All Forum Posts by: Shannon Smith

I currently have 7 SFH rentals in Macon & Warner Robins, GA. We started our portfolio 11 years ago and have built slowly... The thing about Macon if you are planning to buy and hold is the area that you buy in. We bought our first primary about 15 years ago in Macon and I remember during that search that each good area seemed to be not too far from a bad area. The properties in Macon we own are near Bass Rd, Zebulon Rd, Wesleyan University and Northside Dr. There are a ton of renters in Macon and you will, especially if priced right, be bombarded by inquiries. One of my houses I didn't even list on Zillow the last two times I rented it out because word of mouth made it to where we had a qualified applicant before it was even listed. This time, with the amount of money we have dumped into it, I have gone to the tippy top of market rate and I will admit that we are having a lot of interest but hardly anyone qualified in terms of credit and 3x the rent monthly income apply... May I ask what your strategy is in terms of finding a good deal? You can make a base hit, so to speak, with listings on the MLS, but the BEST deals we have gotten as shady as it seemed during the process was through wholesalers. I have wholesalers constantly feeding me their properties. Most are JUNK and look like they need to be demolished, LOL, but every now and then one that checks every box on my buy list comes along. BTW, did you see the bigger pockets article listing Macon as one of the top ten markets to invest in during 2023? I would argue that Warner Robins is actually a better market than Macon, but I guess it depends on your strategy. Warner Robins (30 mins South of Macon) is supppperrrr sought after in high demand.

I would not recommend it. The HOA determines when special assessments need to be made for exterior maintenance or common area maintenance. I owned one from 2020 until October of this year. During the 2 years, I received several surprise assessments that had to be paid relatively quickly- One was an assessment for my portion of the roof and another was an assessment for pressure washing. In both cases I felt the amount was high for my tiny 1 bedroom condo, but unless you're on the board you have no input into which companies are hired to perform the work. Keep in mind that these assessments were ON TOP of already very high monthly HOA fees. In my case, I purchased the condo in August of 2020 for $37,500 from a wholesaler. I sold the condo in October of this year for $108K so the numbers ultimately worked in my favor, but had I purchased at the wrong price and had higher special assessments been passed during my time of ownership, I could have very easily been in the red on that deal.

We just started using Rent Redi at the beginning of the year. I really like it so far. I was originally drawn to it because I wanted to have one place where all my tenants paid rent and where they had the option to set up auto payments. If I recall correctly, Rent Redi even gives them the option to pay using a credit card. The part that I can see being the most beneficial to us, personally, is the "REI Hub" which is the accounting piece that you can opt to pay for as part of your monthly subscription. It links to our business bank account and our business credit card so come tax time, deductions should be easier. I just go in at the first of every month and code each line item to the corresponding property and note what the expense was for (Repair, HOA Fee, Mortgage payment, etc). The only thing I will say that I wish they offered within the app that they don't is a way to track mileage.

Hey Nick, welcome to Middle GA.  Our portfolio is divided between Macon & Warner Robins.  If there's anything specific you ever find yourself needing help with, feel free to reach out.

RPM (Real Property Management) Vesta is great in Macon.  I currently self manage, but if I get to the point where I want help with my portfolio my plan is to use them.  

@Onteria West Somehow I missed your comment- sorry about that!  Did you end up investing in Macon? The Mercer area is not great in my opinion.  Thankfully, the Mayor, Lester Miller, is focused on cleaning up a lot of the blight so at least improvements are being made.  Macon is a tricky area in that there are a lot of not great areas, but there are of course pockets of it that allow for opportunity.  I would aim for the North Macon and surrounding area- Bass Rd, Wesleyan Woods area, Zebulon Rd area, Forsyth Rd, etc.

I was the end buyer for a property in Warner Robins- the wholesaler I worked with used Lemke Law Group in Warner Robins and it all worked out well.  Teresa Bryant was the name of the attorney who we worked with.  

Interesting post! I have often wondered the same thing! I'm in the Middle Georgia area. 5 SFH under our belt, but always looking for that next deal. My girlfriends and fellow stay at home moms sort of glaze over whenever I talk RE Investing 🤣 so I'm loving being surrounded by other like minded female entrepreneurs!

@C-Dell J. I live just north of Macon in Forsyth and only have 5 properties so I self-manage mine, but if I were going to hire a property management company in Macon, my first call would be to Real Property Management Vesta.  They're located in Downtown Macon, charge a fair % rate, and are honest, good guys.  Full disclosure, the owners, Ben & Jake are good buddies of mine, but I have a lot of respect for them and think they are great at what they do. 

@Lee Taylor  Thanks for the info on that!  I appreciate it!