Larry Arth
5 things real estate “gurus” never tell you
I remember sitting at my desk catching up on some paperwork on a rainy summer afternoon when a gentleman named Patrick walked into my office and said he wanted to learn everything I could share with him about buying real estate investment property. We had a chuckle as we both ...
5 things to remember in moving from single-family to multifamily real estate investing
I was recently at a real estate investors club meeting (REIA) where the proverbial debate- single-family versus multifamily investing-once again-underway. Investors have strong opinions about this topic. It sometimes gets downright brutal. It is a debate I heard many times early in my investing career and I was also perplexed ...
5 triggers that influence tenant decision making for your rental properties
How great would it be if you knew what your tenants or future tenants are thinking about rental properties? It has been my experience that landlords tend to put all their energy into what they as landlords want without getting in tune with what the tenant wants. The nice thing ...
3 top search habits renters are using to find properties
Many people changed their buying and spending habits during the recent recession. It is imperative to understand how these habits have changed, in order to run an effective real estate investment business, especially when you are providing housing. First, understand your target market’s rental preferences in order to connect with ...
4 things tenants are looking for in rentals these days
As landlords and property owners we tend to want many things from our tenants. We want them to be great tenants who mind their own business and take great care of our properties. The only time we want to hear from them is the first of the month when we ...
9 ways I have managed to keep tenants renewing their leases for the long term
I learned early on in the business world that success is all about building relationships. I knew I had to build a strong relationship with my tenants, and those long-term lasting relationships would translate into long-term loyal clients for my real estate investing. On the other hand, the real estate ...
6 qualities to look for in a great turnkey real estate investment company
Like many single-family real estate investors, I started out finding properties through the conventional methods, such as the local Multiple Listing Services. I soon found out- after painstakingly analyzing each property- figuring out what I could charge for rent and plugging in the expenses for my return on investment, that ...
You cannot create wealth in real estate investing until you gain control of your taxes
It was the fall of 1985, and I remember it well. I was 24 years old and just returned home with a passion for investing from the bookstore with a thick hard-covered book by Charles Givens called “Wealth Without Risk.” The premise of the book was, you can make more ...
How a real estate property investor knows the optimum time for buying low and selling high
While I was uncovering the different real estate investing market cycles, what became clear was the difference between what real estate agents and the media talk about, and what seasoned investors talk about, when it comes to market cycles. For the media and real estate agents, there is a buyers' ...
Invest like a pro by understanding the real estate cycles
Invest like a pro by understanding the real estate cycles I work every day with investors and I often hear these words: “I wish I had…” “I wish had bought two years ago.” “I wish I had bought more properties.” “I wish I had sold those properties then I would ...
Do you know the four keys to invest like a pro?
During my last month in Minnesota in 2003 in preparation for my move to Florida, I sold 22 investment properties to investors who were all thrilled at the returns they were getting. Moving my investing business 1,600 miles south to Florida, I suddenly found a very different market. WOW! It ...
How mowing lots at age 15 led to my first real estate investment
I had a lawn mowing job for a local developer when I was 15. I mowed all the land he was developing into plots for home building sites. Watching the roads go in and seeing the land take shape inspired me as a teenager. One day after my mowing was ...
Do you know which smart additions can add value to real estate investments?
When I lived and invested in the Midwest I loved buying newer style homes with unfinished walk-out basements. It is common there to build a home on a hill with the front elevation of the home looking like a single-story house, but the back of the home opening down the ...
What I learned the hard way about property managers
When I moved my real estate investing business from Minnesota to Florida I found myself in need of a property manager. Up until this point I had been managing my own properties, a mistake I will never make again, but more on that later. I set out to find a ...
Six steps to building your passive real estate investment portfolio
Do what we were all taught not to do in school – copy your neighbor’s work. That’s right. To be an effective passive investor you need to simply research and duplicate. The passive investment model is easy duplicated once you understand it. Here are the six steps seasoned investors copy ...
Can headlines like ‘Top 10 rental markets’ mislead investors?
We see articles every day that tease us and get us thinking. 10 Housing Markets Poised to Rebound Soon! 15 Under-priced College Towns! 10 Best Rental Markets! Should we invest in a market because the headlines are good? While these headlines are fun to think about, and may offer great ...
Why did I shift from Minnesota real estate investing to Florida investing?
Like most real estate investors, I started investing in my own backyard. I started in an era when late night infomercials were dictating investment strategies. Years ago that is what all the gurus suggested. To be able to sell their information to a broad audience, they drove the point home ...
Do you know the 5 keys to success in real estate investing?
When I invest I like to capture all five of the key wealth building principles. It is why I invest in real estate. Are you capturing all 5 keys? Real estate is a trendy investment today. Prices are low, interest rates are low and opportunity is everywhere. But why is ...
5 things to consider to sell your investment for top dollar
For the buy and hold strategy, I believe most real estate investors have the goal of eventually selling the property for top dollar. In order to accomplish this you must buy a property that can be sold to an end user who will pay retail pricing. This means as an ...
What is the No. 1 wealth-building principle of a real estate investment?
I always love the equity growth of the investment. In my view point I believe equity to be the number one wealth-building principle of an investment. Cash flow is paramount and indeed much needed but a great equity play can provide for greater wealth than any cash flow itself. Of ...
The secret to finding investment property with great cash flow?
Here is how the typical investor works: you search online or at investment clubs and find a property that you can buy for a decent price, which after expenses will give you a good cash flow. Often you will find two, three or maybe even four of these properties and ...
One thing real estate investors who fail have in common and how to avoid it
Most investors who fail have one thing in common. They approach their investments backwards. So what is backwards, or the wrong way? Search the Internet or newspapers for a cheap property. Search for property with numbers that will generate great cash flow. Some may not even physically look at the ...
5 principles for real estate wealth building
As you probably heard, over 90 percent of all millionaires made their wealth in whole or in part through real estate investing. The common denominator is that real estate is in their investment portfolio. Real estate has for years been known as the best performing vehicle to create wealth. There ...
The secret formula to finding an undervalued market
How do you know if you have found an under-valued market? The seasoned investor looking for appreciation, the investor looking for cash flow, and the buy-and-hold investor are all looking for the undervalued market. Makes great sense, but where or how you find these undervalued markets? Today’s undervalued market may ...
Five things you need to sustain your real estate investment
Sustainability of a real estate investment is as important as having water to drive a boat. It is definitely as important as location. To have a sustainable real estate investment you need the best possible property, within the best area of the best and most sustainable market that is positioned ...
