All Forum Posts by: Shepard Ager

Joshua Johnson Joshua, if it was easy and there was not risk everyone would be doing it! I totally understand you fears. I am a commercial real estate broker in Birmingham, AL. It is a straight commission gig with a very large learning curve and deals take a lot longer to close than residential. Everyone in the business told me to not expect to make ANY money for at least a year. To top it off, my wife told me she was pregnant four days after I started. This business is a grind, a hustle, hard work, competitive as hell, and my income depends on not only finding a deal but making sure the deal gets from start to finish. With that said, I LOVE IT! I say all of that to tell you i understand your fear and totally understand it is hard to find deals but IT CAN BE DONE! With interest rates still very low (although they are rising not getting lower) and consequently with Cap rates so compressed, we are definitely in a sellers market which means that most any halfway decent deal is going to be an offmarket deal. Like most have already said, start very small and work your way up. If you have not already, listen to at Seth Williams BP podcast (I think it's #33 or #39......3something) on land flipping. He also has a course that will literally teach you how he does it from A to Z. It was a great way for me to get started investing while also being able to work a full time job. Good Luck Josh, the most successful investors all got rich by learning from their mistakes. Never quit.

Make sure you have a good understanding of what type of product you are looking for and most importantly, what you can afford. It will end up saving you both a lot of time and increase efficiency. You may already know this, (you would be surprised how many of my clients don't before we meet) but in commercial, the buyer / tenant (in most cases) does not pay any of the commission from the transaction. The landlord pays the agreed upon commission to his broker which will get split with your broker. In other words, it only benefits a buyer or tenant to seek the help of a broker. The better a broker understands your needs the more efficient the broker can be in bringing you better options that may ultimately turn into deals. I am a commercial broker myself. There is nothing more frustrating then spending a tremendous amount of time with a client who ultimately was never going to do a deal anyway. If you find a good broker and let him know you are ready to do business once you find a deal that meets your criteria, he or she will beat the pavement and make it happen. Good luck!

Hey Holly, I am an Associate commercial broker here in birmingham, Al. If you are interested in commercial investment property, send me a PM. I would love to help if I can. Thanks

Thanks! @Dave Van Horn.  I appreciate your feedback!

Hey Everyone,

I need some advise.  In June, I am suppose to start with a Commercial Real Estate Firm as an agent in birmingham, AL.  I just spoke to my qualifying broker to run my personal investment model by him.  I currently buy and sell land, flip houses and invest in rental property.  I put all my investments in LLCs.  My qualifying broker is saying this I am not allowed to do this while I am licensed under the firm as an agent because the firms E and O insurance does not protect an agents personal investments and it puts the firm at risk if any lawsuit were to come about.  Has anyone ever run into this issue or does anyone know anyway around this sort of thing?  I wondered if I was to remove my name from all the LLCs and put my wifes name on it if that would make a difference.  Any advice will be MUCH APPRECIATED!  Thanks!

Hey @Wilson Lee.  Thanks for the tip!  How long have you been investing in Birmingham?

Hello Everyone!

I hope all is well today. My name is Shepard and I am a newbie looking to get started investing in the Birmingham area. I am trying to begin and grow my network of investors in the Birmingham area. My current experience consist of flipping land out of state. I am now looking to learn and start investing in SFR and eventually grow into Mult Family. Looking for an experienced Birmingham investor for guidance and to possibly partner with on my first deal. Any advice / direction is appreciated!! Thanks!

10-4. Thanks Erica, will check the book out first!

Hey everyone, 

I am new to BP.  I am still very green and trying to lean how to analyze a deal.  So i just got an email from a friend who is trying to sell his condo in Vestavia, AL.  In my financial state it would have to be a steal for me to follow through, I am honestly more interested in just learning how to analyze deals and get experience.  Aside from his asking price, what information do I need to gather so I can crunch the numbers.  The Condo is 1 of 90 units.  2 bed 2.5 bath.  Ground level.  Really trying to learn what to look for so i can start crunching numbers.  Any advice appreciated.  Thanks!  

Hey Y'all!! I hope all is well. I wanted to see if anyone has taken Franks's online course for real estate investment analysis? I listed to his BP podcast and he seems like an extremely intelligent guy. Would love to hear feedback from anyone who has taken his course. Thanks!!