All Forum Posts by: Vicky Liu

@Dwayne McNab

Ok great! That’s a good start! I’ll keep doing my research. Thank you so much!

@John Ford

Yea Sugar Land is not the metro Houston area. I only consider it because I already have friends who own home there and they can keep an eye out for me IF I do purchase there. I do like the vibe in ATL. Just trying to avoid any bidding war not… Thanks for sharing!!

Hi guys!

I’m getting ready to purchase my first rental. Looking for a buy and hold property but hopefully it cash flows a bit. I’m debating between Atlanta, GA and Sugar Land, TX. Here are my thoughts:

Atlanta

Pros - potential for growth. Younger crowd. Lots of job opportunities. Prices are a bit cheaper. Lower property tax.

Cons - neighborhoods are not as safe as Sugar Land. Weather might be more unpredictable.

Sugar Land

Pros - very residential. Very nice neighborhood in the Houston area. Also got potential for growth.

Cons- Property tax rate is lower than general TX rate but still around 2.5% so that might eat into the cash flow if there’s any.

It will be a long distance investment for me as I reside in CA. I have connected with agents in both areas.

Anybody familiar with these markets can you please help and provide some insights? Much appreciated!

What are the pros and cons of selecting a lower interest rate but with a higher closing cost?

For example:

3% with $3500 closing cost

2.875% with $4700 closing cost

All other terms are equal, which one would you choose and why?

@Briana Headley

If you don’t mind I’d would like to contact your property manager too. I will also mention your name. Looking to break into markets outside of CA as well.

@Jay Sheth

I'm sorry to hear about your experience. It certainly isn't easy being out of state but it is just more affordable than my local area. I'll do my homework and see if I can make this work. If it looks like a no go I'll definitely walk away. Thank you for starting this discussion! 

@Zach Lemaster

Hi Zach,

Do you mind if I DM you? Thanks!

Deborah, 

Thank you for the input and update. I truly appreciate it. It's only been a few days since I saw and went with the property. Like you said, I still think it's a good market. I'm just being extra careful (as I should) with the local team handling the transactions. Thank you so much and I will definitely research and reach out to you for more of your experiences investing in Birmingham.

@Deborah Lynch

Thanks for the input. I had just paid the earnest money to secure a property in Birmingham, also through rent to retirement. The property involves MFA and Zeker as well. Good thing I came across your post when I’m doing my due diligence. Has the communication improved at all with Zeker? I’m an out of state investor so property management is key. Would you absolutely reject working with MFA and Zeker? I’m just afraid of setting up myself for failure since it’s my first rental property. Thank you so much for sharing your experience!

@Joseph Schweizer

I'm in the process of working with RTR. Do you mind if I send you a DM to learn more about the process? Thanks in advance!