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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.

young people are renting

New apartment construction jumps 33% as renter nation trend takes hold

| Editorial Staff | Article, Market & Trends
Buried in this week's government report on new home construction, is a sharp jump in multifamily apartment building construction of 5 units or more, something real estate investors should be watching. Construction of apartment buildings of this size jumped 33%, the highest level since January of 2006, according to the ...
Larry Arth's real estate investing advice

6 qualities to look for in a great turnkey real estate investment company

| Larry Arth | Article, Topics
Like many single-family real estate investors, I started out finding properties through the conventional methods, such as the local Multiple Listing Services. I soon found out- after painstakingly analyzing each property- figuring out what I could charge for rent and plugging in the expenses for my return on investment, that ...
Fannie Mae downgrades outlook for housing this year and next

Fannie Mae downgrades outlook for housing this year and next

| Editorial Staff | Article, Market & Trends
A pessimistic Fannie Mae has had downgraded the outlook for the housing market in a new report just released. The mortgage giant says housing activity appeared to have lost momentum at the end of the second quarter and near-term indicators suggest only minor improvement in the second half of the ...
RJ Palano buying houses at auction

4 key reasons for buying houses at auction

| R J Palano | Article | Topics
When I look at a prospective property that I will make an offer on at an auction, I know right there and then what my plans are for that property and how I will exit it. This thinking is critical prior to making offers or bidding at auction. If you ...
Lou Barnes investors financial weekly column

The week’s economic overview: Who will rise to lead?

| Danny Johnson | Article, Topics
This week has been another lesson in market reactions to news economic and otherwise. And at deeper levels, how not to run railroads. The net result, before whys and wherefores: a new flight to quality, the US 10-year down to 2.32%, it and European bonds in something close to free-fall ...
Lou Barnes investors financial weekly column

Still good news for real estate investors and mortgage rates as the 10-year Treasury continues down

| Danny Johnson | Article, Topics
Make sense of all of this for real estate investors? May as well start with facts. The U.S. 10-year Treasury broke to 2.36% overnight, it’s lowest in more than a year. That is good news for real estate investors watching mortgage rates. German 10s reached an all-time low 1.04%, their ...
Larry Arth's real estate investing advice

You cannot create wealth in real estate investing until you gain control of your taxes

| Larry Arth | Article, Topics
It was the fall of 1985, and I remember it well. I was 24 years old and just returned home with a passion for investing  from the bookstore with a thick hard-covered book by Charles Givens called “Wealth Without Risk.” The premise of the book was, you can make more ...
RJ Palano buying houses at auction

An introduction to buying houses at auction

| R J Palano | Article, Topics
I bought my first house at auction in 1979 in Williamsville, New York and I paid $23,200 for it. That house was rehabbed for under $8,000 and was sold for a profit of slightly over $20,000 within three months. It only took me one transaction to get hooked buying homes ...
Housing recovery decelerates as 59% of consumers believe the economy is on the wrong track

Housing recovery decelerates as 59% of consumers believe the economy is on the wrong track

| Editorial Staff | Article, Market & Trends
Consumer attitudes about the economy have grown more negative but Americans' attitudes toward the housing market remain mixed, although a steady improvement in their personal financial outlook may bode well for housing in the coming months, according to results from Fannie Mae's July 2014 National Housing Survey released by PRNewswire ...
Six people from Chicago area indicted in $2.7 million real estate and mortgage fraud case

Six people from Chicago area indicted in $2.7 million real estate and mortgage fraud case

| Editorial Staff | Article, Topics
Six people from the Chicago area are facing federal fraud charges involving separate schemes to obtain a total of more than $2.7 million through fraudulent statements in loan applications submitted to banks, mortgage lenders, several community colleges, the U.S. Department of Education, and the Small Business Administration since 2006, according ...
Former NYPD sergeant sentenced to almost 5 years in prison for $4.7 million real estate fraud

Former NYPD sergeant sentenced to almost 5 years in prison for $4.7 million real estate fraud

| Editorial Staff | Article, Topics
Former New York police department sergeant James Monahan, owner of a real estate investment company called Panam Management Group, who used his prior police service as a badge of trustworthiness and reason to invest with him, was sentenced to 58 months in prison, according to a release from Preet Bharara, ...
Lower home ownership in future will keep rents higher for real estate investors

Lower home ownership in future will keep rents higher for real estate investors

| Editorial Staff | Article, Market & Trends
The growth in renters will continue as the national home ownership rate fell in the second quarter, and a majority of experts said they expect it to fall further in coming years as the Millennial generation delays home purchases and the age of typical first-time homebuyers rises, according to PRNewswire's ...
Larry Arth's real estate investor insights

