Yeah. Just like all the guaranteed financial opportunities, natural male enhancement products, guaranteed soul-mates, and Nigerian bank emergencies I have to clear out of my inbox every time I log on. Sure, I’m gonna trust my financial and/or personal future to someone I’ve never heard of before who never learned how to spell!

Haha. I’m an investor who got his license to save money on his investments (and make some money on the side from sales).

I speak as an investor, not an agent. When I do speak as an agent, my investor perspective is clear.

I have said what you have many times on this blog. Even at todays prices…if you can afford to put some money down, get a 30 year fixed payment, and plan on staying a while (realizing that property values might go down in the meantime), then go ahead and buy.

The reason for doing this blog was to help the ‘middle class homeowner’ who just wants a place to LIVE. Until I got into the industry I just thought that everybody was making a lot more money than I was.

I don’t want to see these people try to compete with the nonsense that is going on out there. Yes, it sucks in the short term, but living within ones means and making good decisions WILL pay off in the long run.

That said, there are plenty of people out there that I have NO sympathy for. They knew exactly what they were doing, and deserve what they have coming to them.

Thanks for the post and for reading my blog.

SoCalMtgGuy

Nothing!

Sure, if the buyer waits, they may get a better deal. But if they find a house they like, there’s little risk in the long term (excluding highly inflated markets driven by speculation such as San Diego, Vegas and Florida).

Furthermore, as real estate investor, the good times are just getting going! With dropping prices, acheiving positive cash flow becomes more likely in many markets, which is a good hedge against other investments (everyone needs somewhere to live, afterall).

I enjoy this blog. I think that the author and maybe 50% of the commenters make good observations and approach the issue of ‘the bubble’ rationally. The other 50% just want to see the pain of others who are caught in the impending financing bubble. I don’t know about you, but I don’t typically like to take glee in the misfortune of others - especially the middle class homeowner who will be impacted by this - just to say ‘I told you so’.

Only in the blogosphere do decorum and class go out the window, since any who chooses to comment are protected by anonymity. Since no one can see there names - let alone any errors in judgement they may have made in the past that colors their biases (buying the extended warranty on that VCR they bought..LOL) - a tidal wave, a riot of thought can be created based on the come, not necessarily the reality of the issues.

That said, the passion of SoCalMort is clear. He’s an insider who sees all the shit that sticks to the wall. I just hope he doesn’t become a Rush Limbaugh, feeding off the frenzy of his following. However, even at some point reality proves him wrong, he can always delete the blog, and walk away, since nobody even knows who he is.

I have used property management companies in the past for SFRs. I have not used a company that specifically finds “corporate clients”.

In terms of property management companies, most are lousy…you need to work hard to find a good one. I would not sign on with anyone until you have a full understanding of what they offer, how they find tenants and what their fees are etc.

When you find a good property management company, they can be a god-send when it comes to managing Single Family Residences. The trick is finding a good company. I cannot emphasize this enough.

Again, if you find a good company, it is worth it. I had tried managing some houses on my own before and it is NOT worth it. I found it much easier to manage townhomes on my own, but not houses.

Great to hear your advice…I currently live in my first home I purchased 4 years ago and the mortgage is a very manageable $750/mo with 26 years to pay…I should be able to rent for $850-$1000. I also have $30K in the Vanguard Prime MM..how about that!

My question to you is I recently ran into someone who seemd trustworthy (and believe me I don’t trust many people) who told me the company she works for could probably rent it out for more to corporate clients….have you ever hooked up with one of these agencies? What would be the good, the bad & the ugly on that?

Thanks for your advice….oh by the way I’ll purchase the next home in 2-3 years when this mess has really played out.