All Forum Posts by: Mark Robertson

Do your research before investing and take your time. Diversify, diversify, and diversify. Stocks, bonds, real estate, international, commodities etc. Stay away from high fee providers. This includes a lot mutual funds, "advisors", and DST's in real estate. #1 rule, don't invest with someone that finds you online or cold calls you a home.

@Ian Ippolito, Your last post put a smile on my face.   I appreciate your honest and unbiased opinion.  My site is for profit.  In 2015 it grossed $102 and in 2016 $107 in adsense revenue.  You are missing out on the advertising gravy train.

I agree with with @Ian Ippolito 100%.  You need to take anything Mr Hancock post with a grain of salt.  When he  crowdfunded as a sponsor with iFunding, he was their biggest cheerleader.  Many BP members discussed the flaws in iFunding and Bryan could not see the trees for the forest. The iFunding site is pretty much a ghost town now.  No activity there for about 6 months. Now that is pitching his SAAS model, Crowdfunding is BAD BAD BAD.

I have been as active of a crowdfunding investor as anyone (about a100 deals) and the proof is in the pudding ie the results. I have average over 10% cash on cash for the last 3 years on my investments and the deals that have gone full cycle netted over 20% IRR. Real Crowd and CrowdStreet have the lowest fees and the higher quality sponsors in my opinion.

There nothing wrong with going direct with you own white label platform.  The problem is discovery by investors. The Jobs Act opened up deal flow (the biggest benefit for investors in my opinion) and the platforms are the first step in the vetting process. As an investor, I  trust the major platforms and will look take a serious look at their sponsors.  Joe blow sponsor form East Rock, Texas, puts up a white label site.  How would I find him and why would I trust them?

Crowdfunding is pretty much online syndication.  Instead of having to have a network of connected investors, sponsors can now advertise their syndicated investments online.  RealCrowd and CrowdStreet are the best 2 in my opinion.  Long term success comes from finding quality experienced sponsors.

Just a little FYI, DST's are fee riddled investments that you should only consider if you're desperate for a place to put 1031 money. Otherwise a real estate fund or syndication is a much better way to go. It's similar to the loaded mutual funds of days gone by, 7%+ upfront fees. Cash cows for the people that sale them to the suckers that don't know any better,

Its pretty much just a real estate syndication investment presented online to accredited investors. ($200k income or $1 million net worth excluding home). Invest $10k with 100 other investors into a $1 million deal. The difference is you do not have to have a relationship  with the sponsor and they can advertise.  In the pre Job act days, you did have to have a relationship. 

My advise is to not look at your BP inbox.  When a BP member post I have XXX dollars to invest, everyone becomes your best friend. Do your research and find the right path for your situation.  Never ever give money to someone that finds you.  Like so many other similar threads this will go for a few pages in a matter of days of people saying PM, I can Help YOU out.  Beware!

Read the many valuable threads at BP and you will learn a lot, but stay away from your inbox.

Did Smartland buy PeerRealty?

I attended Frank and Dave's boot camp as well in Charleston last year. They do a great job of teaching the proper due diligence procedures.  Not only for MHP's, but for investing in general.  Love the industry, but not sure I have what it takes to manage one.  I've invested in Frank and Dave's MHP funds instead.  Cap rates have compressed quite a bit over the last  2 years. It appears the real easy money is gone but there are diamonds in the rough.

There are 3 types of investments on Realty Shares and most of the other platforms. Equity, Debt, and a Hybrid. Different returns for each class. Debt 9%-12%. Hybrid (2nd position with an interest rate of say 9% and a 5-10% kicker at the end of the project) 15-18%. Equity 15% to 30%+.  Here are my investments  that have gone full cycle over the past 3 years.

I had a lot of Debt deals (20+) go full cycle.  A lot had extensions etc and some delays, but they all paid and I averaged about 11% over the past 3 years.

Hybrids - I have 9 of these go full cycle and most missed projections (all IRR's )

20% projected  at iFunding did 10% 

13% projected at iFunding did 13% 

18% projected at iFunding did 14% 

20% projected at RealtyShares did 0%

20% projected at RealtyShares did 13%

20% projected at RealtyShares did 15%

17% projected at RealtyShares did 12%

15% projected at RealtyShares did 3%

14% projected at Fundrise did 13%

Equity 6 equity deals have gone full cycle and overall they have out performed

21% projected at Realty Mogul self storage did 16%

28% projected at RealtyShares office did 18%

18% projected at RealtyShares fund  did 20%

15% projected at RealCrowd MF did 28%

20% projected at RealCrowd Industrial did 29%

15% projected at RealtyShares retail did 29%

(I have equity 3 investments under contract for a 25% to 30% IRR)

I only doing straight equity and debt deals now. If you look at the sponsors with the worst ranking at CrowdDD, they are all did Hybrid investments.

@Mark Nolan  Does the real estate loan have to be be non recourse for all or just non recourse to the Solo 401k entity?  ie invest solo 401k funds as a limited partner in a real estate transaction, but the general partner has a recourse loan. (only the GP has liability)