Real Estate Articles

Cheat Sheet / Updated 09-07-2023

A real estate investment trust (REIT) is a company that owns, manages, and/or finances real estate holdings. These holdings can be in the form of apartment buildings, hotels, shopping centers, self-storage facilities, warehouses, and even billboards, data centers, cell towers, woodlands, and many others. REITs have stock attributes (liquidity and transparency) and, at the same time, enable you to enjoy the benefits of owning income-producing real estate. With this Cheat Sheet, you get a quick primer on the benefits of REIT investment, how to add REITs to your portfolio, how to choose smart REITs, and how to become a virtual landlord without the aggravation of owning private real estate.

Article / Updated 06-06-2023

Knowledge is power, as the saying goes. But knowledge also is a tool — a tool for building wealth and personal freedom. A bit like a spanner or a wrench, only slightly more glamorous. In most professions, continual education is key to staying on top of your game. The people who progress well and succeed are the ones who are continually evolving. Real estate is no different, and if you want to become (and remain) a successful real estate investor, you need to invest time in your education and improvement. Even as your real estate portfolio becomes more established, never be fooled into thinking you know it all. You’ll be missing out on so many important opportunities to grow and learn. I love learning from those who know more than I do, whether that comes from networking, reading books, or wherever. Even if I only get one useful nugget from a book — a tidbit that changes my mind-set or improves the way I do something — it’s well worth my time. Tap into a wide variety of educational sources Well, real estate is a very accessible industry with little in the way of formal qualifications needed to succeed, so you’ll have to think outside the formal education box when looking at ways to continually learn and grow. Thankfully, these days it’s easier than ever to access information quickly and easily, often for free or extremely cheap. Your mission is to make like a sponge and soak up all that information. This may include Reading as many books as you can get your hands on about your chosen real estate strategy: If you struggle to find time to read, try listening to audiobooks in the car or while you’re at the gym. If you commute to work every day for 30 minutes each way that’s a potential hour of audiobook training time every day, which equates to 240 hours a year! It soon adds up… . Becoming a general business, entrepreneurship and self-help book junkie, like me: I love reading both the practical how-to-succeed-in-business types of books and the more mind-set/self-help kinds, and even autobiographies by business leaders and entrepreneurs. I find it particularly inspiring to read about how people became successful and their personal formula for success. You’ll be surprised how many similar traits successful people have — and you can learn these traits and techniques, so keep reading! Staying alert to potential new real estate strategies that are a good fit with your portfolio, skills, and passion. Keeping up to date on the latest technology developments, from social media platforms to productivity apps and software for managing your real estate investments: You don’t need to be a tech genius to thrive in real estate, but you don’t want to miss out on opportunities to connect with people more easily and streamline your processes. Harnessing the wealth of information available for free online by joining property forums, delving through relevant thread archives on forums, signing up for relevant industry newsletters, and subscribing to blogs. Attending education seminars held by property investment and development companies: These seminars often free to attend because the goal of the seminar is usually to sell you a product or investment. So, although I wholeheartedly encourage you to tap into these free sources of education, never buy anything on the day. Always go away and do your homework after the seminar because there are plenty of paid courses not worth the paper they’re printed on. Signing up for online real estate and business courses, such as those available through Udemy and Coursera. Attending big annual property shows and exhibitions: These shows provide fantastic educational and networking opportunities and are a great way to immerse yourself in the market and to learn what others are doing. Being open to new mind-set-related, self-help techniques and approaches (for example, positive affirmations, visualization, the law of attraction, and meditation). Taking the time to build mind-set-related, self-help techniques into your daily routine: As in any industry, there are operators out there looking to make a quick buck from inexperienced real estate investors who are keen to learn. So, don’t automatically believe everything you’re told by someone in a seminar where the end goal is to sell you something. Soak up their information; then assess that information against other sources as well. If multiple different sources are telling you that Morocco is a great place to invest, that’s very different from one guy pushing Moroccan investments at a seminar. Take time for education before you put your real estate investment money on the line Although continual education is an important part of success, take the time to immerse yourself in real estate and learn as much as you can before you embark on your first investment. Learning as you go is great, but mistakes in your early days can be costly. Immerse yourself in property education for at least six months before you put your money on the line with an investment. Why not set yourself some education targets to hit before you start seriously scouting for investment opportunities? For example, you can set yourself a target of reading one inspirational book a month, attending six property shows this year, and participating in property forums once or twice a week.

