When hobbies get serious...

Over the course of my short real estate hobby, I have had many people ask me questions about the process, my experiences, and my thoughts on various things relating to real estate. I am always glad to help and that is part of the reason that I have created this blog. I try to share my experiences so that people can read and learn and figure out how to best go about purchasing a home for themselves or as an investment.

The problem is that the questions have started to become more pointed. They are no longer general inquiries, but questions relating to specific properties. Unfortunately, I do not have access to all of the information that is needed to make a proper assessment for people, and this frustrates me. I usually have to refer them to a real estate agent, so that the person can properly assess the situation.

Now, I've had a great experience with my real estate agent, Jeff, but I think its more prudent that I take the next step in my hobby. I'm going to start looking into becoming a part-time real estate agent. Weekends and evenings are usually showing times, so I should be able to manage my duties on a part-time basis. In addition, I'm going to be able to list my investment properties without the fear of losing 5% on real estate commissions.

Also, it's going to give me a better opporunity to get better information for people when they are looking at homes. If there has been one thing that I really like about real estate, it is that I gather information to help make a decision. How long has it been listed? What does a place like this rent for? What are the costs of renovations? Is it a bargain? Is it overvalued? What's the expectation for this area in terms of property values? Can I afford it? Where should I buy?

Chad meets Exit Realty on Monday.