All Forum Posts by: Darrell D.

I recently changed my phone number and it was truly golden to not receive spam calls.  I received about 10 per day with my old number.  However, today I received my first spam call with the new number after listing my property for rent on Zillow.  

To my knowledge Zillow does not give out phone numbers of the landlords.  Instead they use a separate number which later connects to mine.  However I'm the only one in my family who receives spam calls and now it seems that changing my number is not sufficient.

What are you doing to protect your information and your sanity?  Do you have dual phone numbers?  Temporary phone numbers? 

Any help would be appreciated. 

I appreciate everyone's reply to this thread but seeing someone I've worked with is pleasure for sure.  been a great working with you as well Dave with all the 1031 help and thank you for the book referral. You're absolutely right... real estate is a vehicle for the journey. I guess I wish I knew exactly where the vehicle was going.  One this is for sure, real estate gives us the opportunity to stop then analyze our lives, family, and future. I'll always be invested in RE for what it's given us and it's just a part of me ever since my parents built their house and I was able to walk in the framing and smell the fresh cut pine and cold concrete.

Some people commented about syndicates. I looked into syndicates years back with Lifestyles Unlimited and found that passive investors receive a much smaller percentage compared to active investors or managers. With work, I believe I have done better than most passive investments.  However I can't say I've done better than managers of syndicates.  Perhaps when I'm less capable I'll invest passively but for now I'm putting skin in the game. 👍

Wow!  I certainly appreciate all the feedback.

My wife and I read the comments and we value everyone's input.  I didn't get a chance to reply yesterday and the comments have added up.  

I believe the you're all correct about a laundromat and other small business being more work.  Years ago I had plans to start a bicycle business with a lengthy business plan.  However I backed out when I learned that most business were actively ran by the owner.  I already had a military career and could not dedicate the required amount of time to make it successful.  

I enjoy being active in many things but if any of my activities becomes repetitive, I get bored.  Home and car restorations, mountain biking, traveling... everything fun is if it's limited.  Squirrel!!  Can you say "attention deficit?"  Seriously though I've always had an urge to expand and learn while dabbling in different things.  Perhaps it's the "Invisible Hand" which drives us all.  

Several responses suggested an AirBnB or short term rentals. This is a good option for us!  We'd like to purchase near family which would also take a step towards our "why."    In the past we've sold properties with equity and lower rents to improve both short and long term gains with larger properties.  Perhaps we can repeat this process, and begin our short term rental journey. 

Thank you again for all your responses!  

Definitely!  My why is more about family than money.  Growth is always fun but increasing my ability to travel to see family is very important.  

Thank you Ben.  I'm always looking at alternative ways to make more money.  I don't need more but I would like to expand into something that is more passive.  While I'm in Ohio and I've done well, family is located in Florida, Arizona, Nevada, and Idaho.  I like having the ability to travel while making the most of my opportunities.  A few people I watch on Youtube also have laundromats, car washes, etc.  While these are real estate purchases, they are also unlike the traditional home purchase and they seem exciting.  There is land available near me but it is getting more expensive.  A small commercial building seems like a good opportunity.  I have to say that whatever business I buy, I want to own the building.  No leasing for me :-)

Real Estate is certainly exciting but I'm wondering what comes next.  

I have NOT done it all regarding real estate but I've established a good foundation.  We own and manage enough properties to retire and grow consistently.  I've demolished, renovated, and worked my tail off on many occasions.  I speak to tenants directly and enjoy auctions.  I even wrote a decent article on BP a few years back.  However I still want my next adventure. 

I'm curious to get started in laundromats, or a franchise such as Raising Cane's.  So I struggle with what's next.  Any thoughts?  Is there a path for growth besides more real estate?  Just like buying my first home or when I joined military, I suppose I'll need to take a leap of faith.  

Maybe I'm just tired of the Ohio snow.  
DD

I agree.  Each time they haggle about repairs it's another opportunity to walk away because it's a new contract every time. If you hold your ground they walk away.  

@Marlen Weber Thank you Marlen.

@Rob Massopust

Sorry for the slow reply Rob.  I think you're absolutely on target on this.  

I sold two houses in 2018 and my realtor noted that my listings generated more attention on Zillow, than on Realtor.com. This is important because realtors keep their job security by forbidding access to the MLS. If buyers and sellers used a different database, then realtors could lose a big chunk of their job security. What I'm saying is that the data giant (Zillow) is now a better place to sell your house than any other website AND you can list a house for sale as FSBO. Of course houses could also be sold on Facebook or Craigslist, but the professional format of Zillow will go a long way for sellers. As a landlord I've been using Zillow for years to list my rentals. I can certainly generate an ad myself to sell my own home. I can also use a title company to complete the paperwork. If I'm smart enough to say "no" to Zillow wholesalers, then I should be smart enough to recognize a fair price for my own house and do the paperwork myself. I believe realtors are over paid but I believe we should only use them when we have to... for example when a property is in another state (as mine was).

@David Pere

Hey bud.  Send me your youtube channel.  Some of your links on BP profile need to be updated, the links are broken.

I'm just getting started in Youtube.  My channel is "Houses and Cars."