Larry Arth
Real estate investment gurus: Friend or foe?
When I hear or read the word “guru,” my mind starts pinging like an arcade game. Every investment seminar I attend has discussions about gurus. Every magazine you read references them, and the frame of reference is always different, from “They are great and made me a fortune,” to “They ...
Investing in college towns: the overlooked great investments
As any entrepreneur knows, the key to success is to find a need and then fulfill the need. When you do, profits will soar. This is exactly what a friend of mine did when his son went off to college. The need in college towns At the start of any ...
Who manages it better – you or a property manager?
Debates can be interesting. While attending an investor meeting recently, the always interesting debate on whether or not to hire a property manager was being bantered back and forth. People have such incredibly strong opinions on the issue. I know personally I have had this question asked numerous times. Should ...
Avoid these 7 costly mistakes many real estate investors make
I attended an interesting city ordinance meeting yesterday here on the beaches of Anna Maria Island, a beach town on the gulf coast an hour south of Tampa, Florida. Just like many areas in Florida, this is an area where many foreign and northern investors love to buy investment property ...
How one real estate investor’s indecision cost him close to $80,000
I was reading an article the other day about the one characteristic that all millionaires have in common: Decisiveness. Wow; one characteristic. They all made prompt decisions and remained confident and went on to build around that decision. My interpretation is: the focus on being decisive made all the difference ...
How a beginning investor became an investment company owner in five years
“I want to know everything you can teach me about real estate investing,” were the first words spoken by a gentleman who walked into my office. He said he had seen the words “investment property” underneath my office picture and wanted me to help him get underway. He said he ...
How a beginning investor became an investment company owner in five years
“I want to know everything you can teach me about real estate investing,” were the first words spoken by a gentleman who walked into my office. He said he had seen the words “investment property” underneath my office picture and wanted me to help him get underway. He said he ...
What serious real estate investors do that average investors do not
Most everyone I talk to about real estate investing has a desire to build a nice investment portfolio. The interesting part is few people actually talk about the journey or the desired destination. Most simply talk about the immediate deal they are looking to invest in with little thought into ...
The 7 truths of buying with no money down
"What do you have available for no-money-down deals"? This is a sensitive topic that comes up when talking with investors. I tense up when I hear the question and reply with a question of my own, “How long have you been investing?” The reply about 99 percent of the time ...
5 things I would tell my younger self about real estate investing
Driving down the road yesterday, I was heavy in thought about the investment properties I had just been looking at when the song, “If I Could Turn Back Time,” by Cher, came on the radio. While the song is more about relationships, the title and lyrics “If I Could Turn ...
3 ways to identify a good real estate investment deal
Investing in real estate has become a very popular investment vehicle over the past five decades – and especially over the past five years, as the markets have rebounded. I write a number of blog posts about investing. I attend a lot of real estate forums and events. I find ...
3 things seasoned real estate investors do to win
Working as I do with both seasoned and new real estate investors, I often am reminded of my younger self and how my mindset differed from that of someone who had “been around the block” before. As a “newbie,” I always loved learning new things and seeing the opportunities that ...
Why the second half of 2015 is ripe for the savvy investor
If there has ever been a more compelling reason for a savvy investor to get in or get out of the way, today’s investing landscape has defined it. Here is what is going on: Record low interest rates are threatening to rise. The demand for rental housing continues to grow ...
How one couple chose to invest $1 million in cash
The couple was a farming family from just outside the city limits and had received an offer to purchase their land from a single-family-home developer. They had called ahead and wanted to sit down with me to discuss how to best invest their million-dollar windfall. As a real estate investment ...
How one couple chose to invest $1 million in cash
The couple was a farming family from just outside the city limits and had received an offer to purchase their land from a single-family-home developer. They had called ahead and wanted to sit down with me to discuss how to best invest their million-dollar windfall. As a real estate investment ...
How to use the investor “3 step” to build wealth
I received an interesting call some time back from a real estate investor who was vacationing here in sunny Florida. Knowing I lived in Florida, he asked how far I was from Clearwater beach and if it was possible to meet for coffee? I never turn away a reason to go ...
7 things if only I knew…what they don’t tell you is where the problems lie
What they don’t tell you is where problems lie Have you ever evaluated an investment property and were very excited about the purchase? Everything looks great on paper. The property looks good and talk of “hurry, before it is gone” prompts you to make an uneducated decision. I hope you ...
6 dangers of the pro forma report for real estate investors
I was having an interesting conversation yesterday with an investor client who was trying to evaluate some properties. She was confused at seeing properties and how they can be so similar yet have such incredibly different returns on investments (ROI). Instantly suspecting the reason for variances, I began to ask ...
Real estate investing: Where it’s hot and where it’s not
I often am asked where real estate investing is hot (or not), and I love this question. The answer, however, is a moving target. Macro and micro fundamentals are always changing. This is why it is so often said that real estate is local in nature. A hot market for ...
3 secrets to turn nothing into something in real estate investing
One of the most important statements I have ever heard involves taking action—specifically, getting your name and your investing goals in front of as many people as possible. That statement is this: “Your success in real estate investing is directly proportional to the number of people who, when thinking of ...
3 lessons that turned me into a great property manager
My first rental property was a duplex in which I lived. I occupied the lower unit and rented the upper unit. It was a great experience and one I will never forget. I was 18 years old at the time in 1980 and thought, “Wow, how cool is this! I ...
3 ways to build your real estate investing portfolio
What excites me is watching new investors build up ta real estate investing portfolio—the self-discovery, if you will—that comes with them finally taking that first big step into buying their initial investment property. With such fast changes in the real estate industry it is easy to get confused as to ...
3 ways to build your real estate investing portfolio
What excites me is watching new investors embrace the confidence—the self-discovery, if you will—that comes with finally taking that first big step into buying their initial investment property. With such fast changes in the real estate industry it is easy to get confused as to what steps you should and ...
5 Faulty Assumptions About Real Estate Investing
I have discovered in many conversations with investors a distinct difference in the way beginners and veterans think. New investors are thinking based on what they hear and what they read. They then create their own interpretation of what that means to them. On the other hand, a seasoned investor ...
Rental properties: 6 ways to know when to hold’em and when to fold’em
Here is a common concern by real estate investors: “Is it too late to buy in this market?” I love getting these kinds of questions, as it shows that investors are being purposeful instead of just buying property that produces a return on investment. Indeed, the markets have been advancing ...
