All Forum Posts by: Zack Howard

That's an easy one. It's long distance running. You take step after step after step never really feeling like your getting anywhere or going to make it. Then you look back afterwards and think "damn that was alot of steps and doubts, but the reward was worth those long hard steps" 

I look at it this way. Which one has the greater return. You already know your current debt is less than 5% if you can make more investing, like say a 12% return, then you'd be foolish not to do the investment. Assuming you have a reserve and can afford things like vacancy ect. Your money is better used with the highest return. Say your getting a 12% on your re and 5% goes to your debt, your still doing better than the stock market average at . And that's not including principal pay down, inflation, and the tax benefits. 

I know and understand you hate debt, as you should. But when you learn the difference in good debt and bad debt you'll learn to look at it a different way. Leverage in real estate can be an amazing thing. 

Texas has some really great opportunities. I would learn all I could about brrrr, read the book if you haven't yet, and try to use some of that equity to grow my portfolio. Just think about it for little to no money out of pocket you can increase your equity, increase your cash flow, and start taking advantage of better tax breaks. It's a win win. It might require some work to do but will payoff big in the long run. 

Dell the arrangements prior, and confirmed while there, was that the first hour was 95 an hour and 55 an hour every hour after. Never once mentioned the price would double for him training a new guy.

It was a one man job just replacing a leaking fitting. The actual plumber was just talking his trainee through the work kinda like a supervisor. I get everyone needs paid but at this point it feels kinda like getting taken advantage of. If you can just bring people and charge your rate for them why not just bring 5 people for max profit? I feel like paying for his guy to learn should be paid for by him, not the customers. It's a one man job anyway you shake a stick at it. 

I recently had a plumber come out to fix a leaky pipe on the well cap. Dug the hole and everything for them so it would be a quick job. In and out in 2 hours. The plumber showed up and he had a trainee, that's fine and all. But then the bill came and it had double labor for the trainee. Is this normal? If so why not just bring the whole family and make 6x as much? 

I'll talk to them about it but I don't think they will. Only reason they are wanting to get rid of it is because they have lived here 2 of the last 5 years so no capital gains tax and it would pay off the 50k they owe for a refinance on their home, and leave enough left over to pay off their cars and still have some extra. Good idea though I appreciate the response! 

I have been renting one of my parents rentals on a property with 2 homes. They bought them with cash so didn't have this issue. They have offered to let me buy it but I'm not sure if I can. The property lines show 2 different lots but they say they are deeded together. I didn't even know that was possible. Is it possible to buy 2 houses like this on one loan for 3.5% down? Or would I have to buy them separately and put 20-25% down on the rental? The houses are in decent shape so I am pretty positive it will appraise for what they are asking easily and probably leave equity in the deal just curious if it's even possible to buy like this. 

Taxes at 40%?!?!? Is that a joke? Around here an owner occupied house is 0.85% and a rental is about 2% I know Indiana is great for this but even so that just sounds unbelievable!