Operations
Your operations define your long-term success in real estate investing. Fine-tune your process with: Asset Management | Asset Protection | Deal Analysis | Fundamentals | Growth | Lead Generation | Risk Management
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Operations
Your operations define your long-term success in real estate investing. Fine-tune your process with: Asset Management | Asset Protection | Deal Analysis | Fundamentals | Growth | Lead Generation | Risk Management
Back To: All Topics
Marathon Runners Similar to REIs
This past week my daughter completed her third marathon. Not a big accomplishment to most runners but her third marathon was the Boston Marathon. A runner you ask? No, I’d say a fairly new interest to her considering her first marathon was December of 2015. She did complete the Chicago ...
Light Pollution, Stargazing, and Your Retirement Portfolio
This is a transcript of a previously-aired segment of “Self-Directed Investor Talk” co-hosted by Carole Ellis, managing editor of Think Realty Magazine Do you struggle with stargazing? If so, you are part of the 99 percent of the population who does according to a recently-published study by the journal Science ...
Baby Boomers Enjoy a Boost in Home Equity
Retiring Baby Boomers are enjoying a big boost in home equity that could help pay for their retirement. But a new survey shows there’s a surprising lack of understanding about home equity products, like reverse mortgages, among both seniors and their financial advisers. According to the National Reverse Mortgage Lenders ...
Master Investor: John Larson of American Real Estate Investments
Sometimes a successful real estate investor stretches himself too thin by trying to be involved in too many types of investments. This “jack of all trades, master of none” approach may work for some investors, but it can also bring stress and poor returns. Other investors stick to one asset ...
IRS Gets Its Wings Clipped on Roth IRAs and “Substance” Doctrine
Taxpayers recently got some good news via the 6th Circuit Court, and most have no idea. The court recently ruled in favor of a Roth IRA owner who “fed” his account with about $5 million in business directed the account’s way by the owner. This means that account owner will ...
SGF Contracting Services Joins the Affinity Enterprise Team
This week, Think Realty’s parent company acquired an asset that has the potential to provide lasting benefit to every Think Realty member and associate. Affinity Enterprise Group (AEG) acquired SGF Contracting Services, a provider of rehab and renovation services for real estate investors, asset managers, and landlords. The SGF team ...
As a real estate investor, I would venture to say that many people who aspire to be real estate investors are very likely aspiring for freedom. The freedom they hear about, learn about and read about, which results from owning your own business - specifically, owning your own real estate ...
I Have to Pay for That? Mandatory Residential Inspections
Different municipalities have different rules for code compliance. Some areas generally require inspections for properties occupied by tenants using rent-subsidy vouchers. Other areas generally require inspections if a code violation is reported or suspected. Other areas practice systematic inspections of all multiple-unit residential housing. These new municipality inspections can pose ...
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 ...
Renters are Feeling Rich in This Market
Renters are feeling good about their finances, but they are not necessarily feeling like they would like to become homeowners. According to a new consumer study released this month by Freddie Mac, renters are increasingly likely to feel confident about their finances and their current living situation these days. In ...
Immigration: The Key to Housing Sustainability
According to the Urban Land Institute (ULI), the housing industry could suffer on a nationwide level if current rates of immigration into the United States are “not sustained.” ULI’s Terwilliger Center for Housing recently released a new report, “Home in America: Immigrants and Housing Demand,” addressing the topic. Stockton Williams, ...
Tax Tips for the Sharing Economy
The new "sharing economy" may create some tax confusion this year. People who are new to the world of Airbnb, Uber, WeWork and other web-based data-driven payment portals may find taxes have suddenly grown quite complicated. The IRS launched its new Sharing Economy Tax Center last August but it's probably ...
Aim for Fairness, Not Kindness with Tenants
Your tenant calls to inform you that they were fired from their job. They promise they are looking for work, and as soon as they get a new job they will make up payments on their past due rent. That seems reasonable, right? Everyone has set backs and you understand ...
Landlords: Social Media is on Your Side
Advertising vacant units or paying a leasing agent to assist you has increasingly become more expensive. Many landlords have been able to save money by utilizing social media to advertise their vacant spaces. Some social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn, can serve as a great resource for ...
Over time, we are taught and trained in school, at work, or at home, that we need to eliminate distractions so we can focus. That this is the only way we can stay on course and true to our objectives. But when you are a real estate investor, disruptions are ...
Renovation Success: No Longer a Rookie
Exactly two months after we closed on our rental property, Lucas and I welcomed our renters into their new home. I felt emotional as we drove away from the house that day because (1), we had spent the morning there doing final cleaning and capturing the “after” photos of the ...
China Hits Milestone: 1,000+ LEED Certified Projects
China has achieved a major milestone in “green” building, surpassing 1,000 LEED certified building projects, according to the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). “The exponential growth of LEED in the global marketplace and in China drastically helps mitigate climate change and positively affects the health and well-being of millions of ...
Home Inventory Hits Record Low Since 2012
Trulia’s quarterly Inventory and Price Watch report—evaluating the supply of starter, trade-up and premium homes on the market nationally and in the 100 largest U.S. metros—found that markets with the biggest gains in home values since 2012 are facing the tight supply of for-sale homes. Buyers Face Tightest Inventory Levels ...
Homeownership Hits 50-Year Record Low
Over the past 10 years, homeownership rates in the U.S. collapsed, wiping out more than three decades of progress toward the American Dream for millions of households. Overall, the national homeownership rate dropped from a peak of 69 percent in 2004 to an average of 63.4 percent in 2016. If ...
Why Smart Home Tech is a Smart Investment
The real estate industry is highly competitive, and it’s more important than ever for investors to keep up with the latest trends. Over the last decade or so, the demand for energy efficiency has made upgraded windows, improved insulation and more efficient roofing among the most popular - and profitable ...
If a Family of Four Becomes a Family of Eight
Some landlords misinterpret, to their own disadvantage, the housing laws created to prevent discrimination based on familial status. State and local health and safety codes often set maximum limits on the total number of occupants. It is your right as a landlord, however, to restrict the number of residents based ...
BEWARE. Fed Rate Hike Could Burst Bubbles
The Federal Reserve followed through on its latest promise to raise interest rates. Fed Chief Janet Yellen announced a quarter point hike in the federal funds rate in March. But the increase has little to do with the ripple effect on mortgages and consumer loans, and more to do with ...
Warning: Read the Fine Print Before You Sign
I married a paramedic/firefighter, so I’m not exaggerating when I say that “safety first” is something my husband and I take seriously. When it came to purchasing our rental property, we drove through the neighborhood, got to know the neighbors, and determined our home was on a safe street. We ...
Real Estate Investing: Simple vs. Easy
The distinction between simple and easy is critical for real estate investors. I’ll admit, I didn’t understand the distinction myself until I had been investing for quite some time. Your ability to recognize and differentiate between the two could be a strong indicator of your future success. That’s why I ...
Use Digital Platforms to Collect Rent
Landlords, it’s time to embrace technology. While the U.S. Postal Service may disagree, the standard, “rent check is in the mail” approach isn’t saving your business time or money. And that’s exactly what your investment properties are –a business. So, you should be running it like one. If you intend ...
