John Trautman
Commuter Suburbs: The New Millennial Dream
The city or the suburbs? Which location does the largest rising block of home buyers prefer? In recent years, conventional wisdom would have steered real estate investors toward the urban centers thanks to the stated preferences of the Millennial generation, which has tended to prefer renting over owning, community space ...
4 Bonus Aspects of a Positive Market
Although every real estate market is unique and holds its own particular set of opportunities, there are four positive market characteristics that make any market in which they occur a little bit brighter. Can you have a good real estate market without all four of these characteristics? Absolutely! But if ...
Proposed Tax Reform Could Impact REIs
The proposed tax reform hit the internet last week. Though there are likely to be many changes and revisions, in its current form, there are many impacts to those who invest in real estate. Let’s explore these. Changes in Deductions The proposed tax reform has changed, reduced, and eliminated many ...
Why I Moved to Phoenix to Invest in Real Estate
I’ve concluded that Phoenix, Arizona, is one of the best places in the United States to invest in real estate. I’m so confident in this that I moved there! You may not always be able to invest where you live, but investing where other people want to live is a ...
4 Tips for Increasing Your ROI in Today’s Real Estate Market
Why do people invest? The answer is simple – to make money. That is why many people are turning to real estate investing. It is a good way to earn income while diversifying their investment portfolio. Of course, real estate investment is not a get rich quick scheme and takes ...
8 Reasons to Invest in Commercial Real Estate in 2017
We are well into 2017, but some people are still on the fence about investing in real estate. They don't know what the new administration is doing with rule and regulations. They aren't sure how the economy is going to react. They are still scared from many years of bad ...
When You Cut Corners Are You Really Saving Money?
A mentor used to say to me, “Don’t jump over hundreds to pick up dimes.” In other words, don’t try to save a few dimes if it will cost you big bucks in the end. Unfortunately, I see many real estate investors doing just this. Yes, it is important to ...
Real Estate Investing with No Money is Possible
Have you ever heard the adage, “To make money, you have to have money?” Although in many areas this is true, when it comes to real estate investing, there are legitimate ways to invest without having any money down. Just make sure you are prepared before you begin leveraging these ...
Create & Grow Residual Income Using Real Estate
There is a saying that goes something like this: The rich get richer while the poor get poorer. I would challenge that saying and suggest that anyone can increase their wealth through investing in real estate with the intent to produce a residual income. I just want to focus on ...
Real Estate Investing Success: As Simple as One, Two, Three
If you've ever looked in the self-help section for books on success, you'll soon realize that everybody has a system. Whether it is the 9 Habits from Rich Habits by Tom Corley, the 7 Habits by Stephen Covey, or the 8 Steps to Success by Andy Albright, those who are ...
Property Management: Why You Should do it Yourself
Investing in real estate provides investors with more control over their money than most investing vehicles. Rather than putting your money into a fund and having someone else decide where it goes while you watch the numbers go up or down, real estate allows you to determine exactly what you ...
Why Real Estate is a Good Investment
Is real estate a good investment? That is the big question on many people's minds. It seems as the housing bubble fades into the background, mortgage rates remain low, and loans are easing up a bit. People love real estate investments again. In fact, almost one-third of Americans are saying ...
We've been investing in Detroit since 2009. Although we picked Detroit eight years ago, I believe that now is a better time to invest in the city than ever before. Here are six reasons why. Low Purchase Price Home prices in the Detroit area are quite low. Homes that need ...
Make More Money, Get Out of Your REI Comfort Zone
Raise your hand if you are reluctant to move beyond your comfort zone. If you raised your hand, you are not alone. People like being in their comfort zone because it is familiar. We know what to expect. Amazingly, people will stay in their comfort zone even if it isn't ...
How to Find the Best Mentor for You
Many people who consider real estate investing can find themselves at a loss, not knowing how to move forward. Then, they quit before they ever get started despite this being a wonderful time to begin real estate investing. Did you know that the No. 1 reason people don't begin investing ...
Truth or Comfort? Real Estate Market Bubbles
Truth or comfort? Which do you prefer? Several years ago, someone I respected very much asked this question to a group of real estate investors. We were surprised. Why should we have to choose? Real estate was going well, so we had the comfort of great investments and the truth ...
How much time do you spend on planning a vacation versus planning your financial future? This was a question asked to me years ago, and it hit home. Now, when I ask it of others, it hits them the same way it hit me. We spend months planning a vacation, ...
To Flip or Not to Flip? If Not Now, When?
If you are considering investing in real estate, you've likely done a little digging on the internet to determine if now is a good time to buy. Looking at those online articles from time to time, I've noticed that the answer is always “Yes”—and always “No.” The people who say ...
Getting the most bang for your rehabbing buck
It seems like with all the TV shows out there nowadays, everybody has heard the term “fix-and-flip.” But what does that really mean, and will that be a viable strategy for you as an investor? Very simply, fix-and-flip involves buying a property at a discounted cost, renovating (or fixing) it, ...
