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.

Renovations

Renovations to Boost Value for Your Rental Property

As a real estate investor, it’s important to continuously look for ways to increase the potential value of your rental property. Whether they are complex renovations or smaller DIY projects, there are a multitude of options you can choose from to upgrade your house in order to appeal to potential ...
Bicyclists

Why Bicyclists Pay Higher Rents

DIY landlords looking to compete with the latest trends should consider implementing amenities for the bicyclist community.  Understanding the changing cycles of the urban communities can play a strong role in your marketing and appeal to new residents.  These past few years we have seen more bicycle amenity trends popping ...
Buyers

The Truth About the 3 Best Cities for Out-of-Town Buyers

U.S. home buyers are on the move, and about one in every five of them are not thinking local when they are looking for new places to live, either. According to a recent Redfin analysis of about 1 million Redfin users looking for new homes in 75 major metro areas, ...
5 Actionable Tips for Buying in a Tough Market

5 Actionable Tips for Buying in a Tough Market

Real estate investing isn’t always a bed of roses, especially in a tough market. However, given that the vast majority of real estate investors say that at the end of the day, they prefer to invest in their “own backyard,” it is vitally important for every investor to understand how ...
Landlords

Renting: The New American Dream

This is a transcript of a previously-aired “Real Estate News” podcast broadcast by Kathy Fettke, co-CEO and founder of the Real Wealth Network. The old American Dream maybe isn’t for everybody… At least if it comes with a mortgage. That’s why a new American Dream, renting, seems to be taking ...
Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence and Real Estate Investing

Thanks to the convergence of artificial intelligence and real estate investing, the future of the real estate industry is no longer a matter of speculation. It is no longer a matter of what is possible, if and when the technology emerges to make the theoretical practical; it is no longer ...
Best Cities for Buyers

Top Cities for Out-of-Town Buyers

According to a new report on the top cities for out-of-town-buyers, U.S. home-buyers are on the move and about one in every five of them are not thinking local when they are looking for new places to live. According to a recent Redfin analysis of about 1 million Redfin users looking ...
10 Top Kitchen Design Trends for 2017

10 Top Kitchen Design Trends for 2017

Based on a member survey from the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA), a nonprofit that owns the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show® and represents nearly 14,000 member companies throughout the kitchen and bath industry, homeowners have some distinct preferences about their kitchens in 2017. NKBA identified 10 trends homeowners ...
American Association of Private Lenders Ethics Committee Positions

American Association of Private Lenders Ethics Committee Positions

| Think Realty | Article | Operations
The American Association of Private Lenders (AAPL) is pleased to announce the addition of Bobby Montagne Jr. of Walnut Street Finance and Walnut Street Investment Fund to its Ethics Advisory Committee, and the addition of Melissa Martorella of Geraci Law Firm in a new ex officio Ethics Advisory Committee position ...
8 Reasons to Invest in Commercial Real Estate in 2017

8 Reasons to Invest in Commercial Real Estate in 2017

We are well into 2017, but some people are still on the fence about investing in real estate. They don't know what the new administration is doing with rule and regulations. They aren't sure how the economy is going to react. They are still scared from many years of bad ...
Is This the Death of MLS?

Is This the Death of MLS?

With more and more websites showing available properties for sale, are we looking at the death of the MLS? One article on the topic actually featured a picture of a mushroom cloud. If the days of MLS really over, how would that affect the real estate industry? In the past, ...
Which is Best: SEP IRA or Solo 401(k)?

Which is Best: SEP IRA or Solo 401(k)?

This is a transcript of a previously-aired segment of “Self-Directed Investor Talk,” a radio show dealing with self-directed IRA strategy hosted by Bryan Ellis. Listen up, you self-employed people.  If you’ve ever wondered:  What’s right for me:  A SEP IRA or a Solo 401(k)… I’ve got the crystal-clear answer for ...
Remember: “It’s Only a Zestimate!”

Remember: “It’s Only a Zestimate!”

