Knowledgebase
All of Think Realty's extensive content archive is at your fingertips. Filter by media type and keyword to hone in on exactly what you need.
Knowledgebase
All of Think Realty's extensive content archive is at your fingertips. Filter by media type and keyword to hone in on exactly what you need.
The Most Painful Insurance Losses in 2016
Though 2016 is now water under the bridge, it’s not too late to learn a few important lessons to make 2017 your best year yet. Sadly, many of the losses we see each day can be prevented with a little planning or on-going maintenance. However, all hope is not lost ...
Breaking Down the Deal-Breakers
When real estate investors get started in the business, they often are hindered in their trek toward success by preconceived notions about the “right” kinds of deals and markets. Think Realty sat down with John Tesh, a former commercial photographer who has found he has an “eye” for real estate ...
Putting People First in Housing
Although no one knows for sure what changes the new presidential administration will bring to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Chicago Housing Authority (CHA)’s current CEO has opted not to wait around for direction as the new inhabitants of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue find their feet ...
The Lead-Generation Mistake that is Costing You Business
Would you rather have tons of motivated sellers nearly knocking down your door or tons of tire-kickers waffling around and tying up your phones because they found your number on a postcard or letter that, by the way, took forever to print, stuff the envelopes, stick the stamps and send ...
Kathy Fettke has been podcasting for the last 13 years and was on the air long before that on radio and television. She knows exactly what it takes to start a successful podcast and, this month, shares it with Think Realty readers. Donna Behrens: What got you into podcasting? Kathy ...
5 Email Marketing Statistics and What They Mean For Your Real Estate Business
You probably start each work day reading your emails, right? Have you ever wondered how many people do the same thing each day all around the world? Some estimates indicate that 100 billion emails are sent, on average, each day. Did that number get your attention? The world we live ...
Saving Some Green with Green Properties
As a real estate investor, you make myriad choices on a daily basis from selecting paint colors to determining listing prices. You are always looking for ways to improve your return on investment and save money over the long term while offering a safe, affordable home to tenants or buyers ...
Regional Spotlight: Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham, Alabama has been known as “The Magic City” for over a century. Today, one of the most “magical” things about the city for real estate investors is the high volume of unique opportunities that the metro area and surrounding region represent. Home to the most institutional investment money in ...
Think Realty Street Smart: Expo Edition
Think Realty members, educators, and supporters bring unique perspectives to real estate investing. Think Realty members can always submit their responses to the monthly “Street Smart” question online, but whenever a Think Realty event brings all that expertise into one room, we capitalize on it! Think Realty Magazine asked experts ...
The Think Realty Honors are awarded in the fall of each year to industry leaders who represent the very best of what the real estate industry has to offer. These individuals are nominated by their peers, judged during a rigorous three-step process, and reach finalist status by peer review before ...
Control Your Service Providers or See Your IRA Destroyed
Recently, I have started to notice a disturbing pattern: Service providers are destroying their clients’ individual retirement accounts (IRAs). Since nothing speaks so loudly as an example, I shall provide two that I have seen in the last year. I have edited the facts for the sake of privacy. Example ...
When it comes to design in an investment property, investors have been taught that “less is more.” While this can be true in some markets, a well-designed home with the right “finishing touches” will nearly always pull in better returns regardless of your investing strategy. Nicely-finished rentals will net higher ...
It’s going to get messy, and walls hide a lot of secrets.” That’s the note of caution Erin Shipps, creator, executive producer and host of Kansas City-based web series “ShowMe Renovation”, gives to investors looking to rehab old homes. “Any renovation project has the potential to make a mess, but ...
Is Your IRA-Owned Business Entity a “Sitting Duck” for Lawsuits?
If you have real estate in a self-directed individual retirement account (IRA), then you likely have at least considered setting up an LLC, called an IRA LLC, within that self-directed IRA in order to further insulate those investments. It’s a common form of asset protection, and a lot of providers ...
Think Realty Launches Veterans’ “Rally Points” with Andy Williams
Location: Sheraton, Downtown Dallas Mission: Support and Outreach As attendees bustled about the conference floor, a small crowd formed around Andy Williams, CEO of Recon Realty and recipient of the 2016 Think Realty R. Michael Wrenn Humanitarian of the Year. As the group started to arrange themselves, Williams thanked them ...
Market Update: Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota
In June 2016, Think Realty Magazine featured the Twin Cities, Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, in its “Regional Investor” feature. At that time, the regional housing market was benefitting from an overall improving economy, falling jobless rate, and rising equity. Low inventory in the “starter home” sector had begun to ...
Flipping Out in the Tar Heel State
North Carolina sports fans had to be flipping out after their University of North Carolina Tar Heels won the N.C.A.A. men’s basketball championship during this year’s March Madness. This is the team’s sixth national championship, and with this win they became only the fourth team in N.C.A.A. history to come ...
Panel in Print: “Eyes on Opportunity”
Perhaps the biggest factor in your success as a real estate investor will be your ability to spot opportunities in real estate and then leverage those opportunities effectively. Think Realty’s Resident Experts, Eddie Wilson (The Deal-Maker), Sonia Booker (The Wealth Builder), Tameka Bryant (The Closer), and Abhi Golhar (The Connector) ...
Reading Between the Lines: Streetcars and Property Values
Real estate investors know that the key to actually living that old adage, “buy low and sell high,” is being able to read between the lines when it comes to spotting potential in local housing markets. One of the most popular “insider secrets” for this type of market forecasting lies, ...
Playing the “Blame Game” Heralds Trouble for Rental Owners
As landlords, we are unknowingly conducting our business in a Perfect Storm. By dictionary definition, this occurs when a rare combination of circumstances aggravates a situation drastically. There are several rare combinations of circumstances leading to unfavorable - and significant - change for landlords. The storm is already brewing and ...
3 Think Realty Resident Experts Attending Baltimore Conference
Three of Think Realty’s Resident Experts will attend the Think Realty National Conference & Expo in Baltimore, Maryland, on June 24, 2017. Sonia Booker (“The Wealth Builder”), Abhi Golhar (“The Connector”), and Eddie Wilson (“The Deal Maker” and president of Think Realty parent company, Affinity Worldwide) will be in attendance ...
Baltimore’s Inner Harbor: A Market Closeup
Baltimore, Maryland’s “Inner Harbor” is far more than just a body of water. The name is used to describe the seaport that has existed since the 18th century and the land surrounding it, which includes a number of historic attractions, cultural and entertainment venues, and a number of development projects ...
Investor Spotlight: Keith and Shannon French
When things get tough in Baltimore real estate, Keith and Shannon French, co-founders and -owners of BuyBaltimoreProperties.com, don’t even slow down. The Frenches, who have been in operation in the Baltimore area since 2005, offer sellers in any temperature market the opportunity to sell their homes at and sometimes above ...
The “New” Underwater Threat for Miami
Being “underwater” is what a lot of homeowners experienced during the housing meltdown, but for people in Miami, that term is gaining a whole new meaning - one that is perhaps, more fitting. There are about 2.5 million people in Miami-Dade County, and if the latest scientific analysis is right, ...
High Retention Rates Reported in Morningstar SFR Research
As we move into the second quarter of 2017, Morningstar Credit Ratings LLC released their first quarter Performance Summary of Single-Family Rental Research showing a slight rise of single-borrower, single-family securitizations. The Performance Summary showed a rise to 4.3 percent from just the previous month at 4.2 percent. However, higher ...
