All Forum Posts by: Stephen Au

Hello everyone! I am a young adult getting ready to enter the workforce in June. I am a native Californian and I grew up in the beautiful suburb of San Marino/Pasadena. I am looking for an investor-friendly real estate agent/mentor. I will be making a low six-figure salary come June. Along with my parents, I am looking to learn about real estate investments, particularly in the San Gabriel Valley area, but I'm also willing to explore other areas like Riverside County, the Bay, etc. Would any agents like to provide some contact information to a young man who wants to get his feet wet in the REI industry?

@Mike S. Thanks alot for the helpful insight! Do you see the property market in the Bay Area dying down anytime soon? Is there a particular database/website where I can see average cash-on-cash returns on certain areas in LA? Where do you see yourself investing in the short-term and long-term? Do you work a day job? Can you tell me about some financing options for houses that aren't the conventional, FHA, VA, etc. type loans? Do you have a dedicated team that you use for all your real-estate deals (general contractor, attorney, property manager, etc.)?

@Nick S. Thanks for the reply! I was really looking for rules of thumb from a basic analysis standpoint, and you hit the nail on the head! Thanks alot! Are there any unique real estate laws in Houston that might inhibit/prohibit someone from investing in real estate over there? I appreciate it! 

Thanks @Mike S.! Would you be able to tell me anything about the markets in Houston versus the markets in San Gabriel Valley? Obviously the SGV is closer to home and my family, and I want to see if the pros and cons outweigh the greater initial investment costs that is called for in the SGV. 

Hey Nick! Thanks for answering. I'm leaning towards buying a house to live in first and then rent later, but I don't know if the better market would be SW Houston or Los Angeles suburbs like San Gabriel, Monterey Park, Chino Hills, etc. How do you generally estimate the numbers like insurance and maintenance? HOA and property tax is generally publicly available via the listings, but how would you estimate these numbers? Do you fill out online quote applications from companies like Allstate and Progressive? Thank you!

Hey all, 

I'm a 20 year old college student set to graduate in the Spring. After graduating, I am going to work in Houston on a rotational basis (2 weeks in Midland, TX and 2 weeks in Houston, TX). I want to get a head start in my financial portfolio, and I thought real estate was a top-notch way to do so. As a young investor, I would like to know your real estate investment strategies in Houston, particularly in Sugar Land, Missouri City, Richmond area. What are some things to watch out for (besides the crazy property taxes, of course)? I am personally biased towards Sugar Land because I lived there last summer and absolutely loved it. Suburbs were beautiful, culture was diverse, streets were safe... much like my upbringing in LA! What kind of numbers do you use for deal analysis that are not easily attainable, public data? (i.e. homeowner insurance, maintenance costs, etc?) I am looking to buy a house (200k range), but I want to make sure that I will be able to leverage it to renters to build equity with rental income. Thanks everyone! 

Hey guys, I'm a college senior, about to head out to the oil and gas workforce in Houston, Texas. I'm interested in rental property investing for the most part. I'd also love to learn how to leverage my money to build as much wealth as possible.