In its continuing campaign to take over every conceivable part of our lives, the maker of the iPhone, iPad, and iPod on Monday unveiled the Apple HomePod , the company's first smart speaker. Naturally, this made gadget fiends positively giddy. Does that mean the Amazon Echo and Google Home should be…

Actor Robert Downey Jr. recently picked up a $3.5 million mansion in Malibu’s 90265 —the ZIP code he shares with his on-screen alter ego, billionaire inventor Tony Stark, aka Iron Man. In the “Iron Man” movie franchise, Stark owns an over-the-top, cliffside mansion on Point Dume that would easily be…

When we ranked the country's most affordable spots for ocean-adjacent living, we were thrilled to find a few newcomers kicking sand in the face of America's most beloved beaches. Move over, Malibu and Miami . Step aside, Santa Cruz and Southampton . We love those star-studded beaches and bountiful…

In a recent article , I made a bold statement. Readers completely ignored it. In the article, I stated: “The reality is that it is completely achievable for the majority of households to build a net worth of $1,000,000 or more over the course of a working lifetime.” If it’s so simple and obvious…

Entertainment mogul Tyler Perry has come a long way from his rough childhood in New Orleans . And so has the home where Perry grew up. The three-bedroom, two-bath, 1,980- square-foot side-hall Victorian has been completely restyled, remodeled, and expanded—and it just went up for sale for $559,000.…

By 1:30 pm ET June 6, 2017 June 6, 2017 iStock U.S. home prices marched higher in April, with the strongest gains in the West, according to a report out Tuesday. The national home price index from data provider CoreLogic was 6.9% higher than a year ago, and 1.6% higher than in March. Washington was…

Still turning lights on and off by hand ? Then allow us to shed light on another fascinating facet of The Connected Home : smart lighting. Home lighting options today relieve you of the hassle of flipping switches and curb your electric bill to boot. There are other bonuses, too: Smart lighting can…

Amusement Parks have become a part of American iconography, and that means the crowds have followed: from Disneyland to the new Harry Potter World, theme parks attract millions of people every year. Take your family somewhere a little different this summer to beat the crowds, skip the lines, and see…

How long have you been “thinking” about purchasing that first property? About sending that first direct mail campaign? About calling friends, family, or other non-institutional lenders to help you fund your next deal? If your answer is between “six months” and “too long,” you are suffering from the…

Mold can be highly destructive to your buildings; highly toxic to your residents; and highly damaging to your profits, too. While there is always a base level of mold in the air, letting a mold problem fester in your building can potentially cost larger property owners millions in repairs; lost…

Considering buying a rental property with inherited tenants? Here’s how a recent acquisition by one of my partners and I went. Good old inherited tenants—if you’ve purchased a property from a tired landlord or mom and pop owner, you understand that dealing with them can oftentimes be a pain.…

Summer is upon us, and that means it’s time for a vacation! The United States has such a variety of landscapes and opportunities that it can be difficult to choose, so we’ve compiled some of the best vacation destinations in the US to spark your curiosity and get the creative vacation wheels…

Buildium Free Trial Buy now Blog Accounting & Bookkeeping Buildium Software News Growing Your Business Industry News & Events Legal Concerns Maintaining Your Properties Resident Retention Tech & Sustainability This week in property management news: June 5, 2017 Industry News & Events Landlords suing…

Feeling lost and don’t know where to start in real estate? Real estate is rewarding on so many levels. It’s a shame to witness those who don’t get to experience those results in their own lives. Sadly, it is often not due to a lack of being aware of the advantages real estate can offer, but failing…

A little over four years ago, my brother and I walked into a ugly house built in the 1800s that had an obsolete floor plan and over a century of deferred maintenance. That junky old house was the first piece of true investment real estate we ever bought. That property kicked off the journey that…

Back in the day, long before personal finance software, if you wanted to keep track of your finances, you would have to hand-write all the pertinent information onto spreadsheets, then do the math all by yourself to calculate your returns. Either that, or just kind of keep track in your head. But…

