Are a you newbie? Are you confused by the title of this article? Here’s the thing—seasoned investors on BiggerPockets like Jeff Brown, Brandon Turner, J Scott, or Brian Burke are not at all confused by this title; they know exactly what I’m saying and why. BiggerPockets is a great place to learn the…

Cardboard boxes are synonymous with moving day, but it’s time we switched up the vocabulary. While boxes may be the go-to when it comes to packing up your belongings, they’re not actually necessary. Yes, that’s right, we’re suggesting you can pack up your entire house without using a single…

Rental property is typically the first type of real estate that a new investor looks at when trying to build wealth and diversify a portfolio. But many get discouraged when they realize their credit score doesn’t exactly qualify as “excellent.” If your credit score is low, does that mean you can’t…

So, I admit it. I’m addicted. Have been for decades. But I didn’t start out that way. My entrepreneurial addiction started around 1990 in a cubicle at Ford Motor Company in Dearborn, Michigan. I had recently graduated with an engineering degree and an MBA. Like most of my classmates, I took the…

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: April 24, 2017 Industry News & Events Changes…

My partner and I have acquired and leased hundreds of rental units. As co-owner at my organization, I still have the final say on approving rental applicants. As much as I want to delegate the task, I am aware it is of pretty high value. Having a great tenant in your property is crucial. A troubled…

Today I’m talking about the four top reasons why you should never—and I mean never with a capital “N”— invest in turnkey real estate. 1. Someone else does the work—and takes the profit. So, the first one—and the biggest reason in my opinion why you should never invest in turnkey real estate—is that…

Let’s be honest: there are about a hundred things you’d rather do with your family than create a household budget. Those things include housecleaning, math homework, and a whole lot of other things — but having a household budget and sticking to it are critical elements of keeping your family happy,…

Real estate markets are always changing, and I’ve been hearing investors say lately that inventory is so tight that there are no deals to be found. So what drives these cycles—and what can you do in a tight market? Local markets vary dramatically due to job growth/decline, the local economy, laws…

Ah, depreciation, the great phantom expense that shelters our rental income from the tax man every year. For those of you who do not know, depreciation is a reduction in the value of an asset with the passage of time due to wear and tear. To encourage investment, the IRS allows depreciation expense…

These days, it seems like everyone wants to invest in multifamily. But what sized multi should you focus on? There are pros and cons to both, but what are they? Should you invest in a small 15-unit complex or stretch to the 50 or 75-unit deal? Which is a better, more lucrative investment long-term?…

Why move to Newark? The short answer is because it rocks. The longer answer is this blog post, which includes some little-known information as well as fun facts about Newark. You see, Newark may not be the first name that comes to mind when you think about up and coming cities for young…

Brandon Turner reads 27 books a day. OK, that’s a slight exaggeration, but he reads all the time. It doesn’t hurt that he’s a speed reader, but that man plows through books in a way that makes me quite jealous. (Of course, he doesn’t have a 10-year-old and 7-year-old currently trying to get into the…

Moving into your own studio apartment can be so liberating. It’s all yours! When you clean, it stays clean, and when you come home you don’t have to be worried about waking up your housemates (or parents!) You know that at some point it is time to upgrade to a bigger space, but how will you know…

If you take a look around, there are some mixed reviews of Millennial financial habits all over the web. Some studies suggest that Millennials aren’t saving a dime , while others counter that Millennials are getting surprisingly good at saving . Personally, I’m sick of hearing my generation…

Recently, I spoke on a panel at a real estate conference. I was selected to be one of three experts on the topic of capital raising. Before I spoke on stage, the moderator of the panel asked the crowd of 300 people, “Who here would like to use other people’s money to invest in their projects?”…

If you own or are considering buying an apartment building or multi-family structure of any size, chances are that you’ll need to buy terrorism risk insurance. Standard individual homeowners and auto insurance policies don’t contain terrorism exclusions, but commercial property insurance routinely…

With the constant fluctuation of the stock market and an uncertain future that some say could lead to a recession (some say we’re already experiencing one), it’s time for you to get serious about investing in assets that will help you secure your future, like real estate. It’s not that real estate…

