But an investment-focused agent brings way more to the table than just writing offers.Finds off-market deals you’d never see on Zillow.Negotiates beyond price—think seller credits, better terms, and saving you $$$.Spots risks & hidden costs so you don’t get burned.Thinks long-term—helps you buy with appreciation, rental income, and future wealth in mind.Has key connections to lenders, contractors, and off-market opportunities.If you’re looking at this as an investment, the right agent doesn’t just cost you—they make you money.

For me and my goals, I focus on long-term investing in residential single-family homes in Florida and Georgia.

Gross Margin is an important calculation for developers/builders.Gross Margin = Gross Profit / RevenueWe shoot for a 20% gross margin on our New Construction HomesReal #’s:Home Sales Price: $374KClosing Cost: $18,700Cost of Construction: $258KLand Cost: $30KGross Profit = $67K$67K/$374K = 17.9% Gross MarginCame slightly short of our goal of 20%Homes Values and Build Costs are constantly fluctuatingI wish we had a crystal ball

We love investing into properties that we can hold long term and we have been fortunate enough to have great tenants through our intense vetting process that stay with us for long periods of time.

The rate and terms on the 2nd lien position if you can find one may also not make it worth the cash out.

Think of it as s long term investment that will save you headaches down the road. 

Shortly thereafter, I got an email from the title company that was handling the closing of my second wholesale deal.

Long term investors will eventually have a large loss claim so appreciate you sharing if you can.  

Most of the “deals” have no meat left on bone except for maybe a long term rental hold after repairs.They ironically sponsor a lot of the meet ups I’ve been too here in DFW. of course they do they live and breath on newbies..  

Key lessons include choosing markets based on long-term fundamentals (not just affordability), building a strong local team before buying, and starting with manageable properties instead of heavy rehabs.