You’ve heard that the weather in Saint Paul, MN, can be wild and unpredictable – and you wouldn’t be wrong. So how exactly are you supposed to be prepared? This Midwestern state is known particularly for its rugged winters, with an average temperature of around 10 degrees Fahrenheit and snowfall…

The original thesis of marketing was: Find a need and fill it. You need to wash your laundry, so a dozen brands of detergent fill that need at your nearest supermarket. However, in a wealthy country like the United States, those essential needs are already filled for the majority of the population.…

You may have decided or been forced to downsize your home. Or you may have been caught in transition between two cities. Either way, you may be on the lookout for temporary storage for some of your things. Renting a self-storage unit can be a good way to solve your immediate problems or difficulties…

There are a lot of phenomenal articles on this blog, many of them are having to do with the nuts and bolts of real estate. So much of what you’ll accomplish, however, has to do with what’s between your ears—your mental game—and having the right mentor, coach, or group (like BiggerPockets) to connect…

Student housing can be a particularly lucrative real estate investment niche. In fact, investing around the University of Oregon was how my father originally got his start in real estate. (You can hear him talk about his story on the BiggerPockets Podcast here or me and him discuss the ins and outs…

When people think about living in St. Paul, MN, they may find themselves thinking about that Twin Cities skyline. But when you envision this Midwest city, do you have a grasp on all that is has to offer? Probably not. Whether you’re headed to Minnesota for a change in scenery or a new job, it’s time…

As a brokerage or real estate agent, on any typical day, you might be showing a property in the morning, responding to emails that afternoon, and driving across town to throw an open house later that night. Real estate is a full-time job that never seems to stop while requiring a laser focus on time…

When you get to be pretty smart and rather accomplished, you find yourself in somewhat of a danger zone. The danger is represented by the fact that your prior successes tend to back you into a tunnel-vision perspective on life and business. Because you know what has worked for you in the past, you…

The quickly-growing city of St. Paul, MN, is known for a few things: being the home of Minnesota’s government, intensely cold winters, and a fascinating Prohibition-Era history of being a hotspot hideaway for gangsters and train robbers. Who knew? If you’re thinking of moving to this prosperous…

You may have heard this story on last week’s episode of The BiggerPockets Real Estate Podcast. On the show, I said I’d write a blog post about it. Well, here it is. I’m sorry… Before you read any further, I need to warn you. This post might be a bit… gross . So as long as you are not in the middle…

Well, BiggerPocketers, it has been almost exactly one year since I purchased the property that made me financially independent and one year since I appeared on the BiggerPockets Podcast. At that time I was working full-time for the military, unsure how I would wield my newfound possibilities. Now,…

Should you liquidate your 401k to start investing in real estate? This question has frequented the BiggerPockets forums over the past few years, eliciting mixed answers. Most financial advisors and older folks will tell you that it’s better to contribute to your 401k and let it grow tax-deferred.…

Something annoying happened this week and while trying to get my mind straight, I Googled “how to stop fixating on the world’s most annoying situation,” and one positive suggestion was to make the frustration a teaching moment. Learn from it. Breathe. Take a walk. Journal. Whatever. Move on. And I…

Remember the 2001-2006 years, when everyone was buying houses? Conventional wisdom at the time said you should buy before prices got much higher. Housing values skyrocketed and loans were given away like candy on Halloween. Everyone was making money—until they weren’t. By 2009, the music had stopped…

Real estate social media is important to master in an industry where 72% of homebuyers used a mobile device during their home search . Not to mention, millennials — the largest segment of homebuyers on the market — are also the most active on social media. Their purchasing decisions are largely…

Gardeners (and wanna-be gardeners!) of the world, take heart: moving into a new home in the cooler fall months doesn’t mean you’ve missed out on all the planting fun. There’s plenty to be done to prepare for next season, and unless you live in the far, far north where you’re already seeing…

One of the most vivid memories I have from when I finally became aware of what exactly my dad’s did for a living was when he learned his bookkeeper had been stealing from him. This had been going on for several months before his property manager became suspicious and started looking into the…

Bedroom assembled, check! Kitchen setup, done! Now for those of you with a green thumb (or aspiring to have one), a home just isn’t a home without a garden. Starting a new vegetable garden from scratch takes some effort, but it offers incredible rewards for your dinner table and your budget. Here…

How do you really know if you had a successful year in 2018? When you’re running a small business, staying on top of finances can be time-consuming and confusing. After all, you’re an expert in property management, not data analysis. But business owners have to keep tabs on the overall health of the…

Confession: I silently cringe whenever people hang out in my kitchen because, after investing in several beloved glass-front cabinets, everyone can see what's inside—and let's just say they're a far cry from those artfully curated cabinets I see when poring over Instagram and Pinterest. At first, I…

The process of moving into a new home requires careful planning in order to be a successful one. And this is where you come in – YOU are going to have to be the one to create that good organization, together with the help of a moving into a new house checklist. Practically, the list of things to do…

I just returned from a week-long financial independence retreat called Chautauqua (pronounced “Sha-tak-wah”) in Greece. When I tell people this, one of the first questions I get is, “Did you go for work? Or for fun?” My response? “Both.” Then I usually get one of these, “Huh?” stares. I began to…

While most real estate investing advice is geared to those who wish to escape their current jobs, not much has been written for those of us who love our jobs and don’t intend to quit them. Personally, if I quit my job, I know I would be bored out of my mind. I enjoy my career and have no intentions…

When I decided to launch a podcast almost two years ago, I wanted to give entrepreneurs and investors a place to learn life lessons from a different point of view. I wanted to talk about failure. So I called this wealth-building podcast How to Lose Money. And I have to say that it brings puzzled…

Last year, I shared my experience upgrading from a duplex to a 33-unit out-of-state property in South Carolina. You can read the original post here. One year in, I thought I’d like to share the ups and downs of managing an out-of-state multifamily rehab project in another long post. If you have…

Everyone enjoys a good bargain. But when it comes to the 1031 exchange fees charged by your qualified intermediary (QI), how can you tell if it’s really a bargain? The value offered by qualified intermediaries can make or break your 1031 exchange experience and feasibility. Their services can be as…

Moving overseas can sound like an expensive proposition – applying for visas, shipping all of your furniture, and so on – but what if the country or city paid you to move there? Believe it or not, these programs exist! Have a look at some of the amazing places you could call home with the bonus of a…

At Updater, we’re committed to bringing our clients the best and most efficient integrations possible. If we see a pain point or something we think we can improve, we work tirelessly until the solution is found or the process is streamlined. That’s why we’re excited to announce the addition of 6 new…

In the real estate investing world, there is a collection of classic debates that are likely to remain unresolved for the foreseeable future. Flip homes for a profit, or buy and hold long term rentals? If you go for long-term rentals, should you focus on cash flow or capital growth? Should you buy a…

Let’s take a look at two different investors who bought and sold properties over a 25-year span. The investors in both scenarios start with the same amount of money ($50,000), buy the same property (a $250,000 deal, 2nd column below), have the same growth (5% equity growth each year, reflected in…