If you’ve been on BiggerPockets for any significant period of time, you’ve no doubt heard the virtues of cash flow being espoused from every angle possible. We have calculators to help us determine it. We have rules of thumb to help us find it. We have arguments in the forums that can seem like real…

Preposterous! Farcical! Absurd! That’s probably the response most people had when they read the title to this post. Retire in three years? Sure, maybe if the person was 99.9 percent of the way there. But there’s no way the average person could retire in just three years using real estate… is there?…

Today I’m talking to you about investment strategies. Should you invest in stocks, or should you invest in real estate? Around five years ago, I was given a book that absolutely changed my world. I’ll tell you the name of the book if you comment on this post below. What it did was motivate me to…

Know who you are placing in to your investment homes. Next time you screen a potential renter , make certain to verify rental history and rental experience with his or her previous landlords. A standard third party background check does not show a person’s attitudes, mental stability, rental payment…

There is so much conversation on LLCs—from the basic stuff such as what are they and why should we use them to more complex topics like which state we should register in and the difference between a manager-managed LLC and a member-managed LLC. Today, I am going to take a stab at one of the…

How much of your lease have your tenants read? If you handed it to them, got their signature, shook hands and left, let me peer into my crystal ball and see. Oh, look—zero percent. I have rented exactly two places in my entire life. I went to college near my parents’ house, so I lived with them…

[Photo: Del Frisco’s] Dallas may get all of the attention when it comes to the culinary arts but that is nothing if not a complete injustice. Fort Worth’s sizzling food scene may be a bit of an underdog, but that only adds to its hotness- some of the city’s restaurants are real gems, even by major…

We have been investing in real estate in Kansas for just over six years now, and our strategy is the good ol’ BRRRR method (buy, rehab, rent, refinance, and repeat). So, for our method to work, we are looking for houses and small multifamily properties that fit the following criteria. Our Property…

Dear loan officer, I'm thrilled that you welcomed me into your industry. It means that you believe I have something to contribute — something to bring to the table. That means the world to me. But I'm having a moment; I'm upset and I'd like to share why. Please let me begin by setting the stage: I'm…

I just talked to a lender that prequalified me for over $1 million in financing. This is a conventional mortgage broker—not a friend, not a family member. This is a loan at the best rates available. That’s $1 MILLION. I don’t earn a ridiculously high salary, and I don’t have a tremendous amount of…

Many millennials are moving to Madison for its strong job market, high performing schools and safe neighborhoods? They are all quick (and pleased) to learn that it is also packed with fun and adventure for all ages. Each season has its special charm and seasonal activities- not even the cold, cold…

How will the housing market change in 2017? There are a lot of factors at play this year. How can we expect them to mold the property market? What will it mean for home buyers, sellers, and real estate investors? 1. Increasing Property Prices Home prices are heading up in just about every market.…

Real estate is hard. It is. Finding deals is hard. Finding a good team is hard. There is competition. You won’t have the resources the big dogs do. Gaining experience is hard. Learning can be painful. This niche is very rewarding, but it’s not easy. If you want to succeed, you need to give yourself…

Are you a swinger? No, I’m not talking about ’70s-era party animals. Most of them swung out decades ago. I’m talking about baseball. Well, sort of. A friend of mine named Bruce Chick was a star baseball player and a great guy. He played minor league baseball in the Red Sox organization. One season,…

When you request an estimate from a moving company, you hope that you can use it to accurately budget your move. Unfortunately, some moving companies will offer you low-ball estimates to get you in the door — and then the price suddenly increases one they begin work. An estimate is an estimate, they…

There are many books that discuss the advantages of productivity in the marketplace. World renowned speakers train large corporations on productivity. Productivity is essential in the development of your wholesaling business. Without the use of virtual assistants, you will be limited. Productivity…

You may be wondering how to find comp data concerning the sales price of the properties you’re trying to wholesale. Here are a few ways to do so. 1. The MLS and an Agent The MLS is a real estate agent–owned collection of data concerning all the listed, pending, and recently sold properties in a…

March 14, 2017 SHARE No matter how much your residents love your property and how dedicated a site team you have on staff, no property is immune to the controversial world of online reviews. How can your property combat negative publicity, attract prospective residents, and improve retention? The…

At what point do increasing home prices stop being a “recovery” from the last housing bubble and start becoming a risk of a new bubble? One oversimplified answer is “when home prices reach their original bubble levels.” Which they’ve done. Sort of. But this is not 2007, and today’s housing…

