.Not sure if the rental income will be enough to cover my mortgage. I've also looked at East Austin, which is growing a lot. I'm not interested in a large house because of maintenance. In essence, I have more questions than answers.

Any experiences out there or tips to help me decide?

Thanks