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 10 commandments of real estate investing
Setting goals for 2015 Every year I personally purchase or assist in the purchase of hundreds of real estate investments. Over my 35 years of real estate investing there are things I have learned that work great and have pledged to do again and again. There are, of course, things ...
5 real estate investors indicted for bid rigging at foreclosure auctions
A federal grand jury in San Francisco has returned a nine-count indictment against five real estate investors for their role in bid rigging and fraud at real estate foreclosure auctions in the east bay area of California, according to a release from the FBI. The indictment charges northern California real ...
The 10 commandments of real estate investing
Setting goals for 2015 Every year I personally purchase or assist in the purchase of hundreds of real estate investments. Over my 35 years of real estate investing there are things I have learned that work great and have pledged to do again and again. There are, of course, things ...
The biggest mistakes I have made in real estate
Mistake No. 2 “Never underestimate how much damage one person can do to you.” A friend of mine uttered these words at a seminar about 10 years ago and I’m here to tell you there’s a lot of wisdom in those words. Think I’m kidding? Close your eyes and sit ...
A surge in jobs, but will the Fed make a move?
Surprise, surprise: November jobs data released Friday were off-the-chart strong. So strong that markets are struggling to evaluate and price the news, for the moment skeptical of the report, hence little changed. Shoot, there’s more reaction among politicians and economists. The White House is preening alongside anyone who has had ...
5 tips for renting to tenants with pets
Landlords and property managers are increasingly allowing pets on their properties. According to an Appfolio study of Millennial renters, over 76 percent are pet owners, suggesting a high demand for pet-friendly housing. The latest amenity trends are addressing the needs of pet owners with features like pet grooming stations, dog ...
8 rental property predictions for 2015
All good investors are visionaries. That is, before making an investment they make a prediction about the future – which may or may not come true. That said, and working with the humility appropriate for any investor with a healthy appreciation for risk and instinct for survival, here is a ...
The 7 avoidable mistakes investors and landlords should recognize
No. 1: Healthy cash flow is a must It’s so elementary and the foundation to your success as a landlord, yet it’s a commonly violated principle. A rental property must be set up for success, meaning the financials behind it must cash flow. So many times you see new or ...
One in seven home appraisals have been inflated, according to new research
One in seven home appraisals done between 2011 and 2014 were inflated by 20% or more, according to data collected by Digital Risk Analytics, a subsidiary of Digital Risk, LLC, and provided to the Wall Street Journal. The mortgage-analysis and consulting firm, based in Maitland, Fla., was hired by some ...
How many investors buy the kind of property they originally set out to buy?
This was an interesting question I received from a gentleman the other day and immediately I thought about an investor from Argentina with whom I had worked. He had called telling me that he represented many investors and wanted to buy as much property as he could get his hands ...
Lou Barnes: Mortgage rates moving down is real trend
Long-term interest rates have broken a narrow, month-long range... down. The lowest-fee mortgages are trying to cross below 4.00%, and the 10-year T-note, the driver of the show, now 2.23%. This is a big move, reinforcing a downtrend. However, this is also a holiday week, markets thin, and November jobs ...
7 steps to successful real estate investing
One thing I have learned over the years in business is that you must create systems that can be duplicated time and time again for successful results. When talking with investors who have challenges with their newly purchased investment properties, I can always trace those challenges back to one thing: ...
The biggest mistakes I have made in real estate: Failure No. 1
Most people don’t like to discuss the mistakes they've made in business. I’m a little different. I view every error I have ever made as part of my journey of personal growth and financial well being. The truth is, everybody in business makes mistakes, and the most important lesson to ...
Lou Barnes’ economic analysis of what the Fed minutes really say for investors
Mortgage rates have been stable near 4.00%, held there by the 10-year T-note moving hardly at all in the last month, 2.31%-2.38% since Halloween. Such stability is most unusual, best understood as a market gathering tension for a significant snap. The dominant news is central banks trying to cope with ...
Lou Barnes’ real estate investor advice and view on deflation
Quiet on the surface, anything but quiet underneath. And “over there”... oh my. The most important single datum for the investor: the Treasury last week sold at auction $70 billion in new long-term bonds for the first time in six years without the Fed as a QE buyer. The auction ...
3 property classes to remember when you invest
Real estate experts and investors share many different views when it comes to ranking property and area classes. Most will rank them on a general scale of Class A through Class C. Others will be a bit more particular and grade them from Class A through Class F. I prefer ...
9 key ways to build equity in real estate
Working with investors from many different countries, I have uncovered more reasons for investing in real estate than I could ever have imagined. Beyond the common goals of cash flow and a forced savings plan are objectives like looking for a safe haven for their money, sheltering income and assets ...
How 3 homes I bought turned into one of my best deals ever
After I had purchased a home as a rental, cleaned it up and started the leasing process, I met a single mother with two young daughters, coming off a broken marriage, desperately in need of a place to live for her and her two daughters. She wanted our rental and ...
TV makes it look too easy: Flipping properties is speculation and 9 other investor mistakes
Many people have learned that investing in real estate is not as easy as it seems. At least that is true for investors trying to get a fair deal. For those of us who have been investing for years, and learned many hard and expensive lessons, here are issues you ...
As any investor knows, if you have not made any investment mistakes you probably have not made any investments. Learning from these mistakes so you can master your investment business is the key to your success. You can learn from other people’s mistakes, so I would like to share mistakes ...
Lou Barnes’ economic analysis for real estate investors
Last week’s top economic stories are two processes underway which no one understands. In lesser matters, mortgage and long-term rates remained steady. The election will alter discussions in Congress, but danged if I can find an economic event. The first unknown: how long can hiring continue and layoffs fall before ...
5 practical ways to improve cash flow on your rental properties
First off, when thinking about real estate investing, a lot of people think about buying properties and reselling them for profit. And that is a fundamental aspect of real estate investing. Another key aspect: You have to buy it at the right price to sell it at the right price ...
3 tips for building your brand in real estate investing
This week I want share with you some ideas on brand building. You may say that you’re an individual and don’t have a brand, but that is not the case. I assure you that you do. Whether we have a company structure or work alone, each of us has our ...
7 questions I get every week from real estate investors
I talk with dozens of real estate investors every week, from new investors to seasoned investors to foreign investors. What is good for one investor’s objectives and long-term goals may be different for another. However, there is a common set of questions by those seeking long-term real estate investments: ...
Contagious diseases, hazmat, ebola and your real estate responsibility as a landlord
Before you read the rest of this blog, make sure you have the answers to these questions: Have you ever done a hazardous materials cleanup? Do you have a hazmat cleanup company on your vendor list? Does your insurance cover the costs of a hazmat clean? Does your loss-of-rent insurance ...