I have three truths to share with you. You cannot compete with big brand marketing. You shouldn’t even try. You can do it better and see greater results for less effort. Stick around. This entire article centers around why your brand is NOT the first stop on the lead generation line—and what is. If…

Every real estate investor was at one time a newbie. We all had to start somewhere, and most likely it started with dreams of making it big, of quitting our jobs and retiring to the good life. I can remember those days. I was full of enthusiasm and excitement, but I was also often blind and ignorant…

When you are calculating the cost of moving , you likely considered all of the most obvious expenses: the moving company, the deposit on a new apartment, some new furniture, and probably some cleaning made the budget. But what about packing boxes? Moving your belongings requires that you use sturdy…

If you’ve ever attended one of the weekly BiggerPockets Live Webinars that I host each week, you’ll recognize this concept: Finding deals is a funnel: It’s wide at the top and narrow at the bottom. In other words, my goal is to get as many raw leads as I can into my funnel—and then filter them out…

Doing the dishes is an inevitable and unexciting chore, but a sink that refuses to drain is enough to make you want to sprint for greener (and less clogged) pastures. If your first thought is to call in a professional to deal with the mess of a clogged garbage disposal, you’re certainly not alone.…

Worried about finding cash buyers for your real estate deals? I think you’ll be surprised at just how easy this can be. In fact, let me give you ten different ways. 1. Landlords on Craigslist Head to your local Craigslist “houses/apt for rent” section, and you’ll instantly find a huge list of…

The university town of Madison, Wisconsin has emerged in recent years as a real hotbed for technological innovation and creativity. Known for its biotech and agricultural industries, Madison began its hi-tech incarnation in the late 90s with a handful of budding startups. Twenty years down the road…

When you consider the reasons your cash flow gets pulled down, you are likely to think about the usual suspects. Maybe your thoughts go to unit vacancy or utilities. These are valid concerns, of course, and these elements play a major part in keeping your properties performing well. But there is…

When I was a kid, it seemed like all the men in my family would work their tails off, retire, and then pass away shortly thereafter. It makes a lot more sense now that I look at the old life expectancy charts. My grandma was born in 1901, and back then, the life expectancy was only 47.6 years for…

Think big! Accumulate hundreds or even thousands of units. Use economies of scale. Syndicate. Benefit from maximum leverage. In other words: go big or go home. Aren’t these the messages we hear so often here on BiggerPockets? Aren’t the biggest and the best the ones with the most cash flow, the most…

With all the new apps and software out there, keeping track of your expenses, paying your employees, and even saving up money for investments (or otherwise) has become easier than ever. Still, some tech tools are better than others. Don’t take it from me; here are six apps endorsed by those who have…

So you want to move to a new city, but you are absolutely in love with your house? You might be considering relocating the entire building to a new lot. Movers relocate historic buildings, move homes out of flood zones, so why not just transport your home to a new lot? You already have everything…

Your home isn’t the only thing that needs sprucing up this spring. We all get cozy and comfortable in the winter, relaxing at home with our families in semi-hibernation. But it’s time to start shaking off the cobwebs and bear down on what we want to do differently this year. Spring is the perfect…

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: March 6, 2017 Industry News & Events Millennials…

When I sold my HR outsourcing company to a publicly traded firm in 1997, I fancied myself semi-retired. My family moved from metro Detroit, which was cratering at the time, to the top of a mountain in Southwestern Virginia’s Blue Ridge. We bought 120 acres, complete with walking trails, a large…

Great job opportunities, safe neighborhoods, great public schools and miles upon miles of pristine beaches would make anyone want to live in Virginia Beach, and indeed many millennials are moving in and making the city younger and livelier than ever. If you’re reading this article, you’re probably…

Technology is advancing fast. There are many tasks tech can streamline or replace in real estate. Still, some functions continue to require humans, at least for now. I recently predicted that real estate agents will be obsolete by 2025 . Many efforts are being made to launch new tech companies…

Some days, investing in real estate can give you a real headache. Maybe you’ve been doing this thing on your own. Maybe that one resident that is driving you crazy. Or maybe you’ve been up late, worried sick about that one property that just isn’t turning a profit, and you’re sick of seeing red…

Miami has great weather and there’s always a chance to learn about new cultures. Whether you want great Cuban food, authentic Haitian or Jamaican food, or want to hang out on the beach and do some shopping, Miami is the perfect place. Local Moving Prices Even though you’re only moving to a different…

Here are two undeniable truths: Commercial real estate has built many investors’ fortunes throughout history, and Technology is changing the world at a faster pace than ever. But how do those two truths affect one another? There is a reason 80 percent of millionaires attribute their financial…