When you look at the world we live, its hard to believe sometimes that we are still dealing with bias, racism, discrimination and hate in all forms. It can be easy to turn a blind eye to our current reality- especially if it doesn’t affect you. In order to make a change, you actually have to make changes- whether it be your behavior, actions, or words. Small steps can lead monumental movements.
Read MoreSo it’s the day of the sale. We’ve double checked everything. Now all there is to do is show up. There’s always a slight chance it could be postponed, but not likely. We felt pretty confident given the situation of the foreclosure that no one was going to pay off debt from the estate, so no reason to be postponed or cancelled- right?
Read MoreThere is a lot of speculation around what is better- buying or renting. Depending upon what you read, you could make an argument for either. I personally think a lot of the decision has to do with where you are in your life (single, married, working, family) and the market in which you live. There are many markets where it renting is cheaper, so why buy? Especially if you aren’t ready to settle down in one spot.
Read Moremile up the road into another neighborhood we frequently walk. It’s an older neighborhood where the homes are filled with character. Beautiful woodwork, hardwood floors and detailed molding- I just love the features of older home, but it does come with a price. It tends to be more expensive in this neighborhood with higher taxes. Often, a lot of these homes don’t have central air and haven’t been updated over the years so that can leave a large initial investment on top of the purchase price for the buyer. So buying in this neighborhood wasn’t something we thought would happen for many years.
Read MoreRentals or flips? People are often very passionate about one over the other. A lot of this may stem from comfort, or just bad luck with a reno or a tenant. There’s always someone that has a horror story. One very bad tenant can make you think twice about the rental industry. Obviously we have dealt exclusively with rentals, but I think there are definitely some pros and cons to each.
Read MoreI remember my first full home renovation quite clearly. I wasn’t really sure what I was doing, but I was doing it- and I kept doing it. To complete an entire home it took us about 8 months. I didn’t think that was too bad for someone who had never painted a wall until this project. We saved a lot of what we could in the property to save money and time.
Read MoreWe frequently get asked how we find tenants, and more importantly how do we find good tenants. We’ve been very fortunate with the bulk of the tenants we have, as they are great people, but it doesn’t mean that you can’t get a bad egg from time to time. Sometimes regardless of the screenings, that one tenant can still slip through. In order to reduce that risk, this is the process we follow each time we are looking for tenants.
Read MoreShe rented from us for six years. She was a tenant I acquired at my first property. We had a rough start, but over the years she became one of our most reliable tenants and we had a mutual respect for each other. I liked her. Things were going well for a number of years, until they weren’t.
She was our first eviction, and it was rough. Things aren’t always black and white, and I had a tough time with the whole situation.
Read MoreBeing a landlord to me is more than just another income- you are providing someone a place to call home. It can be difficult trying to be fair and reasonable, yet run a business. Essentially though, owning and renting real estate is a business- so it should be treated as such. We have all seen slum lords who do the absolute minimum and collect their check every month. Or you have landlords at the opposite end of the spectrum that just get taken advantage of. So how do you land somewhere in the middle?
Read MorePurchasing your first rental is often the most difficult one you’ll purchase. Everything is new and you don’t want to screw up. But as long as you learn from your mistakes and keep pushing forward you’ll be on the right track.
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