Im looking at purchasing a duplex in middletown, Ohio.

As I build my career as an agent, I’m also passionate about real estate investing, specifically with a goal of purchasing multi-family, buy-and-hold properties where I can live in one unit and rent out the others.I’m here to network, learn from experienced investors, and contribute to the community.

I created an electronic google doc time tracker: Time LogContemporaneous time log of rental real estate activitiesActivity DescriptionTenant recruitmentTenant screeningNegotiating and executing leasesOverseeing repairs and maintenanceCommunications with tenants and vendorsTravel timeResearch for potential rental real estate (pub 925)Acquiring rental real estate (pub 925)Paperwork/bookkeeping/bankingResearch and purchase of materialsRent collectionEvictionOn-site cleaningBill paymentOther:Time SpentDateMM/DD/YYYYSubmit

The buyer ended up buying and reconverting to a single family, and doubled his purchase price.Yeah, that's actually a really good and in-the-now viable strategy. 

Purchased as an asset sale in October 2019 as a buy/hold investment.

So pretty good equity position within a year plus cash flowing well based on a $325k purchase price.

When we moved, we turned it into a rental, hoping this would be the start of our real estate journey—something we’d like to continue once my husband retires.Some key details:My husband is active duty and will retire in 3 years.We have one final move coming up this summer to Raleigh, NC.Our current debts are crippling us—the high interest makes it tough to stay afloat every month.The plan me and my husband are thinking bout:Sell the rental property.Use the proceeds to pay off all our debts, set aside emergency funds and a down payment for our next home.Free up $1,500/month from debt payments, and that also can stash in a high-yield savings account.Regain full VA loan entitlement, allowing us to purchase a multifamily home and use the house hacking strategy for up coming move.Avoid capital gains tax, since April marks five years of ownership, and the tenant’s lease ends in May.This wasn’t our original plan, and we hate the idea of using our equity to pay off debt.

Purchase price: $675,000 Cash invested: $250,000 Country estate with 2 houses.

Mortgage recasting, also known as re-amortization, is a process that allows homeowners to lower their monthly mortgage payments by applying a lump sum toward their principal balance.

Understanding the true material costs is important and I urge investors to get a good grasp of this before agreeing to labor only bids where they are responsible for purchasing materials.