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 flexibility crowdfunding gives me as an investor
Crowdfunding has enabled me to get into real investment opportunities that I wouldn’t otherwise have been able to do. I have participated in crowd-funded investments, including some investment in debt related to first-lien mortgages. Also, I have invested in secured loan funds and directly into an industrial property in the ...
10 current trends real estate investors need to know about
Real estate is like anything else that is cyclical in nature, with trends always changing. Over the years I have learned what is important to watch for, not just for today but also what is coming down the pipeline, sort of like having a dashboard perspective of the investing arena ...
Why our mortgage rates continue low and what is really driving them
A policy change by the Swiss National Bank has addled markets and governments worldwide. How to explain that your lower mortgage rate is courtesy of the Gnomes of Zurich? The 10-year T-note has bottomed at 1.72%, down more than a half-percent since Christmas, but has decoupled from mortgages which stopped ...
Rehabs, gurus and tenants: the top 5 real estate investing blogs of 2014
Here are the top 5 real estate investing blogs of 2014 as selected by the users of our website: The 7 best renovations for your rental properties The two biggest variables in rental property ownership are dealing with vacancies and how long it takes you or yourproperty manager to ...
Advice for investors: 5 things that are different from previous business cycles
Okay, make sense of this: the US economy in a strengthening recovery, the Fed is in hold-me-back mode, jobs-jobs-jobs everywhere... and long-term interest rates have dropped as they would in a depression. Right. Begin by stripping away three sources of confusion: First the confetti cloud from Wall Street “analysts.” Assume ...
Consumers not ready to move on housing despite improving economy
Americans are becoming more optimistic about the economy, but consumer confidence toward the housing market is lagging, according to results from Fannie Mae's December 2014 National Housing Survey. Likely bolstered by a strengthening employment sector, the share of consumers who believe the economy is headed in the right direction improved ...
Multifamily investing: Is it easy? Does it work? Can I do it?
The answer to each of those questions is a universal yes, but with the caveats of personal effort, the willingness to accept guidance and follow a proven system and especially commitment to your personal success. Revelation Andrew Waite, the founding publisher of Personal Real Estate Investor Magazine, says unlike so ...
I want to become a real estate investor – where do I start?
Our country’s foundation is real estate. It is all around us, like the air we breathe. Real estate is one of the largest sectors of our economy. It is an investment vehicle with a foundation in America’s dream from the time of the early pilgrims. Our first president was a ...
3 traits that guarantee success in business and in life
As many of you may or may not know, I’m crazy. Literally. I’m a bit nuts. I’m extreme, loud, obnoxious, and one rude Aussie. I’m often known for being too “intense” and “full-on”. These traits are all true to the very “T”, but allow me to share with you my ...
3 key systems to put in place for your 2015 real estate investments
Without question, there is one key lesson that I have learned throughout the years that has helped me in running a successful real estate investing business. It is something each and every successful business needs: profitable business systems. It is something I never took time to think about before, but ...
2015 real estate outlook from Local Market Monitor
By Ingo Winzer Local Market Monitor Despite low interest rates, low inflation, and an economy that has steadily expanded, new and existing home sales - and therefore mortgage and home equity lending - have languished. Part of the reason is a high level of consumer debt that keeps many potential ...
Invest to win: Your 2015 wealth manifestation guide
For me the most powerful sentence I ever read was, “The difference between average people and wealthy people is how they think.” That is a sentence I will never forget, and it always inspires me when times are challenging. Wealthy people quite literally are capable of manifesting wealth simply by ...
Lou Barnes’ 2015 outlook: Housing will stay thin, dependent on jobs and income
Each look outward into a new year in this space begins with Peter Drucker’s dictum: “Nobody can predict the future. The idea is to have a firm grasp of the present.” 2015 is the least predictable year ahead in my memory. Humility whispers: unpredictability may mean anything from exciting to ...
4 predictions for real estate and investors in 2015
Home value growth will slow to around 3 percent per year instead of the 6 percent seen recently, and that will make real estate less attractive to many investors, says Stan Humphries, chief economist for Zillow. “It's been a tough market for home buyers," Humphries said in a story in ...
Buying a property with tenants in place
We bought a short sale with a tenant in it and he quit paying Question: We bought a short sale with a tenant in it, and he has stopped paying rent. Did we make a mistake by not getting a credit check? Our real estate agent did not advise us ...
7 must-have items that make up a great real estate investment
My investors are always looking for the high performing yields which are found in the spread between the cap rate of a property and the interest rate for a financed property. The spread of the two reflects your positive leverage on the property. Today, with such low interest rates and ...
7 must-have items that make up a great real estate investment
My investors are always looking for the high performing yields which are found in the spread between the cap rate of a property and the interest rate for a financed property. The spread of the two reflects your positive leverage on the property. Today, with such low interest rates and ...
5 critical numbers real estate investors need to hit in 2015
It is the time to plan for 2015, if you have not done so already. I hope I can help you with these 5 key numbers to plan for 2015. My planning is done, and it has long been done. Don’t get discouraged if yours is not done. It’s never ...
Lou Barnes: What is the Fed up to?
Markets are already quieting in front of two holiday-shortened weeks, after two calm-shattering ones. The five things unresolved, still on the table beside the turkey: what is the Fed up to? What is the support for an apparently accelerating US recovery? Does crashing oil help or hurt? Same for China’s ...
5 reasons you may find you best investments buying from other investors
Struggling to find good real estate investments with my Realtor, I was convinced he simply did not understand what I was looking for. So I decided to take a real estate course for the sole purpose of having access to the Multiple Listing Service. By getting my real estate license, ...
5 reasons you may find you best investments buying from other investors
Struggling to find good real estate investments with my Realtor, I was convinced he simply did not understand what I was looking for. So I decided to take a real estate course for the sole purpose of having access to the Multiple Listing Service. By getting my real estate license, ...
5 key principles for running your real estate investing business in 2015
No. 1 – Painfully obvious, but frequently ignored, is goal setting If you are preparing for a successful 2015 but have not finished – or even already started – your real estate investing goal setting process, you are late. Successful investors have already set their goals and have prepared their ...
Lou Barnes’ analysis for investors: The Fed’s tightening may look like no other
Markets are moving in dramatic fashion, obscuring the improving US economy. Or vice-versa. Our 10-year T-note fell to 2.08% Friday, mortgages attempting to crack 4.00%; the German 10-year is a new all-time low 0.627% joined by Japan’s 0.398%. Stock markets are truly volatile, up-down-up-down. Oil has broken $60 and may ...
3 traits that helped me buy Australia’s cheapest house
With housing prices among the highest in the world, can you imagine acquiring Australia’s “cheapest house?” Seems a challenging feat – but that is exactly what I did! Some might say I accomplished this with pure luck. But if you know me at all, you also know that the word ...
HomeVestors reaches 60,000 home-purchase milestone
HomeVestors continued as the leader in home buying in the U.S., passing the milestone of 60,000 homes purchased since the company was founded, according to a release. The company also reported a surge in new company franchisees during 2014 passing the mark of more than 500 in 41 states. Co-Presidents ...
