Latest Real Estate Investing Articles
The River and the Fish
Today I want to tell you a story. Once upon a time, there was a beautiful river nestled in the middle of a peaceful forest just a few miles away from the village. Only a select few weathered and experienced village fishermen knew that this river was chock full of fish: trout, bass, you name it. … [Continue Reading...]
The next three years
Last week, Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke announced that the central bank will likely keep the fed funds rate near zero until late 2014. This piece of news is likely to be greeted by a standing ovation in the real estate investing community as a whole. So far, Fed's downward pressure on the fed funds … [Continue Reading...]
The answer to THE most frequently asked question by real estate investors
Today I want to start by making a statement that's as powerful as it is obvious. The critical foundation for any long term investment strategy is incoming rent. Without it, all projections fall apart, all returns vanish. Earth shattering, I know. But obvious as it is, is it any surprise that THE … [Continue Reading...]
Investing in new construction homes: Pros and Cons
Clients often ask me what my thoughts are about investing in new construction homes purchased from the builder or developer. As with most other nuances of real estate investing, this strategy has its pros and cons. A prudent real estate investor needs to clearly understand what they are and how they … [Continue Reading...]
7 Powerful Tips on investment property management
The number one reason investors shun long term investing strategies is the perceived hassle of "landlording". The concern is that this type of investment brings with it tenant calls at three o'clock in the morning, relentless maintenance, collecting trouble and the like. Since real estate investing … [Continue Reading...]
Weaving real estate investing magic: Crafting a Blueprint
Last week, I wrote a "meat and potatoes" post where three Houston investment properties in premium locations were dissected and analyzed thoroughly. (Read that post if you haven't already. I'll wait). Their locations were stellar: excellent schools, amenities and access. The numbers were … [Continue Reading...]
How to be successful
Success is simple. There are a handful of time tested principles that when followed consistently over long periods of time will inevitably cause you to succeed at anything. The funny thing is I'm not about to tell you anything you don't already know. So then, why do successful people make up such a … [Continue Reading...]
Numbers never lie. Or do they?
Today's post addresses a common misconception that costs inexperienced real estate investors thousands of dollars over the long term. When analyzing investment properties, investors have a compulsive need to oversimplify the decision-making process down to a single metric. If the cashflow on the … [Continue Reading...]
Smart Leverage or Perpetual Leverage?
There comes a point in the life of every long term real estate investor where he has to make a critical choice. He has been cruising along assembling this great portfolio of real estate investments when he reaches a fork in the road. The question is, do you go left or right? That decision can be the … [Continue Reading...]
Getting an early start
Martin came to us referred from a personal friend and previous client of ours in the fall of 2009. He was in his late twenties, had graduated from college with an engineering degree about five years back and started working for a national consulting firm in the East Coast. He was a saver who had … [Continue Reading...]
Meet the Architect