Article / Updated 06-06-2023

Many real estate investors pick inspectors as an afterthought or simply take the recommendation of their real estate agent. But inspect the property inspectors before you hire one. As with other service professionals, interview a few inspectors before making your selection. You may find that they don’t all share the same experience, qualifications, and ethical standards. For example, don’t hire an inspector who hesitates or refuses to allow you to be present during the inspection or won’t review the findings with you upon completion of the inspection. The inspection is actually a unique opportunity for most property owners and, because you’re paying, we strongly recommend that you join the inspector while he’s assessing your proposed purchase. What you learn can be invaluable and may pay dividends throughout your entire ownership. When an unscrupulous contractor later tries to tell you that you need to completely replumb your property, you can recall that your property inspection revealed only isolated problems that can be resolved inexpensively. (Of course, inspectors, especially ones who aren’t good, can make mistakes, so you should also dig into discrepancies raised by different real estate–related people. In other words, get a second opinion.) About half of the states now have a license or certification requirement, whereas a few only have trade practice guidelines. This regulation is all relatively new because in 2000 virtually no governmental licensing or supervision of inspectors existed. Regardless of whether your state has strict licensing or certification requirements, every real estate investor needs to look out for her own interests and look for telltale signs of potential problems. Red flags include inspectors who are affiliated with a contractor, offer a special discount if you call who they recommend, or credit their inspection fee toward work. Only consider full-time, professional inspectors. Hire an inspector who performs at least 100 comprehensive inspections per year and carries errors and omissions insurance. Such coverage isn’t cheap and is another key indicator that the person is working full-time in the field and is participating in ongoing continuing education. Many inspectors are licensed general contractors, but not all home inspectors have designations or credentials specifically relating to inspecting real estate. One of the best certifying trade associations for professional property inspectors is the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI), which was founded in 1976. In addition to home inspections, many ASHI members are qualified and experienced enough to assist you with your due diligence physical or structural exterior and interior inspection of multifamily residential properties and all types of commercial properties. You can find certified inspectors and more info about the inspection process including tips and checklists at the ASHI website. Some individuals or companies adopt names that at first glance may indicate adherence to certain professional practices. For example, a fictitious but potentially misleading name is “Professional Property Inspection Association.” Do some research to find the best state or regional association and one whose qualified members adopt a code of ethics. For example, in California, the California Real Estate Inspection Association is the group that offers education and designations for real estate inspectors. Review a copy of inspectors’ résumés to see what certifications and licenses they hold. A general contractor’s license and certification as a property inspector are important, but also find out whether they’ve had any specialized training and whether they hold any specific sublicenses in areas such as roofing, electrical, or plumbing. These can be particularly important if your proposed property has evidence of potential problems in any of these areas. For example, if a property has a history of roofing or moisture intrusion problems, an inspector who’s a general contractor and roofer is an extra plus. The inspection report must be written. To avoid surprises, request a sample of one of the recent inspection reports that has been prepared for a comparable property. This simple request may eliminate several potential inspectors but is essential so that you can see whether an inspector is qualified and how detailed a report he will prepare for you. Check out the following figures for a sample interior inspection checklist. Source: Robert S. Griswold Sample interior unit inspection checklist (page 2 of 2). The advent of digital photography is a boon to property inspectors and makes their sometimes mundane and difficult-to-understand reports come to life. Select a technologically savvy inspector and require her to electronically send you her report, including digital photos documenting all the conditions noted. Recently, some inspectors have begun using advanced, non-invasive technology via an infrared or thermal imaging camera to produce images of heat radiation and identify energy efficiency concerns and electrical issues, as well as moisture intrusion scans inside walls or around plumbing fixtures. With the report in the electronic realm, it’s a simple process to email this information as needed. Although the cost of the inspection should be set and determined in advance, the price should be a secondary concern because inspection fees often pay for themselves. Just like many other professional services, there is a direct correlation between the pricing of your inspection and the amount of time the inspector takes to conduct the inspection and then prepare the report. If the inspector only spends a couple of hours at your new 20-unit apartment building, the report will surely be insufficient and your money not well spent. Finally, require the finalists to provide the names and phone numbers of at least ten people who used the company’s services within the past six months. Randomly call and make sure that these clients were satisfied and that the inspector acted professionally and ethically.

