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2016 Tax Changes for Real Estate?
Donald Trump and the Republican majorities are coming into office with plans to change the U.S. tax code. It’s not clear, however, how real estate might fare under some of the changes being discussed. Earlier Blueprint Now Ready for Launch A sweeping platform for overhauling most of U.S. tax laws ...
3D Printing to Disrupt Construction Industry Within 3 Years
The future of home construction is on the verge of what could be a huge transformation. 3D printing technologies are advancing rapidly for the construction of homes and other buildings. And according to some ambitious entrepreneurs, we may see widespread use of that technology in the not-too-distant future! One of ...
Oakland Warehouse Landlord May Face Murder Charges
The tragic warehouse fire that killed 36 people in Oakland on Dec. 2, 2016, should never have happened. The building was never fit for habitation. The first lawsuit has been filed against the landlord and eight other defendants, all of whom may face murder charges. This is going to be ...
Buying More Affordable than Renting
Buying a home is more affordable than renting in 66 percent of U.S. housing markets analyzed in the 2017 Rental Affordability Report issued by ATTOM Data Solutions, parent company of RealtyTrac. The analysis incorporated recently released fair market rent data for 2017 from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban ...
Are You ‘Helping’ Hackers Scam Your Clients?
Are you unwittingly helping hackers scam your clients? More and more real estate professionals are reporting that their clients are finding themselves victims of hacking and identity theft, thanks to real estate transactions. Hackers have discovered that breaking into a single real estate professional’s email account yields a treasure trove ...
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 ...
Housing Credit Index Shows Movement
The Housing Credit Index, which measures new loan risk, has seen some decreases in the latest HCI National Overview by CoreLogic. Among the highlights of the Q3 2016 report: New loan risk, as measured by the HCI, is down year over year and compared to 2001 The share of home ...
Your Property, Tenants and Drugs
This excerpt is part of the article “Don’t Let Drugs Cook Your Investment Property” by BreAnn Stephenson of Affinity Loss Prevention Services. It can be found in the December 2017 issue of Think Realty Magazine. The editors of Think Realty hope you find this information useful and hope this will ...
Think Realty Magazine January/February 2017
+ WHAT'S INSIDE The Big Picture | TV Star-Struck • Market Update: San Diego • How Secure Are You? • An Intriguing Alternative • A Matter of Timing • Giving Back Cover Feature | Knowledge + Power = Freedom Up Close & Personal | Tech Titan • May the Fores ...
Real estate investors are exposed daily to an ever-changing market. Sometimes these changes are favorable, and sometimes they are detrimental. The only certainties related to the real estate market are that it will change and that investors should expect the unexpected. Given this fact, doesn’t it make sense that investors ...
So you have your first property under contract, and you’re ready to get started and hire a contractor. What now? This was the question that confronted us on our very first project. We had already done the business basics: formed an LLC for our company and got our EIN number, ...
As a real estate investor, are you an investor, or are you a speculator? There is a significant difference. Speculating is when you form a theory or conjecture about a subject without firm evidence—for example, investing in the stock market. You’re buying shares of a certain stock in the hopes ...
Often the difference between a successful real estate investor and a not-so-successful one is how they treat their investments. A successful investor sees investing as a business while a not-so-successful one thinks he’s being business-like but actually has more of a hobby mentality. Here are seven ways successful investors treat ...
On Aug. 10, 2016, the United States Tax Court issued an opinion in the case of George H. Bartell et al., v. Commission of Internal Revenue, 14 T.C. No. 5. This case may prove to be the most momentous tax authority dealing with 1031 exchanges in the last 20 years ...
This time of year, talk about making resolutions is everywhere—in conversations, on blogs and splashed across every form of news outlet. Now, what do New Year’s resolutions have to do with the reason you read this magazine? I’m going to point out the obvious: If you weren’t interested in how ...
Ask any experienced landlords, and they’ll tell you that one of the secrets to success with rental properties is finding the right tenants. The right occupants are a landlord’s dream-come-true. They’ll pay the rent on time—every time—and look after your property and treat it right. They’ll abide by the terms ...
The backbone of any commercial property is strong property management. If you have recently purchased a commercial building or have a building that you have owned for a while, there comes a time when you must truly consider hiring a professional property manager to skillfully guide the property through its ...
The right software can help you run your real estate business more efficiently. But how do you know the difference between useful features and bells and whistles when choosing a software package? Experts say that sticking to the KISS (Keep it Simple, Stupid) theory will allow you to buy a ...
Most real estate agents tell their clients that the three most important things to consider when buying property are location, location, location. I disagree. Here’s why: If you sold a house in Stockton, California, in 2006, you might have received $400,000. If you sold that same house in 2009, you ...
A successful website conversion is when someone visits your real estate investor website and takes some action you want them to take. For investors looking to buy houses, it’s when your website visitor wants to sell his or her house and either submits the requested form or gives you a ...
Entrepreneur’s Corner: Are There Holes in Your Boat?
As I learn more about myself and my business, I realize how little I really know. Don’t get me wrong, my business is successful, but sometimes as an entrepreneur, I’m wearing filters that keep me from seeing the entire truth. Sometimes it’s ego or pride. Sometimes it’s perspective. When these ...
In 10 short years, from 2005 to 2015, the number of people turning 65 each year exploded from 2.2 million to 3.5 million. Many of these older Americans are increasingly choosing to rent. With this surge of older renters, developers are building age-restricted or so-called “active-adult lifestyle” apartments. These apartment ...
Getting a loan doesn’t have to be a difficult process, according to Ron Blum, founder of Atlas Capital and Asset Management. In fact, building a portfolio doesn’t have to be complicated, either. Atlas offers quality properties in blue-collar neighborhoods; internal underwriting of fixed-rate, 30-year loans; and property management service—all under ...
The Term Sheet is often used in a real estate transaction as a preliminary document that is incidental but not integral to the ultimate transaction because it is usually defined as “non-binding,” “confidential,” “preliminary” and/or “expiring.” But that should not lull either party in the transaction—property buyer or property seller—into ...
Closing the Gap with Mezzanine Financing
Mezzanine finance is a bit like it sounds—the semi-floor, halfway up the stairs, that in department stores like Fields and Macy’s was used for just about everything in between the women’s and men’s displays on the first and second floors. In real estate finance and the “capital stack,” the first ...
