All Forum Posts by: Tim Youse

Hey Rich - you should get on Facebook and join the Baltimore Investors Network that Mark Owens runs. Lots of local guys are active in that group - both investors and vendors.

I used to think that, however, earlier this year I contacted several lenders for pre-approval letters and they all asked for permission to run a credit check since they were doing "hard" checks... I was approved by all of them, but only one sent me a statement that showed how my credit score was determined. One of my 'dings' was too many hard credit checks throughout the year - and that somehow dropped my credit rating from a 815 in Spring of 2016 to a 795 in the winter of 2017. 

my apologies to OP for taking this a little off topic.

Welcome to BP. If you're on Facebook, I'd recommend joining the Baltimore Investors Network run by local investor @Account Closed (who's probably about to start his weekly REI lunch off Wilkens Ave right now). Join Meetup.com and look up the local REI events - CAZA, BWI, REI incubator (Hard Money Bankers) etc... to name a few. There are quite a few meet-ups coming up next week where you can meet fellow investors, landlords, lenders, wholesalers, contractors and more.

A few of the sites I'll use for rental comparisons are: 

• rentometer.com
• hotpads.com
• gosection8.com
• craigslist.com
• zillow.com
• zumper.com

What's the address?

Zillow doesn't update the status of their listings very frequently. Often times a property will be under contract - or sold - and zillow still shows it as being available.

have you tried looking on loopnet.com?

Also - if you want quick, localized answers, check out the Baltimore Investors Group on facebook.

Try  Eastern Savings Bank. They are a portfolio lender that support the local REIAs.

Depends on the lender - and the deal. If you can find a deal where you can fund the purchase and rehab for under 65% ARV, you're more apt to get 100% financing.

If you're new, I'd highly suggest looking for investor meetups in your area to network and link up with people with more experience that can recommend local vendors and lenders for your deals. 

Check facebook for groups, meet-up.com, etc - you might be surprised how many of these groups exist and are there to help you on your path. I joined a few groups over the winter, and now if I have a question, I can go to facebook or send an email out to the meet-up lists and get answers from other locals within minutes.

Good luck!