All Forum Posts by: Sam McCormack

Hello all! Started listening to BP last week. So grateful for the education!

experience: I’m on my 3rd flip

age: early 40s

day job: brand and web design/development 

retirement savings: none

I want to learn about buy and hold to secure having SOMETHING for retirement!

Nice to meet you all!

Just for fun, I attached the before and current state photos of my current flip. Shock value. lol

Hey everyone, would value your opinions as we are working towards building a real estate portfolio in the US.  As much as we would love to invest in the warmer States it seems as if the MidWest is the place with the best returns. 

What are your thoughts between Cincinnati vs Columbus Ohio?  We would prefer to jump into the market with a duplex, triplex or quad as our first purchase.  More doors, one roof, easier to maintain. We live in Southwestern Ontario and currently it's a 6 hour drive to Columbus. We are looking to eventually relocate to the States so would like to start building our portfolio in a State that has consistent appreciation with room for rents to increase going forward.  After listening to many podcasts with Henry Washington it seems like the MidWest has the best performance overall.

Would love to find some seller financing as we would like to build our portfolio as quickly as we can.  On a side note, my husband is a contractor and I am a licensed realtor in Ontario.  I've owned long term, short term and commercial (industrial) properties in the past, but never anything out of Province/State.

Thanks so much! This is such a great community and we value all the comments!

Melissa

Hey everyone,

I’ve been thinking about buying my first real estate property and have a few markets in mind. I’m from the NYC area, but the prices here are out of my budget. I initially looked into Baltimore, but after some research, I noticed the population has been steadily declining, so I’m not feeling as confident about that market.

Now I’m looking into the Detroit and Ohio areas (Toledo, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus) since they seem to have growing populations and affordable properties under $200k as well. I’m torn between going the wholesaling route or sticking with long-term rentals.

If anyone has advice—whether it’s general tips or insights about these markets—I’d really appreciate it!

Thanks!

Hi all, I am looking into buying my first rental property. As with many others I'm sure, looking for guidance on affordable cities that still provide a solid return / cash flow. Preferably looking for properties under $200k, but up to $300k. It will have to be out of state since I live in a HCOL location so I am open to anywhere in the country, but most of my research has taken me to the midwest (e.g. Cleveland and others) and some spots in the southeast (e.g. Huntsville and others). However, from my research, it's extremely difficult to find any cities where the properties cash flow other than places like Cleveland which has its own set of drawbacks. Cleveland almost seems like the best option because of the affordability and rental demand, but worries me due to the high property taxes and lack of population and economic growth. For the most part, due to interest rates, breaking the 1% cap rate still won't provide positive return after expenses. I also have no problem doing some sweat work to build equity in the beginning as well. I just want it to work and be a positive experience because I know that will keep me motivating to continue investing and building my portfolio.

What are some cities that might provide cash flow, but remain affordable? Does anyone have better insight into the cities I named? How can I best find undervalued properties in desirable locations?

Hi everyone! My name is Max, and I’m from Odesa, Ukraine. I’m a professional civil engineer with years of experience in construction and entrepreneurship. Although I don’t have experience in house flipping yet, I’ve successfully run a construction business back home.

Due to the war, my family and I had to search for a new place to live. During this journey, I discovered the world of house flipping and real estate investing in the U.S. Right now, I’m actively learning and planning to start my first projects this year. I’m truly excited to have found this amazing platform and such a supportive community!

Where I’m Focusing: Ohio (Dayton and Cincinnati) — I already have trusted partners for renovation and construction.
Investment Strategies: I’m interested in fix-and-flip and BRRRR.
Open to Networking: Real estate agents, investors, contractors, and anyone passionate about real estate.
My Goal: To learn from experienced investors, share ideas, and build a scalable real estate business.

Looking forward to connecting and learning from this great community!

I live in California and am interested in purchasing my first investment property in an A or B neighborhood in one of the above states, ideally under $300k. Does anyone have recent experience in markets in any of these states they can share? I would love to hear from those who have actually invested in these areas vs. realtors/real estate agents. 

Hello. Is Cincinnati a good place to buy multifamily properties? I am looking for agent and property managers in Cincinnatti area. Please feel free to reach out to me. Looking forward to hearing from you all in this community.

Best regards

Ansh

Can I purchase a property using a traditional mortgage without being physically present for any part of the process? A relative who does long-distance real estate investing told me that I have to sign the final loan document and the transfer of ownership document in person. Is this true? 

If the state matters, I'm interested in Connecticut

Looking to start expanding portfolio.  Would like to be more hands off as well. Seeking connections, advice, deals. Thanks 

Hello BP Community!

I plan to sell my Vegas condo and it looks like I'll be able to make about a 35-40K return. I plan to do a 1031 into a new investment property. I have been seeing a lot of talk about Ohio (Columbus, Cincinnati, Cleveland), so I wanted to reach out for some advice. Should I invest into Ohio, or stick with Vegas?

My goal is buy/hold. My priority is appreciation so I plan to hold the property for at least 3-5 years. Would love cash flow, of course, but if I could at least break even on a highly appreciating property, I'd be happy with that. 

Would greatly appreciate advice from all of you BP experts!