In this episode we talk to Joel Grasmeyer, a real estate investor, engineer, and entrepreneur who started PropertyTracker.com in 2004 to create user-friendly, yet powerful tools for real estate analysis.
Some of the topics we discuss include: [Read more…]
In most areas of the country, homeownership costs more than renting. Many economists with calculators claim the opposite, but the calculations and conclusions are often highly misleading. As is often the case, the devil is in the details.
We recently reviewed one highly publicized calculation that owning was cheaper than renting in almost all markets. That calculation had a number of outdated assumptions, including: [Read more…]
In this episode we talk to Aaron Chapman, an 18 year veteran in the mortgage industry with a focus on real estate investors.
Some of the topics we discuss include:
Landlords keep cranking up rents, with annual increases far outpacing price growth elsewhere in the economy, according to recent data released this summer.
Rents in May were up 3.5% from a year earlier, while a gauge for overall consumer prices showed no growth according to the U.S. Labor Department.
What has always fascinated me about real estate investors is how differently we analyze rental properties. While we all use (mostly) the same ratios and numbers, the sheer number of available calculators, spreadsheets and other analysis tools is incredible. And it often takes a lot of trial and error to find the method or tool that works well for you.
In this episode we take a look at Kansas City, MO and why it’s such a great market for real estate investors. Most investors are not even aware of the incredible opportunities available to them there. So we’ll dive in and take a look at why it’s a great market and what you can expect to find for your real estate investment portfolio.
In part one of 7 Steps for Picking a Strong Real Estate Market we discussed the first four litmus tests required for investing in a suitable market. In this second part we will cover the last three tests to consider as part of your investment due diligence:
The number one problem most real estate investors face today is knowing “how to protect” not “what to protect.” Caught between attorneys, tax professionals, and self-proclaimed gurus, the average real estate investor finds himself awash in the quagmire of information and ideas with little coherency.
In this episode we talk to asset protection attorney Clint Coons to examine some of the entities and strategies used by real estate investors to protect their wealth.
Take a drive through the urban portion of any major city and you will likely see cranes and construction crews dotting the landscape, building what appears to be an endless supply of apartment units. Your eyes are not deceiving you. Construction in 24 of the top 27 apartment markets in the country has eclipsed 24-year historical averages.
Good tenants are hard to find. Add to that the cost of advertising for new tenants, the cost of cleaning and restoring the unit, and the loss in rental income during the vacancy, you want to make sure that your best tenants don’t move out any time soon. Here are a few tips to keep your tenants happy and ensure that they stay with you as long as possible.