Real estate investors have always had a love-hate relationship with Zillow, which has firmly ensconced itself as a force in the housing data industry thanks to millions of listings with hundreds of details about each property in the system. In what is perhaps its greatest strength, Zillow excels at posting ...
Price

U.S. Home Price Index Overview Report Through March 2017

CoreLogic’s Home Price Index National Overview (HPI) shows a gain of 1.6 percent prior to the previous month of February 2017, in the single-family tier to include distressed home sales. The HPI indicates 7.1 percent year-over-year gain in the single-family category to include distressed home sales. Forecasted for April 2017 ...
Free Lawyers for Tenants Facing Eviction

Free Lawyers for Tenants Facing Eviction

Local legislation affects real estate investors on a national scale over time. Be prepared to navigate – and shape – the legal landscape by attending Think Realty’s National Conference & Expo in Baltimore, Maryland, on June 24, 2017. Reserve your spot in the audience for the legislative panel and in ...
American Association of Private Lenders (AAPL) Debuts Educational Track at Think Realty National Conference & Expo in Baltimore

American Association of Private Lenders (AAPL) Debuts Educational Track at Think Realty National Conference & Expo in Baltimore

In an exciting “meeting of the minds” for real estate investors and private lenders, the American Association of Private Lenders (AAPL) has announced that it will join forces with Think Realty at Think Realty’s National Conference & Expo in Baltimore, Maryland, on June 24, 2017 at the Baltimore Convention Center ...
"Hack"

Hack Simultaneously Transforms Investors to Homeowners and Landlords

National statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau indicate home ownership rates at 63.7 percent as of April 2017 and rental vacancy rates at seven percent for the same time period.  National trends indicate rentals will remain a strong market for the next 10 years. Whether you’re a millennial who has ...
Tiny Homes, BIG Movement

Tiny Homes, BIG Movement

As the millennials generation continues to find traditional homeownership less attractive than previous generations, they are embracing a new home craze that appeals to all ages of homeowner: tiny homes. There are many reasons to consider creating tiny home developments for your own use or even just building them for ...
Get Up

Get Up, Survive and Thrive

We are wrapping up the first quarter of 2017, and I continue to prepare for the remainder of the year here in Dallas, Texas. Yet after talking to other real estate investors, in various markets, I have recognized a unique theme: the residential real estate environment, right now, is an ...
Lifestyle

Learning from Rich and Famous Real Estate: Johnny Depp Purchases 14 Properties, Accused of “Extravagant and Extreme” Lifestyle

Actor Johnny Depp usually makes headlines for blockbuster pirate movies or, occasionally, domestic strife, but lately he’s been in the news for some “extreme” real estate purchases. According to public record, the star recently filed a $25-million lawsuit in which he accused his former business managers of unsavory conduct, including ...
Vandals

Landlord Mistakes Attract Vandals to Properties

Real estate investors and landlords trying to lease vacant properties may be making a few mistakes that could turn those properties into magnets for vandals. According to a report from SnapLandlord.com, investors who are not planning for long-term vacancies can quickly fall victim to vandalism because their properties are not ...
Appraisers

Warning: Your Appraiser is About to Let You Down

If you are about to have an investment property appraised, be prepared to feel a little let down. According to the National Quicken Loans Home Price Perception Index, homeowners and appraisers are in discord over their home values for the fifth month in a row, and the gap is only ...
U.S. Foreclosure Activity for April 2017 Hits Lowest Level Since November 2005

U.S. Foreclosure Activity for April 2017 Hits Lowest Level Since November 2005

ATTOM Data Solutions, on May 12, 2017, released its April 2017 U.S. Foreclosure Market data, which shows foreclosure filings — default notices, scheduled auctions and bank repossessions — were reported on 77,049 U.S. properties in April, down 7 percent from the previous month and down 23 percent from a year ...
Homeownership

Homeownership Spikes as Compared to Rentership

It’s something we haven’t seen in 11 years. The latest report from the Census Bureau shows that homeownership rose faster than renter households during the first quarter of this year. Should real estate rental investors be worried? The Census Bureau’s Homeownership and Vacancy Survey shows a homeownership rate of 63.6 percent during ...
Falling Police Arrest Rates

How Have Falling Police Arrests Affected CA Home Values?

What if you couldn’t trust the local crime report anymore? What if police officers in your area opted to turn a blind eye either as an unofficial department policy or as an unstated cultural shift? It would be really scary. You might move! Well, in the case of at least ...