Do you ever think something sounds like a great investment deal? Is it possible it’s really not? Aside from more complicated factors like market fundamentals or rent sustainability, is it ever possible the numbers themselves can trick you? Yes! I’ve recently been exploring commercial investment…

What’s that you say, parents? You think the kids should stay at school just a little bit longer? Luckily for you, more and more school districts are agreeing and choosing to implement an extended school day to maximize the educational potential of school time. If you find yourself potentially…

Cleveland is home to die-hard sports fans and was home to the very first rock and roll concert. The character Superman was created by two high school students from Cleveland (Joe Shuster and Jerry Siegel) and the city was the first in the world to be entirely lit by electricity. Now that you’ve been…

What are the best real estate investments out there? Now, this is a big topic, and there’s no way to cover it in just one article, even though I feel I have the credentials to do it (credentials = lots of gains and lots of losses). You see, I have a podcast, and on this show we interview successful…

Imagine you leave behind everything you know and everyone you love to cross the ocean. You arrived weary and penniless, but this new land provides the one thing you needed: an opportunity—a rugged and dangerous road to follow for a chance to give your children the option to pursue what you couldn’t.…

When you purchase a new rental or commercial property with investment intent, you must allocate a portion of the purchase price to improvements and the remaining amount to land. The reason for this practice is that you cannot depreciate land, only improvements. This makes sense because dirt lasts…

Everything is going along smoothly on moving day until it’s not, and one of the movers trips and drops something — like your TV. Your movers, of course, have the same intentions you do: get everything transported safely and securely into your house, making you a happy customer. If you stay cool and…

In my previous article , I discussed a very good BRRRR (buy, rehab, rent, refinance, repeat) deal. This article will give another example when everything goes right. Indeed, pound for pound, this deal is one of our best deals ever, if not the best. Next week, I’ll discuss a deal that went sideways…

What would YOU do with an extra $1,000 a month in your bank account? Around BiggerPockets, you’ll hear a lot of stories of “big success.” Someone just flipped a house and made $100,000. Someone just bought a 300-unit apartment building. Someone just crossed the threshold of a million dollars in net…

Dallas may have had its own namesake daytime TV show, but don’t underestimate its not-as-famous sister Fort Worth. With affordable housing, a job market bubbling with opportunity, easier commutes and a mellower vibe, it is little wonder why people are choosing Cow Town over its neighbor to the east.…

As I mentioned in a recent article (“ A Look at the Pros & Cons of Investing in Commercial Real Estate “), there are multiple ways to invest in commercial real estate. If you run a business, one strategy is to own the building your business operates in. Some of the benefits of utilizing this…

Best case scenario, moving house is a surgical operation. With a swish of your packing skills and a few well-placed phone calls, you’re moved into a beautifully decorated new pad. Right? Well, not quite. When moving is on the mound, it’s pitching curve balls. If we were to look at the stats around…

Looking to gain new skills to grow your business, stay plugged into current issues, and meet other professionals in your industry? Here are 5 property management conferences that we recommend attending, all taking place in the next 3 months (and we’ll be at many of them, too!). Be sure to check back…

After years of acquiring and investing in single family rental homes, I recently purchased my first apartment building. Here is the breakdown of my first apartment building purchase to provide some valuable insight if you decide to make the leap into multifamily investing . Backstory My partner and…

You’ve read all the fine print to determine what your homeowners’ insurance covers while you’re at your current residence, but what about the transition to a new home? Even the most comprehensive homeowners’ insurance may not cover as much as you think when it comes to your move, so it is best to be…

First, you need to find out if you even can raise the rent. When a tenant is in a lease, the rent is fixed for the term of that lease and cannot be raised until after the lease is over. This is why rent raises are most common upon the renewing of one’s lease. If you are in a month-to-month agreement…

Don’t ignore this article. This could happen to you. If you’re involved in real estate or if you move money around through banks or if you’re alive and have a pulse, this article should strike fear into your heart. I hope it does. That’s certainly my goal. That’s precisely the effect this story had…

A new study released by RealtyTrac and curated by ATTOM Data Solutions has revealed the rankings of the best U.S. markets for buying single family rental properties this year. Where does your market lie and what are some new locales you might what you check out? Let’s delve into the findings.…