I have spoken many times about buy and hold investing for long-term wealth. There are many reasons that I believe rental properties are by far the best investment out there over the long term.   Rental properties are not very sexy which is why so many avoid investing in them. But, this is a HUGE mistake. Just because a small rental house only provides $150/mo of cash flow does not mean it is something you should not do. We must take a look at the bigger picture.   Don’t get me wrong I love fix and flipping and wholesaling. Read more…

  Right now is still a GREAT time to buy and own U.S. real estate. This is especially true of houses.   I know that if you listen to the media there is a lot of noise out there about what’s going on in the housing market…prices increasing…no good deals…blah, blah, blah. To me it is all just noise. Let’s take a look at the facts.   Housing prices had their greatest bust in nearly 100 years and now have recovered and moving upward. Lack of new construction has created a supply and demand imbalance. Mortgage rates still at near Read more…

Yesterday I was talking to a client of mine about building long term wealth. We discussed some of the ways to do this in real estate. Things such as wholesaling, flipping, rentals, lending, note buying, land, development and building just to name a few.   And, of course you can “make money” at any of these real estate investing avenues. However, it is my firm belief that if you want to truly grow your wealth for the LONG term the best way to do this is through buying and holding rental property.   Now, I know many of you reading Read more…

With April 15 looming right around the corner, and many of you scrambling to get your taxes done, I wanted to write something today that if you implement can make you much, much richer. And, not only can these 2 ideas I have for you make you a lot of money, but the best part is that this money will be tax FREE! That’s right…loads of cash without having to give any to Uncle Sam! Now you may be thinking what kind of crazy idea is this? There is no way that you can legally make big $$$ and not Read more…

Have you ever considered what your life would be like if you had enough money coming in every month that covered ALL of your expenses, AND this money came in whether you worked or not?? For many people this seems like a fantasy. For others they wonder how this could even be possible. Well let me tell you that it is not a fantasy, and it IS very possible if you are willing to do a few simple things. What I am referring to here is buying and owning rental properties. However non-sexy rental properties may seem, over time they Read more…

So, let me ask you a question…are you interested in long term wealth? I’m not talking about some number like $1,000,000 or $10,000,000 or something like that. That is what most people consider long-term wealth. The question I am asking is if you are interested in having the type of wealth where the amount of money you have coming in every month exceeds your monthly expenses whether you work or not. This is my definition of true wealth…because it gives you FREEDOM. This is also called residual income. I am sure when you read that question you thought to yourself, Read more…

Great little houses (in many areas, 3 bedrooms or less, under 2,000 square feet) are frequently looked on by real estate investors as rental prospects. But when prospective renters (or homebuyers) come to look, uppermost in their minds is the question: “How can I fit my life into this small space?” What’s the magic of installing a few space-saving conveniences before showing your investment property to renters (or homebuyers)? From the new occupant’s viewpoint, your rental is that much more move-in ready because they don’t have to shop for and install these conveniences themselves, or pay for them out-of-pocket. For Read more…

What is holding back recent college graduates from buying homes? There are many current economic incentives for first-time home buyers: The economy, hiring and job stability is recovering. In many industries starting salaries for new graduates are at an all-time high. Interest rates are still low, helping homebuyers afford and qualify for loans. Particularly in the east, housing market prices are considered still somewhat under-valued by many experts. (This is not true on the west coast where prices may be over-valued.) Renting is currently more expensive than owning in almost every major market. But researchers are finding that today’s college Read more…

You’ve snagged a great purchase price on a classic late-1960’s home being vacated by aging owners who have lived there for 30 or 40 years. Before purchasing the property as a real estate investment, you were pleased to find that the owners took care of it throughout the years. The roof was replaced a few years ago, the walls, ceilings and floors are in good shape, and you’ll update the carpets and wall color. Overall, a good buy! Except for one teeny, tiny little issue … the practical-minded 1960’s builder generously doled out from two to four outlets in each Read more…

There is a new style of “post-foreclosure backlog”. Housing markets are recovering and the foreclosure crisis is now years behind us. So how is the past crisis still affecting markets and real estate investors? In many areas one of the most interesting question marks for the future are rentals. Although we are years into the recovery from the foreclosure crisis, rental markets in many areas remain larger than they have ever been. During the peak foreclosure years, approximately 2007-2009, rentals expanded sharply as many former homeowners lost their home, along with their equity and their mortgage qualification. Real estate investors Read more…