All Forum Posts by: Trevor Ewen

@Leon Daquin

@Tj Hines mentioned a number of good data sources (open and otherwise). Depending on the size of investment you are looking at, it occasionally makes sense to have a special packet of market information prepared for you.

If you are, for example, syndicating in a particular region, having this data on hand will be invaluable in raising money and making conclusions on the regions to target.

@Victor Martinez Lazaro

I don't have great experience with either market. My gut would suggest that Milwaukee is the stronger bet for it, only because of more population and variation in neighborhoods. Granted, if you find the right niche, I am sure Madison can manage as well.

@Victor Martinez Lazaro

The proximity will help your learning about the process(es). That would be my gut instinct.

The other way to evaluate is the kind of tenant and property types you want to work with. Milwaukee and Madison have some areas of overlap, but I imagine the student housing vertical is bigger in Madison, for instance. 

@Habbak Burs

Make sure you have some cash ready for the eventual rainy day. 

Keep in mind, however, that states like California and New York have high taxes and aggressive tenant laws. These don't disappear in a recession. The drop that makes a 'deal' in these markets has to be larger as a percentage of the property than in other markets. I would happily buy a 20% drop in Indiana over a 30% drop in NY.

@Benjamin Calderon

Another engineer here. Welcome!

There are obviously a ton of things your skills can do. One of the biggest (and most underrated) is the fact that you know a lot of people of medium>>high incomes. These folks are great for raising money.

Beyond that, as you get more involved, you can help investors with their projects and data analysis. Keep your ear to the ground for opportunities, they will come.

@Bryan Mitchell

Passivity is the big benefit. 

Some people have low opportunity cost. Normal hourly wage job, small town: You mine as well do something better and manage the properties yourself.

Other professionals (lawyers, doctors, engineers, executives) that make a solid living would have to achieve a very large scale before making up for that loss of opportunity. In this case you outsource the work and a syndicator takes their cut. It's still a great deal for you. You get exposure to an asset class and keep your profession humming along.

This is the way I think people should evaluate the question of how to jump into different kinds of investments. Granted, some people have real estate in their bones. For them, the life change may be worth the short-term cost. For me, this is a great investment vehicle, but ultimately a means to an end.

@Tzook Bar Noy

Great idea!

I make money as a software engineer.

I use money to buy real estate. That is the main thing. Beyond that, I have been working with more investors to do data analysis projects: Find markets, quantify unstructured data sets, run complicated mailing campaigns.

As a side interest, I do try and get a lot of my friends in tech to invest in real estate. They often live in high cost urban areas where cashflow is impossible (NY & SF in many cases). There are more than a few who have sent their money to better markets and opportunities for income.

@Frances Buerkens

Just closed on a project with a syndication partner in Lexington, KY. Great market! Just sent you a message.

@John Pickowicz

I am an investor, been doing syndication investments since 2015. Big fan of the approach, particularly the passivity and scale. Feel free to shoot me a message, can tell you more about my experience.

@James Pettinelli

Buying your own properties out-of-state will require several steps of verification.

If you want to go with syndications or private lending, you can lessen the number of steps. This is not to say you should be less cautious. Instead, you can vet and meet a sponsor, go with a strong deal, and one that matches your outlook. In this way, you are investing in expertise and superior local knowledge. In some cases, you may even have syndicators in your region pursuing the out-of-state opportunities. This gives you a great chance to meet with them and learn about their business.