Articles
Ready to get your read on? Dive into the article archive to help you build wealth through real estate investing. We feature top subject matter experts exploring every facet of the industry.
Articles
Ready to get your read on? Dive into the article archive to help you build wealth through real estate investing. We feature top subject matter experts exploring every facet of the industry.
3 Most and Least Affordable Rental Housing Markets
HomeUnion recently released its annual report on the most and least affordable rental housing markets in the country, and Chicago, Illinois, topped the list. “With its low cost of living, relatively large housing inventory levels, and high affordability, Chicago is an excellent market for residents entering the renting pool,” said HomeUnion’s director ...
Down Payment Program: Employers to Help Employees
A new program from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will allow borrowers to crowdfund their down payments from multiple sources, including their employers. HomeFundMe was created by mortgage banking firm CMG Financial, and allows employers to contribute directly to employees’ accounts for the express purpose of helping that employee purchase ...
Realtor.com Report: Housing Inventory Ongoing Problem
Late last week, Realtor.com released its “State of the Housing Union,” an annual report published shortly prior to the president’s State of the Union address. The association stated, “The housing market outlook is looking bright on several fronts: strong buyer demand, particularly among first-timers, and a growing U.S. economy urging ...
As investors, we look at properties through different eyes than most. We see the flaws and the telltale signs of hard use and neglect, but we also see the potential. We understand the importance of thoughtful discernment. We know from experience that success is in the details and that the ...
Amazon’s HQ2 Short List Silenced, for Now
The location of Amazon’s second headquarters will benefit in enormous ways from the influx of jobs and development that will come with HQ2 but cities vying for the position will be keeping quiet about what they’re offering while the contest continues. According to CNBC reports last week, Amazon has requested ...
Whole Home Cast Iron Repipe Video with Q&A: Blake Johnson
Sitting at the Think Realty editorial desk, we were able to walk through a repiping project with Blake Johnson, owner of Fort Worth-based Finishing Touches Remodeling, by watching a video he shared with us. Awestruck at the amount of work, time, and money that goes into a repipe project as extensive ...
8 Kitchen Design Trends for 2018
Looking for the newest trends in kitchen design? Look no further! Those Shaker-style cabinets should be the first thing to go, and you’ll probably want to give the dramatic paint trend a try. Here are some trends professional designers say we’ll be seeing a lot of. 1| Clean Lines “We ...
3 Goal Setting Questions to Ask Yourself
The NASCAR racing season wrapped up in Miami, Florida, this past November. We have just two short months full of holiday merriment and planning before we are back on track to start next season in Daytona. The short break is a wonderful time for gratitude, reflection and of course, preparation ...
Grow Your Network Daily – Week 5
Grow Your Network Finale We started our journey to grow our real estate investor connections on January 1. Each of us may have a different reason, but ideally, we all hope to enhance this REI industry that makes a difference in communities as well as impacting individual families and lives ...
All Insurance Policies and Coverage Are Not Created Equal
One of the biggest mistakes a real estate investor can make is to assume that all types of property insurance are created equal. Make sure you learn and understand the difference between Basic, Broad and Special form coverages as well as the difference between Actual Cash Value vs. Replacement Cost ...
Waste DNA Testing, Key to Solving Pet Owner Issues
Dog-friendly rentals are in big demand, and landlords are coming up with some great amenities for their four-legged tenants. But, despite the good behavior of most tenants and dogs, some pet owners don’t pick up after their pets. Tenants either don’t see it, or ignore it, and it’s left for ...
How Housing Agencies are Affected by Government Shutdown
Last week, spending authority for most government agencies expired on midnight, January 29, 2018, as a result of ongoing conflict in the U.S. House of Representatives that prevented a national budget bill from being passed. At time of publication, the Senate had voted to pass a temporary spending bill to ...
Kitchen Construction and Design, 84 Lumber
Fix-and-flip investors know better than anyone just how important the kitchen is to overall investment returns, but knowing how and at what level to do the right kitchen remodel is vitally important. According to Remodeling Magazine, minor kitchen remodels return roughly 93 percent at resale in a home, making them ...
Most Preventable Property Losses for 2018
At Affinity Loss Prevention Services we see multiple property claim submissions each day. Some of the losses described in submissions aren’t avoidable, like hail damage. However, many losses we see are preventable, and to our dismay, those types of losses, if with a few subtle variations, happen over and over again. So, ...
2018 Hot Market Picks for Real Estate Investors
Every year, real estate analysts, experts, and economists release assorted “top hot markets” lists related to housing. These lists should always be taken with a healthy dose of context. As Svenja Gudell, chief economist at Zillow and January's Think Realty cover story feature says, “Economists, like meteorologists, should be taken ...
Quick & Easy Elevator Pitch Formula
An elevator pitch should answer three things: Who you are What you do/want What benefits you bring The reason so many people get this simple formula wrong when it comes to real estate networking is that they are so used to making this “pitch” in daily introductions in their everyday ...
3 Markets Might Benefit Most from Amazon’s HQ2
Last week, Amazon announced its 20 finalists for its second headquarters, nicknamed HQ2, and the response was immediate and overwhelming. Cities that made the top 20 were elated and eager to remind everyone exactly why their location looked so good: • “We are excited to learn that Atlanta has been ...
Grow Your Network Every Day – Week 4
There are a number of reasons why we network – the opportunity to learn from those around us is one. Some investors may have a different resume than you. Making a new connection, who is willing to let you in on their know-how, helps you tap into knowledge that you ...
7 Advantages of Attending Events in Person vs Online
When real estate investors think about attending conferences, expos, and in-person education and training, they often cite the following reasons for not getting out and meeting people face to face: No one wants to meet me. I can get everything I need online. I’m too busy. Then they elaborate that ...
12-Year Low in Foreclosure Activity for 2017
ATTOM Data Solutions, today released its Year-End 2017 U.S. Foreclosure Market Report, which shows foreclosure filings — default notices, scheduled auctions and bank repossessions — were reported on 676,535 U.S. properties in 2017, down 27 percent from 2016 and down 76 percent from a peak of nearly 2.9 million in ...
The Case for Real Estate as an Investment
Yes, as you may have heard, Bitcoin has gone through the proverbial roof of late and cryptocurrencies are all the rage. There are also plenty of sexy startups out there and I’m sure your friend has a great stock tip or two. And you probably know at least one gold ...
Real estate investing is all about the personal touch, so it’s not surprising that most investors are not too concerned about one of the hottest topics in tech these days: robots replacing humans in many areas of employment, even possibly realtors. However, a startup called Homie is hoping to change ...
Breaking News: Amazon Announces 20 Finalists for HQ2
Amazon announced today it has narrowed the list of possible locations for its second headquarters, HQ2, down to 20. Not surprisingly, the list features a number of metro areas in the Midwest and South, which are the most affordable regions of the United States, and steers away from what the ...
Avoid Over-Renovation: Here’s Why
What a great feeling it is to walk into a newly renovated home, smelling of fresh paint and new carpet. Many rental home investors are now providing incentives to new tenants, with upgrades and amenities that they may not have been able to afford in previous housing situations. If you do ...
Buying Cheaper than Renting in More than Half of Markets
The national housing market is definitely heating up, but it still makes more sense to buy instead of rent in more than half of all housing markets. According to ATTOM Data Solutions, buying a median-priced home is more affordable than renting a three-bedroom property in 54 percent of all U.S ...