How a real estate property investor knows the optimum time for buying low and selling high

| Larry Arth | Article, Topics
While I was uncovering the different real estate investing market cycles, what became clear was the difference between what real estate agents and the media talk about, and what seasoned investors talk about, when it comes to market cycles. For the media and real estate agents, there is a buyers' ...
Lou Barnes investors financial weekly column

The Fed needs to see a lot more growth and income gains before moving

| Danny Johnson | Article, Topics
In a world and life filled with uncertainty it is gratifying to watch markets behave exactly as they should. Bonds and mortgages got a bad scare on Wednesday, rates up sharply, but as the full picture revealed itself rates are back where we started. A lot else is not where ...
Kevin Guz real estate advice

4 things that could cost you before you finish renovating your investment property

| Kevin Guz | Article, Topics
Since my previous post addresses the financial costs associated with renovating an investment property, allow me to focus on another important consideration: The time factor. In this situation, there are many repairs that, while not costly in terms of pricing, take a lot of time to finish. In the course ...
Zillow buying Trulia bringing together the two largest real estate websites

Zillow buying Trulia bringing together the two largest real estate websites

| Editorial Staff | Article | Market & Trends
Zillow has reached a deal to buy Trulia for $3.5 billion making according to multiple reports which would make the combined entity the largest player in the online real estate listings space. The Wall Street Journal and New York Times both reported the deal was agreed to on Monday. “The ...
Lou Barnes financial weekly for investors

Long-term rates stabilized but we are still in a down pattern

| Danny Johnson | Article, Topics
Long-term rates stabilized this week as events, puzzles, forces, and conflicts scattered all over the world canceled each other. We focus on the yields of long debt because they are the result of real-time voting on economic prospects. Belief in improved growth and its companion inflation push upward on rates ...
The battle over rental rights and tenants: Who can limit rentals and when?

The battle over rental rights and tenants: Who can limit rentals and when?

| Editorial Staff | Article, Topics
To many homeowners’ associations and cites the word “rent” is truly a four-letter word. The 2008 Indiana Supreme Court case of Villas West II v. McGlothin began as a community association’s legal action against a homeowner who was renting out her property to tenants. It ended as a landmark decision ...
Larry Arth's real estate investor insights

Invest like a pro by understanding the real estate cycles

| Larry Arth | Article, Topics
Invest like a pro by understanding the real estate cycles I work every day with investors and I often hear these words: “I wish I had…” “I wish had bought two years ago.” “I wish I had bought more properties.” “I wish I had sold those properties then I would ...
9 things you need to know about buying property at auction

9 things you need to know about buying property at auction

| Editorial Staff | Article | Topics
During the height of the housing downturn, “auction” usually referred to a foreclosed piece of property sold to the highest of many jostling bidders on the local courthouse steps. Typically, there was no chance for a preview of the property, little time for due diligence and the requirement of full ...
12 ways to earn money as a real estate syndicator

12 ways to earn money as a real estate syndicator

| Editorial Staff | Article, Topics
IS IT REAL ESTATE OR A SECURITY? EDITOR’S NOTE: The investment industry is not organized for the convenience of investors!  The people who can help you buy stocks, bonds and funds are licensed as stock brokers, financial advisers or sellers of stock-related offerings. The people who can help you buy ...
Lou Barnes investors financial weekly column

A lot of Americans do not see the real jobs picture improving

| Danny Johnson | Article, Topics
Long-term rates have again touched the lows of the year, good news for real estate investors. To make sense of that news and a great deal else going by this week, step back -- especially from the awful sights on your screens. Way back. We try to be rational in ...
Larry Arth's real estate investor insights

Do you know the four keys to invest like a pro?

| Larry Arth | Article, Topics
During my last month in Minnesota in 2003 in preparation for my move to Florida, I sold 22 investment properties to investors who were all thrilled at the returns they were getting. Moving my investing business 1,600 miles south to Florida, I suddenly found a very different market. WOW! It ...
RJ Palano build to rent

Lesson No. 5 in build to rent – Permit fees, rights and HOAs

| R J Palano | Article, Topics
There is a lot more to building real estate investment houses than you might think, unless you are a builder. Permit fees are self-explanatory, as you can get the information from the county where the lots are located. However, sometimes a developer who went bankrupt did not live up to ...
Gallup state by state map

People in Illinois and other states want to move: What does that mean for real estate investors?

| Editorial Staff | Article, Market & Trends
Gallup in a new poll has found that residents of some states would readily move if they could. This migration desire is something real estate investors should be aware of and plan for in their investments. While every state has at least some residents who are looking for greener pastures, ...
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