All Forum Posts by: David Spurlock

 I'm considering doing the same thing. Let me know how it goes for you

 Again, you're repeating what I have said. Sounds like you have a pretty poor security system.

@Steve K. Please take a minute to reread what I wrote. You can deny a showing, but you cannot prevent/discourage someone from applying. That would be a fair housing violation. 

"there are plenty of reasons why a landlord should care who is looking at their property, theft and their own personal safety being the first 2 that spring to mind, followed closely by not wanting to waste their time" These are valid reasons but depend greatly on your market and who is showing the property. 

Theft - No one is going to steal while you are there. Someone planning on stealing anything of worth is going to do it while you are gone. You could argue that they are using the tour to scope out the building. However, a simple security system would deter this.

Personal Safety -  I assume you are using their ID to run a background check and deciding if their history affects your safety, correct?

Wasting Time - @Fareen E. I've found this to be super helpful: When someone inquires about the property Thank them and Send them the pre-requirements (Income, credit, no evictions) and ask if they meet them. The vast majority of them will out themselves and you can decline to show the property. 

Hey @Fareen E.,

You've gotten a lot of feedback here saying you are in the clear to decline them. However, I would disagree. I do the majority of my leasing on Facebook and Zillow and I never ask for an ID. You need to think about this from the tenant's perspective. While Facebook Marketplace isn't the sketchiest site (craigslist), I personally would never give my ID across it. If the only indication that he is difficult is not wanting to send his ID to a stranger on Facebook, I wouldn't blame him. 

You are more than welcome to decline a showing because he is not comfortable with your requirements, but you are not allowed to discourage someone from applying to your apartment. That is an easy way to get a Fair Housing Violation case.

Lastly, why do you care who is looking at the property? When they apply is when you should confirm their identity. 

Hey @Sidra Amir,

I would ask your tenant what they mean by unnecessary attention. 

Hey @Livia Adams,

@Matt Devincenzo & @Dennis McNeely Are correct. You need to either escalate this through the municipality and hold back rent OR call the police and report the tenant for disturbance. I would advise the latter.

Do not listen to Andrew B. That will only result in more problems for you and won't resolve the issue.

 ^This.

Also great for contractors, agents, and everything else.

Hey @Nicholas Nocella,

Do you enjoy your sales job? If you do, stick with it and start learning more about real estate. The Bigger Pockets Podcast is great for that. You'll go farther in one job you enjoy than trying to do multiple things.

If you don't enjoy your job, "Consider" (Don't jump headfirst) becoming a Realtor. Find a brokerage that specializes in the investment space. You'll learn far more there than you would networking. You'll also have access to the MLS, be able to do a lot of the work yourself, and save quite a bit on your first purchase.

I just started my first house hack and being a Realtor helped a ton to speed up this process. 

Hey @Ruben VanDusen,

I'll answer your questions in reverse as it makes more sense that way. 

- What systems/software do you recommend to use to determine the markets to invest/buy into?
I read newspapers (Digital) in the markets I am interested in. Business Journal (BizJournals) is the main one I read, but you can find others. bizjournals post about the new developments and changes in the city. There is also usually a map of the ongoing and finished developments. I use the Bureau of Statistics to find figures for job growth and population increase. Realtor.com has a lot of data on rent cost and housing prices. 

- What driving factors should I take into account when l'm looking for an up n' coming hot markets?
Factors you should be looking for are: Job growth, population growth, low unemployment rates, increasing demand for housing, housing price history, and rent cost history. Look into the various industries in your city. If you have a wider variety it will reduce the risk with your investment. Don't be fooled by seeing new developments in a city, instead look into what the development brings to the city. (E.g. the development of a park isn't going to cause an influx of jobs. The development of a new business may only be bringing 25 new jobs. You will need to analyze the developments and decide what you think will be best.)

- What markets are good markets for investing/buying large multifamiliy apartment complexes? Hot markets
I like Colum bus due to the amount of growth is it receiving, but I am biased since I live there. A lot of Realtors will say their market is best, however, if you speak to any massive investor (not just real estate) they will all mention Colum bus. If you are buying large multi-family, I would follow larger developments so your investment has a rock to support itself. You'll need to decide what a good development is based on your definition of "large multi-family". A lot of data centers, including Cologix who recently made an announcement are being developed there. Honda, Facebook, and Amazon are a few others who have individually invested several billion into the area. 

I'm not sure what you mean by "Who do you know is willing to answer?" but I'd be happy to chat more if you have specific questions.

 I'm not finding it. What episode is it?