All Forum Posts by: Will Andersen

@Joey Wharton I'm not so quick to pass judgment. It's definitely not for everyone. The thing about these sorts of programs is that high reward comes with high risk. If you take on the program and succeed, it transforms your life. If you fail, you could end up bankrupt or in debt.

Fundamentally, Blackcard U tries to solve a problem that is difficult to solve: how do you *effectively* commoditize flipping & rehabbing education? There are lots, and I mean lots, of places that BADLY commoditize it. We're talking places that charge you $20,000 for a 3 or 5 day retreat and when you leave you have no hands on experience. Places that produce students who don't know what they're doing and end up in upside down flips with no way out. Blackcard charges a similar rate but gives you a one-on-one mentor with real life experience. They can't guarantee your success in a program that depends so heavily on your action to succeed, but their percentage success rates beat the living hell out of the competition. Compared to the scams that are out there, they offer a high quality, serious program.

What you're recommending, Joey, is the (relatively) slow but sure path to success. For many, that's the correct path. For a few, they're willing to pay the price to speed things up. 

I nearly took their program. I ultimately decided it wasn't the right time in life for it. They didn't lower the price for me when I walked away.

Hi James, welcome to the community. I'm also a new investor in the St. Louis area, and owner-occupy a fourplex.

I have found the following two resources to be fantastic:

--STLREIA - St. Louis Real Estate Investor's Association - Hosts monthly talks with very large attendance. The first time I attended another attendee offered me an off-market deal. 

--SSIC - South Side Investment Club - This group is south city specific, but is large and very active 

Each group offers their first event for free, and after that you will have to pay membership dues (they are definitely worth it).

***NOTE: Due to COVID-19, in-person networking events are NOT a good idea right now: if hosted indoors, they are quite likely the highest risk activity you can attend. However, to my knowledge, both of these groups have been offering events online.***

@Sean Nelson

If you don't mind me asking, what is their coaching program like? What do they teach you? How many deals have you done under their guidance? Were they flips, buy and hold, or something else?

I'm currently considering Stefan's coaching program, but not certain whether the timing is right for me, or whether their strategy aligns with mine.

I'm looking to find rehabbers in Sacramento. I'm not local to the Sacramento area. Where would I go to find rehabbers, preferably online?

E.g. Is there a facebook, an REIA with an online forum, etc.?

I want to connect to this community and I'd even be willing to reach out to individuals who are known to run well-reputed businesses.

At the moment I do have a lead they may be interested in receiving.

Josh, Zach is right about the delmar divide - very hot button issue in our community. Page Blvd is a very long street, so it's hard to know, seeing as I'm not sure what is meant by the "visitation" area. That said, I used to live near the delmar divide, and Page Blvd - at least the part in City of St. Louis proper - is squarely on the bad side of it. Sure, you can get great cash flow in that area, but population is declining, and most investors have been scared off due to decades of neglect. On the flip side, there are many decent pockets there, and odds are good it's been designated an "Opportunity Zone" under the recent federal laws.

Bottom line - I would talk to a specialist in the area who knows that neighborhood. 

@Zach Stillman thanks - we are located in 63118.

Thanks Peter. The tenant was inherited with the property, which I bought in early October. I don't have a vetting process in place yet; my real estate mentor told me to send applicants to him, and he subscribes to a service that determines whether applicants are qualified or not based on the numbers; I think this is supposed to reduce liability for discrimination, but I don't see how that would eliminate future nightmare tenants like this one.

Brian - appreciate the recommendation. Right now I live and invest in St. Louis, but I'll make note of that name if I ever go back to California.

Jared - I appreciate the encouragement!

P.S. Peter - yeah, I'm in St. Louis. Grew up in Modesto, though. I see you're not far from there.

Oh boy. You guys got me started. How to explain without going on forever...

The more I think about it, the more I think this lady is the only reason I'm considering getting a property manager.

The first time I met her, she and her family were coming in their front door at the same time as me. I tried to introduce myself to her, and her daughter started talking to me; and then she wordlessly grabbed her daughter and grandchildren, ushered them into the house, and shut the door on me.

The second time I met her, and the first time I spoke to her, she accused me of racism three times.

Periodically ever since then, like about once to twice a week, she'll send longs strings of text messages screaming at me about eternal lists of things she wants fixed, done or is upset about.

Just earlier this week, she sent me another mashup of complaints at 11:09PM in which she went on and on about how cold it was in her apartment (it was warm and comfortable when I visited to do repairs last weekend) and water leaking in the basement, and in the middle squashed in 4 words stating "toilet isn't flushing properly"

Well, I work a day job and was under a deadline (as I frequently am). So I texted her back the next day at 6:51PM telling her when contractors are coming out to give quotes on the basement, and asking her to schecule a time that Sunday to reseal the air coming in through the front door. Her response was to scream at me for not responding immediately to fix her toilet, which apparently I was supposed to clairvoyantly know was in fact not usable, and then tell me she hired a guy to fix it herself that evening and that she would require reimbursement for it.

While I would understand that demand if she had clearly explained the situation and its urgency. Given the circumstances... I have no intention of reimbursing that money.

Bottom line. She exaggerates everything, finds fault with everything I do, constantly complains, and regularly threatens legal action.

I'm sick to death of this, all I need to do is make it to December 31st for her lease to expire and me to non-renew. But I have my first engineer's licensing exam coming up on December 16th, and at the rate she's wasting my time, I won't be able to study enough to pass. 

So yeah. Considering a property manager. Even though under any normal circumstances, it wouldn't be necessary.

I'm new to being a landlord. One month in. So far I've been the property manager at this property as well as living there. It's a fourplex.

I think I'm doing a decent job managing so far, and I like doing it myself, but I think I'm too busy for this right now. Also, I have a tenant who's determined to make my life as miserable as she possibly can. I have other goals I need to get around to and I'm sick of dealing with her.

So, I'm wondering...

What are the names of some local property managers that are good at what they do, but reasonably priced?