Article / Updated 03-22-2023

Investing in rental real estate that you’re responsible for can be a lot of work. Think about it this way: With rental properties, you have all the headaches of maintaining a property, including finding and dealing with tenants, without the benefits of living in and enjoying the property. Unless you’re extraordinarily interested in and motivated to own investment real estate, start with and perhaps limit yourself to a couple of the much simpler yet still profitable methods discussed here. Find a place to call home During your adult life, you need to put a roof over your head. You may be able to sponge off your folks or some other relative or friend for a number of years to cut costs and save money. If you’re content with this arrangement, you can minimize your housing costs and save more for a down payment and possibly toward other goals. Go for it, if your friend or relative will! But what if neither you nor your loved ones are up for the challenge of cohabitating? For the long term, because you need a place to live, why not own real estate instead of renting it? Real estate is the only investment that you can live in or rent to produce income. You can’t live in a stock, bond, or mutual fund! Unless you expect to move within the next few years or live in an area where owning costs much more than renting, buying a place probably makes good long-term financial sense. In the long term, owning usually costs less than renting, and it allows you to build equity in an asset. Think carefully before converting your home into a rental If you move into another home, turning your current home into a rental property may make sense. After all, it saves you the time and cost of finding a separate rental property. Unfortunately, many people hold on to their current home for the wrong reasons when they buy another. Homeowners often make this mistake when they must sell their homes in a depressed market (such as the one that existed in many areas in the late 2000s). Nobody likes to sell their home for less than they paid for it, so some owners hold on to their homes until prices recover. If you plan to move and want to keep your current home as a long-term investment property, you can. But turning your home into a short-term rental is usually a bad move for the following reasons: You may not want the responsibilities of a landlord, yet you force yourself into the landlord business when you convert your home into a rental. If the home eventually does rebound in value, you owe tax on the profit if your property is a rental when you sell it and you don’t buy another rental property. You can purchase another rental property through a 1031 exchange to defer paying taxes on your profit. Real estate investment trusts Real estate investment trusts (REITs) are entities that generally invest in different types of property, such as shopping centers, apartments, and other rental buildings. For a fee, REIT managers identify and negotiate the purchase of properties that they believe are good investments, and then they manage these properties, including all tenant relations. Thus, REITs are a good way to invest in real estate if you don’t want the hassles and headaches that come with directly owning and managing rental property. Surprisingly, most books and blogs that focus on real estate investing neglect REITs. Why? I’ve come to the conclusion that they overlook these entities for the following reasons: If you invest in real estate through REITs, you don’t need to read a long, complicated book on real estate investment or keep coming back to a blog. Therefore, books often focus on more complicated direct real estate investments (where you buy and own property yourself). Real estate brokers write many of these books. Not surprisingly, the real estate investment strategies touted in these books include and advocate the use of such brokers. You can buy REITs without real estate brokers. Blogs and websites aren’t much better as they are often run by folks selling something else like a high-priced seminar or other direct investment “opportunity.” A certain snobbishness prevails among people who consider themselves to be “serious” real estate investors. These folks thumb their noses at the benefit of REITs in an investment portfolio. One real estate writer/investor went so far as to say that REITs aren’t “real” real estate investments. Please. No, you can’t drive your friends by a REIT to show it off. But those who put their egos aside when making real estate investments are happy that they considered REITs, and have enjoyed annualized gains similar to stocks in general over the decades. You can research and purchase shares in individual REITs, which trade as securities on the major stock exchanges. An even better approach is to buy a mutual fund or exchange-traded fund that invests in a diversified mixture of REITs. In addition to providing you with a diversified, low-hassle real estate investment, REITs offer an additional advantage that traditional rental real estate doesn’t: You can easily invest in REITs through a retirement account (for example, an IRA). As with traditional real estate investments, you can even buy REITs, mutual fund REITs, and exchange-traded fund REITs with borrowed money. You can buy with 50 percent down, called buying on margin, when you purchase such investments through a non-retirement brokerage account.

