INVESTOR TAKES MEETUP TO A NEW LEVEL STEPHANIE B. MOJICA
Pantak has the largest apartment building investor Meetup Group in the San Francisco Bay?Area, which is open
to anyone and is free to join (http://www.meetup.com/multifamily/).
He also hosts Meetup groups in three Texas cities — Houston,?El Paso, and Beaumont (http://www.meetup.com/
HoustonHousesandApartmentsInvestingGroup/), along with gatherings in?New York City, Philadelphia,?Chicago,
Charlotte, Minneapolis, Den-ver, Albuquerque, Kansas City (http://www.meetup.com/KC-Real-Estate-InvestingForeclosures-More/) and Seattle (http://www.meetup.com/realestate-700/).
“We are no longer in a local market only world; the internet has changed all that,” Pantak said. “People are
making a lot of money doing ‘Virtual Wholesaling’ and ‘Rehabbing Remotely.’ You can live anywhere and do
business anywhere today. There are answers and solutions.” Pantak, who earned a bachelor’s degree in
finance in 1980 from Central Michigan University, compares the in’s and out’s of the real estate market to the
popular board game Monopoly.
“You can start with little money or experience — start with nothing and build a fortune,” Pantak said. “Cash flow
is a key! So is the proper use of leverage.”
He advises his clients to start investing in communities which they can not only financially afford, but also offer
the best possible return on investment.
“I have most of my investments in Texas and I like Texas for long-term for apartment complexes,” Pantak said.
“To me, houses are a short term solution to get into apartments.”
While apartment complexes are in Pantak’s opinion the best
way to impressive cash flow over the long-term, he still
recommends people appropriately invest in single-family houses
rather than investing in nothing at all. However, he believes
some markets have become far too risky of a business
proposition even for seasoned investors.
“Most major markets in California have already heated up so
much, we have gone from investing to speculation,” Pantak
warned. “It is just as easy to lose, than make money in those
markets now. Many people are investing out of state.”
In his opinion, Seattle offers one of the best potential markets
for people looking to invest in either single-family residences or
apartment buildings.