All Forum Posts by: Samuel Diouf

Hey Catherine, I'd love to share some referrals.

Hey Ihosvany, Cleveland could be a great market to look at if you're looking for cash-flow. Because of the low barrier to entry, plenty of investors from all over are looking at this city. I highly suggest working with an investor friendly agent so you don't buy in the wrong locations.

I like the west side of Cleveland. Look into neighborhoods like Jefferson, West Boulevard, Cudell, Clark Fulton, Brooklyn Center, Old Brooklyn, and Garfield Heights.

I suggest working with an investor friendly agent so you can get the right guidance!

It helps to network with as many people in the industry as you can. A great way to start is by attending RE events and joining a local investors association. You can usually find some events by doing a simple google search.

Hey Lara, as long as you have the right guidance and know what you're getting into the POS is something you can navigate through fairly easy. 

Also, not every municipality in Cleveland has a POS. I'd be glad to share a sheet I've created of all municipalities that require a POS inspection. 

Hey Sachin, I've come across quite a few. You just have to look consistently look at the market and move quick when they come up. 

Columbus is a market where you'll see a little cash-flow but the main reason investors buy in Columbus is for the appreciation that has been around 5% a year. If you factor in the appreciation, your cash-on-cash return will be a lot greater. 

If you don't want to bet on appreciation, Cleveland is another great market to look into where you'll see a much higher COC return. It still might not be 12.5% but it will definitely be higher than Columbus from a strictly cash-flow perspective.

If you wait for rates to drop, you'll be buying at a higher price point as everyone who's been waiting will start to jump back in the market. If you can, it would be better to buy now, then refi when rates drop. 

Hey Krystan, this is a choice that every new investor has to decide on, but the right option will be different for everyone.

I would first determine what your primary goals with real estate are, because every market has different benefits, some more than others. Decide on whether you want appreciation, cashflow, or a mix of both. If you want cashflow.. look for markets with low entry prices and higher rent averages. If you want appreciation, identify markets with expanding industries and positive growth signals.

Hey Alicia, have you looked into any markets in Ohio, such as Columbus or Cleveland? A lot of investors based in expensive markets are choosing to purchase their investments OOS in the Midwest because of the affordability and numbers making more sense.

Prices in Columbus are still low enough to find 1% rule deals and there's a ton of appreciation happening in this market as well. I actually moved from Florida to Columbus for the real estate. I saw how fast the city was growing and decided to make the jump.

Columbus, Ohio is a great market to consider if you're looking for appreciation markets that still cash flow. I moved here from Florida after seeing the expansive growth in the Columbus market.

There are multiple billion dollar companies dumping money into the city, such as Intel, Google, Honda, and Amazon. This is causing a huge influx of people moving here for jobs. And a lot of start-up companies are migrating to this city as well because of the OSU campus that has thousands of talented students graduating and looking for positions locally.

Everything that’s going on here in Columbus is attracting investors and other businesses from all over. A recent study showed that 80 people are moving to this city every single week, which will continue to increase housing demand.

Hey Chike, starting out, I would look for smaller deals. Properties in the 1-4 unit range. 

The larger MFH BRRRRs are going to have a lot more moving parts, expensive bleed costs, and less inventory of good deals that you'll come across as a newer investor. 

Also, when doing BRRRs, don't expect to pull 100% of your money out every time. The majority of deals are going to require you to leave some of your own money in the deal but it will be far less than 20%.

I can't say much about Indianapolis, but I've been finding a ton of great BRRR opportunities in Cleveland and Columbus!