All Forum Posts by: Travis Rogers

@Matt Howard Have you moved forward with boat/rv? If so, you're doing well, it has exploded here. I'm in Oviedo and own self-storage. I'm interested in boat/rv as well and feel there is a need in the local area here as well as Volusia County. Curious if you've made any progress and/or would like to discuss. I hope all is well. -Travis

Welcome Michael! I'm an investor (mostly commercial RE) in Oviedo near UCF. Love this area! I lived near the University of Oregon before moving here a few years ago and noticed that most landlords were making much more money renting by the room for U of O students. My suggestion would be to figure out that play as it seemed like a very nice return. 

My real estate advice would be to try to buy right, and as always location location location! Find some sort of deal (which is hard to find right now as prices have risen substantially over the past handful of years), or some sort of value add (maybe find a fixer upper and do a lot of paint work, cosmetic, etc. yourself to get started and save money). Make sure to comp out rents and figure out the summer season, screen tenants, etc. (typical with any deal). 

I don't have any experience specifically with student rentals but wish you all the best! UCF is a great, growing area to be in for sure!  

I agree Matt. I invested in my first syndication deal this year for storage, and am now investing in SFR RE notes on another platform this week, diversified in different states, properties and strategies to where I should get a decent return, with minimal risk...and completely passive. While that is nice, it's somewhat hard for me to bet on someone else instead of myself. This is the first time I just don't see an investment opportunity for myself quite yet. The time will come.

All the best in your investing! I think multi-fam has a great long term potential and am looking to get into that as well to diversify a bit more and have a solid base. There will always be a need for multi-fam! 

My obstacle right now is I have an SFR that is no longer cash flowing and has 6 figures of equity tied up. I'm considering selling and paying capital gains next year. I would gladly 1031, but am unable to find a way to make it cash-flow. I think the problem right now is, where does someone put their gains after the sell (whether 1031 or not)?

I've invested in one syndication and am considering another. Another option would be to use it to pay off my mortgage, which is a guaranteed return every year (currently at 5.25%), and some peace of mind. However, TBills are paying too well right now so I've got money in those and iBonds averaging 5-7%/year, so paying off the mortgage doesn't seem wise. 

My problem right now is, if I have $100k'ish to invest, where can I invest it and get sufficient cash flow to get a decent cash-on-cash return? I don't want to bank on appreciation, especially right now as I see a slowdown in 2024 (it's already started). 

Return on Equity is something I wasn't familiar with up until last year, and it's necessary as we gain equity over time. Thank you for the videos and info, appreciate the insight! 

One thing I'd recommend, and do myself, is diversify a bit just to be safe now that you have sufficient funds to do so (and you have enough funds that you need some protection in what may be a wild market very soon). That to me means different asset classes and different geographic locations (different states, different types of investments), whatever you decide. 

If you want passive, you can invest in syndications and mostly passive RE options like manufactured home parks, self-storage, multi-fam, etc. Also, I'm getting upwards of 5% on short term TBills right now which make up a small portion of my portfolio for safety and a decent, passive return. Self-storage is great if you can find a deal, that's tough right now. Industrial outdoor storage is great as well, again, if you can find a lot that pencils. 

Personally, I like states that are growing. From there, I diversify my asset class and try to be in several growing/in-demand states. 

All the best! It's a good problem to have for sure

I have a small commercial space I rent out at my storage facility. I used facebook marketplace and craigslist to market it. It worked well for me, I received a lot of responses, but yes Crexi and Loopnet are alternatives as well. A broker would be ideal as they should have connections to get a tenant in, but of course a broker comes with a cost. 

Already some great ideas here. What I would caution against is being a landlord in an area with a high risk of bad tenants. In those areas, regardless of what your cash flow appears to be, nonpayment, vacancies and damage to the property can ruin any cash flow, I've seen it happen to people. Plus, it can be a headache. 

Maybe find a mid-tier neighborhood, with working families and a good school district. This has been one of my approaches. When rentals are hard to come by due to demand for a school or area, it's easier to rent them quickly when vacant, and typically you'll get a good family in who wants to be there for a bit. House hacking is huge if you can do that as mentioned, live there 2 years and then you can move and sell to avoid any capital gains tax (or move and hold as a rental if rents appreciate). Value add properties would be huge here since you could do the work yourself to increase the value, while living there, and learning the fix-up process, etc.

You're on the right track, looking at pros and cons and analyzing. Keep in mind it's a long term game and if you keep playing in the end it pays off. Personally I focused on SFR's initially, and used that eventual appreciation to help scale into commercial. Great post, all the best to you Paul!

I'm in the Oviedo area next door, great area! My advice would be to look at your IRR and cash-on-cash return and take that into consideration (seems low). That said, you will get tax breaks, will likely get appreciation over time (RE always goes up over time), and will have a solid, tangible asset. With that much cash, it may be best to put it down on a larger commercial property where your cash-on-cash is much higher and leverage some level of debt, or maybe even pay cash for a commercial property. It's a tough time to buy, but if you find the right deal you're well positioned, especially at your age, kudos on that! All the best!

@Andrea Heffernan Over the past three years I personally invest in TX and FL. Red, safe, growing states. Both have done well. Wherever you invest, make sure the location is good. I wish you all the best!

@Dan Z. property tax is the downside for sure, but still a win over what I had been doing in the past in Oregon with all the growth in TX and FL