All Forum Posts by: Tristam Griffith

Hello Ryan Mainwaring.

I'm taking my Realtor hat off and putting my investor one on.

I owned 4 duplexes in 43222. I was excited to get in before the big "revitalization" started.....Which has been going on for 15 years now to little avail.

Erghh... One word for 43222 and 43223. BEDBUGS! OMG. I spent thousands chasing them from one unit to the next and back again. Never again. I try not to even drive through. Although I did owner finance all my properties out at 8% interest, so I made money.

I work with several investors, and tell them all the same thing. Yes, there is money to be made there. Yes, it might be a nice area down the road. Be prepared for more pest remediation than you have ever spent anywhere. 

Hope this helps!

Good morning. Unless you have buyer agency agreement, you are under no obligation to continue working with that Realtor.

I would find a new Realtor. I don't work in Cincinnati, but could refer you to someone if needed. A good way to find an investor friendly Realtor is to ask other investors for a referral. 

Once you find a new Realtor, be honest about your communication and time preferences. I work with several low end investors. Here's the deal: 3% of a $30k deal isn't worth setting time aside for. My minimum commission is $1,500.00. So if the commission is 3% coming to $900, then tell them you are happy to make sure they always get a $1,500 minimum. They will realize you are serious and make time for you. I'm not being greedy, it's just a time thing. I'm VERY busy, and why would I want to sell $30k properties when I can use the same time to sell $400k properties. 

Please remember too, most agents only get 50% of each commission. That's the brokerage split. So a $900, or 3% commission on $30k only gets them $450.00. HER / COLDWELL Banker agents get 50% commissions, Keller Williams get 70% commissions, and Re/Max agents pay REALLY high fees monthly, but get 97% commission. So, Re/Max agents are highly motivated. They have to pay the Brokerage around $1,200 a month in office fees, thus there is no such thing as a "part time" Re/Max agent. It wouldn't be worth the fees. AKA-Serious buyers use Re/Max agents. I'm not knocking any of the other brands. I tell all new Realtor's to start with KW. They have tons of free classes. Then bump to Re/Max once they hit their CAP 2 years in a row. Anyway, I suggest using a RE/Max agent. They make the most money from your deals, thus will be more motivated to help you.

Once you find a new Realtor, ask your old Realtor to stop e-mailing you listings. Why? Because if they send you a listing in an e-mail and then find out later that you bought the property from a competing Realtor, they make come after you or the other Realtor for the commission because they are the "procuring cause" of the sale, and they might win. No one wants to deal with that! 

Also, unlicensed assistants are not allowed to show property in Ohio. It's against the law. If you report them to the Ohio Division of Real Estate they will be in trouble. 

I hope this helps you! Good luck :-)

Hi Matt.

I sell in those areas. Are you looking at single family or multifamily?

Call Jamie  Zitesman. Pm me if you can't find his info just googling him.  He wrote the cbr contract and is reasonably priced.

Hi Chris. 

Although this is not my Brokerage, I always suggest new agents start at Keller Williams. Why? Because they have dozens of educational classes every week and the monthly fees are low. You can learn to write contracts, etc through the classes. They don't teach any of that stuff at Hondros. Then as soon as you "CAP" -meaning make it to 100% commission 2 years in a row, switch to Re/Max. Fees at Re/Max at $1,100 a month, but you get 99% of your commission all the time.

If you have any questions, feel free to message me! I can refer you to a KW office manager that can help you get set up. Good luck!

Hi Mike. In Ohio those decisions are made county to county. Where I am, in Franklin County, they won't take anything less than an appraisal, but they will do a new appraisal every 90 days.

Hello @Mike Stevens. I do investments in Columbus, Ohio. I also teach a landlording class once a year. Message me if you ever want to review investment strategies in Columbus, Ohio. There really aren't many low money down real estate deals here because the market is so strong. I do run across owner financing deals sometimes, but you need 25% down, Criteria  is much more lax though.

Hello Atish.

I use Mike Perry. He's licensed and charges half what other companies do. Apparently I can't post his number here. Message me and I'll message it to you.

Good morning @Ryan VanFossen.

There are many types of great opportunities here in Columbus. I own rental properties. I have flipped homes. I also sell homes to other investors. I usually teach a class on buying rentals once a year.

If you have any questions, or would like discuss the different opportunities in Columbus just message me!

Good morning Jeff.

I work with many investors in Columbus, both in and out of state.

I would be happy to discuss opportunities with you.