BiggerPockets Podcast 382.5: Surviving When the BRRRR Hits the Fan with Josiah Smelser (Part 2, Post-Coronavirus)

What happens to a no-money-down BRRRR investor when a pandemic breaks out, lending standards suddenly tighten, private money lenders get skittish, and property values quickly drop?

Today, Josiah Smelser returns to the show and tells all.

In Part 1 yesterday, we learned how Josiah built a $4M portfolio by buying, renovating, renting, refinancing, and repeating using both hard money and private money.

Coronavirus hit him hard. And if he didn’t have cash reserves, credit options, and the right mindset, it might have totally wiped him out.

When the virus hit, Josiah had 10 properties he needed to refinance. It was a perfect storm: His private money lender immediately pulled funds, his refinance bank changed their terms, and property values dropped—all at once—meaning he would need to bring way more cash to the table.

What happened next? Listen to this episode to learn about how Josiah made it through the nightmare and came out on the other side… with more equity and reduced interest payments.

Real estate investing isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. But if you keep your mind right, plan your exit strategies, and maintain cash and credit lines, you too can survive the curveballs thrown your way.

BiggerPockets Podcast 382: No Money Down BRRRR Investing with Josiah Smelser (Part 1, Recorded Pre-Coronavirus)

Today we bring you Part 1 of back-to-back episodes with real estate investor/appraiser/author/all-around good guy Josiah Smelser.

This first conversation was recorded pre-coronavirus lockdown, but it’s packed with tips you can put into action today. You’ll learn how Josiah solved the #1 bottleneck in his business (capital!), allowing him to BRRRR at scale and rack up rental properties with very little money out of pocket. Even more impressive: he’s doing it long-distance (The properties are in Dallas, TX and Josiah lives in Huntsville, AL.)

And if that weren’t enough, the guys go in-depth on appraisals – and the techniques you can use to help appraisers see your side of the story. Josiah’s a longtime licensed appraiser, so he speaks from experience… and he shares his playbook for giving yourself the best chance to pull all your money out of your deal.

If you like what Josiah has to say, then be sure to check it Part 2 tomorrow. We bring him back on, post-COVID-19, to discuss the serious challenges he’s faced: lenders pulling out, property values dropping, and even a domestic violence issue at one of his rentals.

The good news: he made it through. Tune in tomorrow to hear how!

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