Minimalism has become one of the biggest trends in fashion, decoration, and even lifestyle — making a resurgence after its nascence in the 60’s and 70’s Post-World War II era. Simple, spacious design with zero clutter is appealing to more and more people as fashion has evolved and our lives have…

5 Tips to Prepare for Your Next Move Whether you’re moving from one coast to another or borough to borough, the right preparation can make all the difference. Here are some tips on how you can best prepare for your upcoming move. 1. Plan Ahead of Time Giving yourself more time in the lead up to your…

Renting out a small space can be challenging. We all want the most space for the lowest price—and prospective tenants don’t want to worry about outgrowing their apartment before they’ve even moved in. So how can you make a small space feel open and expansive without a costly, messy remodel? Here are…

I’m 28 years old, and my net worth is $550,000. I haven’t won the lottery or inherited a trust fund. My first job out of college had a starting salary of $50,000. How did I do it? Well, I could write a post about my money-saving hacks, but there are a lot of articles, books, and podcasts already out…

Moving out for the first time is an emotional rollercoaster that twists ruthlessly between joy and horror, massive excitement and deep anxiety. It’s all good when you’re thinking of having no one around to tell you what to do, but then thoughts like ‘Where do I buy light bulbs’ and ‘Do these look…

There have been dozens of stories of homebuyers pitted against one another in contentious bidding wars to land the home of their dreams. As if that weren’t challenging enough for most homebuyers, they’re now facing a new form of competition: real estate investors. Real estate investors used to think…

Tenants often come to the table with assumptions and misinformation. This could be due to a number of reasons. It may be their first time living away from home, they may be ignorant of all of the things that go into running and managing properties, or they may just have preconceived negative…

There are a number of reasons why you might want to break a lease on an apartment. In some cases, the law is on your side- for example, when enlisting for military duty, fleeing domestic abuse or moving to a retirement home. But what about all the other sound reasons to move which are not protected…

Buildium Free Trial Buy now Blog Accounting & Bookkeeping Buildium Software News Growing Your Business Industry News & Events Legal Concerns Maintaining Your Properties Resident Retention Tech & Sustainability This week in property management news: May 29, 2017 Industry News & Events Four rising…

Truth: I’ve only been an investor for two years, but I’ve learned a lot of great stuff that I hope you all will benefit from. Real estate is an incredible vehicle to achieve financial independence, and I’m all about efficiency to get there as quickly as possible. Here’s a quick article on things…

Nothing motivates a tenant more to replace their dead light bulbs than knowing that if they don’t, it could cost them $5 per bulb for us to hire someone else to do it. This Itemized List of Common Deposit Deductions is fairly generic and includes a statement that says, “This list has been prepared…

Many investors use the 1 or 2% rule as a rule of thumb to do a quick evaluation on real estate deals. In essence, you take the rent per month and divide it into the price of the property, which yields a percentage. The higher, the better, of course. Everyone seems to strive for the 2% rule, but I…

If you didn’t post it on Instagram, did it happen? Well, probably, but an Instagram-worthy photo adventure makes for a great 24 hours. Charleston, SC, is a gorgeous city all around — but we know you want to curate the best of the best for your followers, so here is our guide to creating the most…

The Best Way to Pack Clothing for a Move Moving can be one of the most chaotic and stressful times in our lives. Any tricks that will help organize the mess are always welcomed. Anyone that has moved will tell you that clothes are like hangars, they seem to multiply and turn up in the strangest…

Do you spend a lot of money? If you’re reading this, you’re probably a Westerner, and you’re probably a big spender (at least compared to your ancestors—and the rest of the world). Have you ever had the nagging thought that maybe you could be earning more points, more rewards, even cash back on your…

“Compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world. He who understands it, earns it… he who doesn’t… pays it.” — Albert Einstein When I was in my early 20s, I read an article about compound interest that really stuck with me. The writer said that if you put away $2,000 a year from age 22 through…

Many tenants will request that you “work with them” when their rent is late. Deciding to work with them is a bit of an art form, and there is a strategy for doing so that won’t leave you in the lurch if something goes wrong. Before we get there, let’s talk about the two most common reasons why rent…