Article / Updated 03-22-2023

Even though your home consumes a lot of dough (mortgage payments, property taxes, insurance, maintenance, and so on) while you own it, it can help you accomplish important financial goals: Retiring: By the time you hit your 50s and 60s, the size of your monthly mortgage payment, relative to your income and assets, should start to look small or nonexistent. Lowered housing costs can help you afford to retire or cut back from full-time work. Some people choose to sell their homes and buy less-costly ones or to rent out the homes and live on some or all of the cash in retirement. Other homeowners enhance their retirement income by taking out a reverse mortgage to tap the equity that they’ve built up in their properties. Pursuing your small-business dreams: Running your own business can be a source of great satisfaction. Financial barriers, however, prevent many people from pulling the plug on a regular job and taking the entrepreneurial plunge. You may be able to borrow against the equity that you’ve built up in your home to get the cash you need to start your own business. Depending on what type of business you have in mind, you may even be able to run your enterprise from your home. Financing college/higher education: It may seem like only yesterday that your kids were born, but soon enough they’ll be ready for an expensive four-year undertaking: college. Of course, there are alternatives. Borrowing against the equity in your home is a viable way to help pay for your kids’ higher-education costs. Perhaps you won’t use your home’s equity for retirement, a small business, educational expenses, or other important financial goals. But even if you decide to pass your home on to your children, a charity, or a long-lost relative, it’s still a valuable asset and a worthwhile investment. The decision of if and when to buy a home can be complex. Money matters, but so do personal and emotional issues. Buying a home is a big deal — you’re settling down. Can you really see yourself coming home to this same place day after day, year after year? Of course, you can always move, but doing so, especially within just a few years of purchasing the home, can be costly and cumbersome, and now you’ve got a financial obligation to deal with. The pros and cons of ownership Some people — particularly enthusiastic salespeople in the real estate business — believe everybody should own a home. You may hear them say things like “Buy a home for the tax breaks” or “Renting is like throwing your money away.” The bulk of home ownership costs — namely, mortgage interest and property taxes — are tax-deductible, subject to limitations. However, these tax breaks are already largely factored into the higher cost of owning a home. So, don’t buy a home just because of the tax breaks. If such tax breaks didn’t exist, housing prices would be lower because the effective cost of owning would be so much higher. I wouldn’t be put off by tax reform discussions that mention reducing or even eliminating home-buying tax breaks — the odds of such changes passing are slim to none. Renting isn’t necessarily equal to “throwing your money away.” In fact, renting can have a number of benefits, such as the following: In some communities, with a given type of property, renting is less costly than buying. Happy and successful renters I’ve seen include people who pay low rent, perhaps because they’ve made housing sacrifices. If you can sock away 10 percent or more of your earnings while renting, you’re probably well on your way to accomplishing your future financial goals. You can save money and hopefully invest in other financial assets. Stocks, bonds, and mutual and exchange-traded funds are quite accessible and useful in retirement. Some long-term homeowners, by contrast, have a substantial portion of their wealth tied up in their homes. (Remember: Accessibility is a double-edged sword because it may tempt you as a cash-rich renter to blow the money in the short term.) Renting has potential emotional and psychological rewards. The main reward is the not-so-inconsequential fact that you have more flexibility to pack up and move on. You may have a lease to fulfill, but you may be able to renegotiate it if you need to move on. As a homeowner, you have a major monthly payment to take care of. To some people, this responsibility feels like a financial ball and chain. After all, you have no guarantee that you can sell your home in a timely fashion or at the price you desire if you want to move. Although renting has its benefits, renting has at least one big drawback: exposure to inflation. As the cost of living increases, your landlord can keep increasing your rent (unless you live in a rent-controlled unit). If you’re a homeowner, however, the big monthly expense of the mortgage payment doesn’t increase, assuming that you buy your home with a fixed-rate mortgage. (Your property taxes, homeowners insurance, and maintenance expenses are exposed to inflation, but these expenses are usually much smaller in comparison to your monthly mortgage payment or rent.) Here’s a quick example to show you how inflation can work against you as a long-term renter. Suppose you’re comparing the costs of owning a home that costs $200,000 to renting a similar property for $1,000 a month. (If you’re in a high-cost urban area and these numbers seem low, please bear with me and focus on the general insights, which you can apply to higher-cost areas.) Buying at $200,000 sounds a lot more expensive than renting for $1,000, doesn’t it? But this isn’t an apples-to-apples comparison. You must compare the monthly cost of owning to the monthly cost of renting. You must also factor the tax benefits of home ownership in to your comparison so you compare the after-tax monthly cost of owning versus renting (mortgage interest on up to $750,000 of mortgage debt and property taxes up to $10,000 worth per year when combined with other state and local taxes are tax-deductible). The figure does just that over 30 years. As you can see in Figure 10-1, although owning costs more in the early years, it should be less expensive in the long run. Renting is costlier in the long term because all your rental expenses increase with inflation. Note: I haven’t factored in the potential change in the value of your home over time. Over long periods of time, home prices tend to appreciate, which makes owning even more attractive. The example in Figure 10-1 assumes that you make a 20 percent down payment and take out a 4 percent fixed-rate mortgage to purchase the property. It also assumes that the rate of inflation of your homeowners’ insurance, property taxes, maintenance, and rent is 3 percent per year. I’ve assumed that the person is in a moderate federal income tax bracket of 24 percent and about half their mortgage interest and property taxes are effectively reducing their tax burden. In the absence of having enough such deductions to be able to itemize deductions, federal income tax filers now qualify for larger so-called standard deductions. If inflation is lower, renting doesn’t necessarily become cheaper in the long term. In the absence of inflation, your rent should escalate less, but your home ownership expenses, which are subject to inflation (property taxes, maintenance, and insurance), should increase less, too. And with low inflation, you can probably refinance your mortgage at a lower interest rate, which reduces your monthly mortgage payments. With low or no inflation, owning can still cost less, but the savings versus renting usually aren’t as dramatic as when inflation is greater. Recouping transaction costs Financially speaking, I recommend that you wait to buy a home until you can see yourself staying put for a minimum of three years. Ideally, I’d like you to think that you have a good shot of staying in the home for five or more years. Why? Buying and selling a home cost big bucks, and you generally need at least five years of low appreciation to recoup your transaction costs. Some of the expenses you face when buying and selling a home include the following: Inspection fees: You shouldn’t buy a property without thoroughly checking it out, so you’ll incur inspection expenses. Good inspectors can help you identify problems with the plumbing, heating, and electrical systems. They also check out the foundation, roof, and so on. They can even tell you whether termites are living in the house. Property inspections typically range from a few hundred dollars up to $1,000+ for larger homes. Loan costs: The costs of getting a mortgage include items such as the points (upfront interest that can run 1 to 2 percent of the loan amount), application and credit report fees, and appraisal fees. Title insurance: When you buy a home, you and your lender need to protect yourselves against the chance — albeit small — that the property seller doesn’t actually legally own the home you’re buying. That’s where title insurance comes in — it protects you financially from unscrupulous sellers. Title insurance costs vary by area; 0.5 percent of the purchase price of the property is about average. Moving costs: You can transport all of your furniture, clothing, and other personal belongings yourself, but your time is worth something, and your moving skills may be limited. Besides, do you want to end up in a hospital emergency room after being pinned at the bottom of a staircase by a runaway couch? Moving costs vary wildly, but you can count on spending hundreds to thousands of dollars. (You can get a ballpark idea of moving costs from a number of online calculators.) Real estate agents’ commissions: A commission of 5 to 7 percent of the purchase price of most homes is paid to the real estate salespeople and the companies they work for. Higher priced homes generally qualify for lower commission rates. On top of all these transaction costs of buying and then selling a home, you’ll also face maintenance expenses — for example, fixing leaky pipes and painting. To cover all the transaction and maintenance costs of home ownership, the value of your home needs to appreciate about 15 percent over the years that you own it for you to be as well off financially as if you had continued renting. Fifteen percent! If you need or want to move elsewhere in a few years, counting on that kind of appreciation in those few years is risky. If you happen to buy just before a sharp rise in housing prices, you may get this much appreciation in a short time. But you can’t count on this upswing — you’re more likely to lose money on such a short-term deal. Some people invest in real estate even when they don’t expect to live in the home for long, and they may consider turning their home into a rental if they move within a few years. Doing so can work well financially in the long haul, but don’t underestimate the responsibilities that come with rental property.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 12-12-2022

