Broker Explains Why Arizona is Tops for Investment Properties

Most of the people we help at Level 4 Funding work in the fix-and-flip industry. They use hard money loans to purchase a property, make repairs, and get it back on the market quickly. We’ve recently interviewed several clients who do just this. However, hard money loans are also utilized by borrowers who need to move quickly in the market; particularly if they’re trying to grab up an investment property before someone else does. This unique angle is attractive to a different category of real estate investors; perhaps those who fix-and-flip, but also those who fix-and-hold in situations where a traditional bank loan won’t suffice. Realtor Chris Mendenhall of Harcourts Prime Properties spoke with us on this front and gave us a few insights for those hoping to make smart real estate investments.

Chris has Been in Real Estate Since 1987

A true veteran of the industry, Chris began his career as a real estate broker more than three decades ago. Although he works primarily in north Los Angeles County, he also serves Orange, San Diego, and Riverside Counties. Chris was working in lending during the 90s crash, helping buyers with their loan applications. “It was a tough time,” he says. “There were only 12,000 sales that year, in an area with 12,000 realtors.”

His Current Focus is on Asset-Based Auctions

Working with Harcourts Prime, Chris’ current focus is on asset-based auctions. He helps sellers get top dollar for their properties within a very short period of time and also gives buyers the chance to purchase property at public auction using a transparent process. Unlike other auctions, buyers can see everything from home inspections to pest inspections prior to making a bid. Despite the quick turnaround, Chris says most properties are grabbed before they make it to auction. Those that do land in the hands of trusted auctioneer Ben Brady, who has handled $4.5 million in properties over the past year alone.

Chris Says Arizona’s the Place to Be for Fix & Flips and Fix & Holds

One of the most recent deals that left Chris in awe was a 26-unit building in Phoenix, which was purchased by investors with the intent to flip and hold. “Mark changed their lives,” Chris says of Level 4 Funding partner Mark Gowlovech. “He helped them generate close to one million dollars in equity.” After a few rounds of funding, the property, which was purchased for next to nothing, now has a value of about $1.5 million and is filled with renters on month-to-month leases. When asked what he thinks of the industry, Chris compared the Arizona market to California. “Arizona’s a better place to do it,” he explained. “It’s easier to rent. The laws are more favorable.”

Focus on the Numbers if You Plan to Get into the Industry

Aside from working in Arizona over California, Chris gives investors some additional advice: “Identify a property that has the numbers. It’s all a numbers thing. Not, I like this color or I like this floorplan,” he explains. He also adds that working with someone like Mark is advantageous. “He has tools that really help his clients,” and ensures they’re making smart investment decisions.

Work with Chris or Learn More About Hard Money Loans

Chris says he often works business professionals who run into situations in which properties have to get to market quickly and the sale must be handled by a neutral third party, which is quite common when it comes to the legal realm, especially family law. Harcourts Prime Properties is only in California thus far, with plans to expand across the US in the near future. If you’d like to connect with him, you can visit his LinkedIn profile, follow him on Facebook, or visit his site ChrisMendenhall.HarcourtsPrime.com.

Level 4 Funding, on the other hand, helps people in California, Arizona, and Texas. If you need funding for a project, such as a multi-family dwelling or general fix-and-flip, and a traditional bank loan isn’t a viable option, learn more about how we can assist you.

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Curious what it takes to be a rebel rehabber? At Level 4 Funding, we have the pleasure of helping some amazing people who work in the fix and flip business and sometimes they’re kind enough to share their stories with us. We recently had the pleasure of speaking with Yvette Stevens of Miami Beach Fix & Flip, and she not only gave us her personal story, but some epic tips for those of you who are interested in becoming a house flipper as well.

Yvette Always had a Fascination with Finance and Homes

While she may not have known it at the time, Yvette was being primed for the fix and flip business from an early age. Growing up in Chicago, she often visited her father’s construction sites and fell in love. It wasn’t long before she was begging her parents to take her on tours of the city, so she could soak up the architecture and imagine what it would be like to create similar homes. While other kids were nagging their parents for spending cash, Yvette was happily balancing her mother’s checkbook and paying the household bills. It’s no surprise, then, that when it was time for Yvette to choose a career, she jumped headfirst into lending.

One of Yvette’s current projects: completed stock plan, a 2,721-square-foot beauty

She Decided to Kiss the Corporate Ceiling Goodbye

Although Yvette loved many aspects of her career, particularly reading the plans that came in with loan applications, she wasn’t content to sit still. “Corporate America has a ceiling,” she says, “especially for women.” She rebelled. Using her expertise in both construction and lending, Yvette began transitioning into development in 2005, building homes from the ground up.

The Market Crash Left Her with “Beans”

“Real estate goes in ten-year cycles,” she says. The money, mortgages, real estate, and politics are all tied together, resulting in regular shifts. This, she says, is also the cause of the “steak and beans” lending cycle. During lean times, Yvette has been able to refocus on her career in finance, while searching for development opportunities when the market has been good. Like many others, the crash of 2008 hit Yvette hard. She was working on building an entire subdivision that September, but she managed to climb back up out of it and now does fix-and-flip work too.

When Choosing Fix-and-Flip Properties, Yvette Goes for a Blank Slate

Every fix-and-flip pro has a specialty. For Yvette, her ideal property is one she can tear down to the studs, simply because she loves having a blank slate to work with. “The uglier they are, the more we like them,” she says. Her current project is an older home in a historic district, which comes with rigid requirements for what can be done to the outside of the home, but she doesn’t mind at all. “Construction feeds my creative side,” she adds. Her primary focus is Florida these days, but Yvette researches various markets and finds new opportunities all over the country.

Yvette Offers a Wealth of Advice for Potential Fix-and-Flippers

“It’s not that easy,” she says. “People think they’re going to jump in and make money,” but there’s so much more involved. You have to “live, breathe, and eat real estate.”

“You’ve gotta have some cash.” Even if you get 100%, you’ll need to have money set aside for things like closing and emergencies.

“Look at it like a line of credit.” Lenders look for 20% verified liquid assets in order to ensure the borrower can finish the project. “Be prepared. Everybody wants something for nothing these days, but it just doesn’t work that way.”

“Learn, learn, learn before you earn.” Research your market; don’t jump into it. Get a good understanding of how credit and assets work. Learn about the business and concentrate on a market. Yvette’s a fan of BiggerPockets.com and points out that newcomers may benefit from the free information and tools the site offers, like fix-and-flip calculators.

“Make a lot of offers. Keep throwing them up against the wall until one sticks.” Resilience is paramount because you’ll get a lot of rejections before you find one that’s really a great deal you can work with.

“Love what you do. If it’s not fun, you’re not going to be successful.” There will be a lot of ups and downs when you do home rehabs. Enjoying what you do will keep you motivated and on your toes, even when things are difficult.

Learn More

If you’d like to connect with Yvette, head over to her LinkedIn profile and say “Hello.” We’ll be covering the stories of other Level 4 Funding clients as well, so pop back over soon for the next installment. You can also reach out to us directly if you’re interested in financing your next fix-and-flip with a hard money loan.

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Wednesday, July 18, 2018

Considering a Fix & Hold? Read What This Broker Says First