Resources for Landlords & Rental Property Investors

The hoarder house is one of those phenomena in real estate with tons of misconceptions surrounding it. Some people think they’re automatic gold mines. Some people think they’re inevitable money pits. Some think that investors who buy them are taking advantage of vulnerable people. Some people see potential upside in buying hoarder houses, but are too worried about unknowns and risks to take the plunge.

Wholesalers often get a bad rap these days, and to be honest, we can understand why. A lot of the wholesale deals out there aren’t deals at all. Many are priced too high, riddled with problems, and/or backed by claims that fall apart the moment you apply any kind of pressure. However, wholesalers are also some of the best sources for finding legitimate deals. Unless you have your own marketing machine or a wiz of an investor-friendly real estate agent by your side, chances are you’ll have to rely on them eventually. So, how do you tap into this critical investment resource without getting scammed? If you’re buying rentals or flips from wholesalers, your success comes down to two things: choosing the right wholesaler to work with, and verifying every deal yourself. Read on to find out how we do both.

If you’ve ever walked through a “tired landlord” rental, you know the vibe instantly. Paint on the door hinges. Paint on the doorknobs. Trim paint blended into wall paint. Wobbly floors. Random patches that have been patched again. It’s not even “bad style” — it’s “I’m done with this house. ”And honestly? That’s real life in rentals. But here’s the problem: when new investors see that kind of property, they usually swing too far in the other direction. They go full HGTV: custom light fixtures, trendy countertops, boutique finishes, gold chandeliers… and then they’re shocked when it doesn’t increase rent enough to justify the cost. So what renovations actually increase rent — and what’s just burning money?

If you’ve spent any time on social media, you’re probably familiar with the concept of the “landlord special.” Often featured in the before part of before-and-after videos, they include things like generations of cheap carpeting laid on top of each other, door knobs and light switches covered in layers of white paint, walls repaired with plaster that no one ever bothered to come back and sand, kitchens that would seem dated on the The Brady Bunch, and so on. Rentals with these kinds of features are mocked as the pinnacle of cheap, depressing housing and it’s generally assumed that landlords who own them couldn’t care less.