Successful real estate investing requires smart decisions. To start investing in real estate quickly and easily, ask a few important questions, discover different ways to invest in residential property, and build an effective real estate team.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 03-24-2022

Interested in adding Canadian real estate to your investment portfolio? Give yourself a head-start by brushing up on your real estate terminology, discovering how to identify profitable properties, and knowing where to turn for reliable help online.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 03-10-2022

Use this handy Cheat Sheet to learn how to sound like a pro real estate investor (even if you’re just getting started.) Then keep it on hand to make sure you’re staying on top of every commercial property you acquire!

Article / Updated 03-07-2022

Buying a home is most people's first foray into the world of real estate. However, real estate can also be a good place to invest your money and see a profit. More people invest in the stock market than invest in real estate (beyond the home in which they live). Some reasons for this are due to misconceptions. These misconceptions also cause some investors to see less-than-stellar returns on their real estate investments. Here are common real estate misconceptions followed by why they are wrong: You need to be wealthy. Although it's true that you need money to play the game of investing in real estate (for a down payment), you don't need millions or even hundreds of thousands of dollars to get started. A five-figure ($10,000+) savings balance provides a point of entry into good investment properties. You need to be a high-income earner. So often in the news we hear about the Donald Trumps and other big-income earners as the ones making big bucks investing in real estate. But there's no reason you need a million-dollar-plus income to invest successfully in property. You don't even need a $100,000+ income. Many folks begin investing in real estate while earning modest wages or salaries. You need to have connections and know the "right" people. You should certainly have a team of competent real estate professionals and contractors and suppliers, but anyone can assemble such a squad. You need to be lucky to make big money. A little bit of luck is always welcome of course, but the key to making money with real estate investing is to do your homework. Find the right property in the right location, acquire that property at a fair price, and successfully manage all of your properties well over time. It doesn't matter who you rent your property to as long as you keep the property occupied. Real estate investors often overlook or downplay the importance of tenant selection. Properly preparing the property to attract the most qualified prospective tenants and then targeting your advertising to that target market are the first two steps to increasing your odds of finding a qualified tenant. You want to look for tenants who will stay for the long term, treat your property with care and respect, and essentially make your mortgage payments for you and build up your equity. It's not worth investing in real estate unless you buy can a large property. False! Most people who invest in real estate get started with small, less costly properties. Bigger and more expensive properties typically come many years down the road. The collapse in real estate prices before and during the 2008 financial crisis shows real estate isn't a good investment. Real estate, like stocks and other ownership-type investments, goes through cycles. But if you do your homework and buy solid properties at fair prices and manage them well over time, you should earn solid returns. Also, keep in mind that values of different types of properties in various locations don't all move in lockstep. The best way to make money in real estate is to buy and flip properties, especially if you can renovate them. Holding a property for a relatively short period of time ensures that your transaction costs of buying and then selling will consume a large portion or even all of your profits. Also, your profits may end up being taxed at higher tax rates for shorter holding periods. Once you own several properties, you can enjoy sitting back while the profits roll in. Wrong! Managing rental properties and doing it well takes time and resourcefulness. There are no shortcuts, especially if you want to avoid unpleasant surprises and make the most of your properties. You should always buy small properties to add to your holdings and continue to manage these multiple rentals. Acquiring small properties to begin your real estate investing career certainly makes sense, and you can do quite well over many years. But at some point, you should seriously consider selling some of the smaller properties and consolidating your real estate holdings into larger properties. Take the equity you have built up over time in the small properties and use it to purchase medium to larger properties. By selling several smaller properties and buying a larger one, you can take advantage of the economies of scale that a larger property offers. With larger properties, either you can manage them or you can hire professional management if you want to avoid the day-to-day headaches often associated with tenants, maintenance, and upkeep.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 03-01-2022

Foreclosure investing is complicated and risky. I’ve seen individual investors lose tens of thousands of dollars at a single auction simply because they had no idea what they were doing. You’re smart to study up on the process before putting any money on the line. This Cheat Sheet will get you up to speed in a hurry on foreclosure investing and help you steer clear of some of the major pitfalls. However, I strongly encourage you to study up on the foreclosure process in the location (state and county) where you choose to invest, and hire an attorney with foreclosure experience to cover your back, at least for your first few investment properties.