Real estate rentals have been good to me, my company, and our investors. And I know they can be good to you, too—if you know how to put the right strategies in place and leverage your resources. We now have a portfolio that has created significant wealth for our investors and a steady stream of…

Once you have decided that dorm life isn’t for you – or maybe your university doesn’t offer dorm options – the hunt is on. But how do you find off-campus housing that fits your student budget? You don’t have to obsessively scour Craigslist, we swear: here are some resources that will make your…

Contingency clauses are a reality for any real estate investor, and just one of many pieces of paperwork you’ll have to deal with. But this is not a subject only for lawyers, and the impact of contingencies can be huge on your investment. Here, let’s look at what exactly contingency clauses are, and…

Scientists at NOAA and Colorado State University agree that this hurricane season will be an average one , and won’t come close to the destruction the Gulf Coast saw in 2017. But with one named storm already making landfall in the Florida panhandle, property managers in the Gulf Coast, and all along…

There is so much history in Arlington, Virginia, that you can’t get around it. Once a part of the “ten miles square” of the nation’s capital, Washington, D.C., it was separated off in the 1840’s. Just across the Potomac, Arlington is conveniently located close to the capital while maintaining a more…

August 01, 2018 by Sara Sugar Here at Updater, easing the pain of moving, one of the most stressful times in a person’s life, is just what we do. It’s our passion, it’s what we excel at, and it’s literally what gets us moving in the morning. Everyday at Updater, we eat, breath, and sleep with a…

Hiring a professional moving company to tackle the toughest aspects of your upcoming move is a sure sign that you’re committed to having a smooth relocation experience without any additional stress and unexpected problems. Both the initial contact with the movers and the subsequent in-home surveys…

There’s no such thing as landlord school. Most landlords just do a little reading online and dive right in. Which is fine – but it also means many new landlords are ill-prepared for the work of being a successful landlord. Far too many landlords fail to bring a level of professionalism to their…

There are tons of guides for out-of-state real estate investors on how to pick an appreciating market. Most of them cover the same principles: Invest in areas with increasing population, job growth, and salary. I’m not going to argue that those guides are wrong. Investing in rapidly-appreciating…

I see a major shift in the real estate market as we become even more of a renter nation. Why is it happening? Is there a silver lining to this economic cloud? According to the U.S. Census Bureau, American homeownership plunged again in 2017 to its lowest rate since 1965. After the peak of 2004, when…

Did somebody say free lunch ? “Diversification is the only free lunch” is a saying normally applied to mainstream investing to protect an investor from risk if an asset goes south. Buy stocks and bonds. Add gold to your portfolio. Buy a REIT. Choose an index fund. Smart folks use this thinking to…

BiggerPockets is about to make networking a whole lot easier. Whether you’re looking for an agent, lender, partner, or any of the dozens of other people you need to successfully run a real estate business, we’re about to help you out in a big way. I am very excited to announce our brand new Company…

Neighborhood Spotlight: Flatiron District Known as home to the famous wedge building, this NYC neighborhood is also known for its small tapas bars, corporate buildings, and trendy shopping stores. Located just a few blocks south of Penn Station and a few blocks north of New York University, Flatiron…

One of the best parts of going off to college is getting to do your own thing, living in a dorm, and decorating it any way you like. Of course, as a college student, you probably don’t have thousands — or even hundreds — of dollars set aside for room decorating. So how can you get all your college…

Being a landlord isn’t as good or bad as people often make it out to be. In most cases, the reality lands somewhere between the two extremes. But if you’re going to delve into the world of real estate investing, you’ll need a few things to be successful. 6 Things to Get Squared Away While they may…

Driver-less cars are going to change a lot, and if you haven’t been actively reading about this, then it’s most likely going to happen much faster than you’re expecting. At first glance, there may not seem to be much overlap between the auto industry and the real estate industry, but the impacts and…

Your college years are decidedly not the time to worry about financing a new sofa or bedroom set — but you do need furniture, and you’d prefer not to waste time scouring pages of Craigslist posts that may or may not smell weird. The possibility to rent furniture means low-hassle, easy selection, and…

Is this crazy? I sat there with my 23-year-old head spinning — looking at the first $400,000 multifamily rehab project that I had just put under contract. You’ve probably asked yourself (at least) a couple times if it’s crazy to get into real estate, too. If you asked your friends and family…

What are you doing to evolve resident communications depending on their age —and why does it matter? Throughout the leasing cycle, how you communicate with residents can make or break your relationship. Property managers always aim to deliver the kind of service that attracts and retains quality…

Drew and Jonathan Scott often rely on certain upgrades because they work well in most houses, but on "Property Brothers: Buying and Selling," we learn that even the most ragingly popular renovations have their limits. In the episode titled "Moving Outward and Upward," there's a wall in the house…

How many people remember the importance of “prerequisites” in college? I can recall being super excited to register for a few classes, and when I was filling out the last page of registration, it denied my paperwork since I did not have the correct prerequisite class. Of course, being young and…

If you have a deck, one essential part of maintenance is learning how to stain it. Stain can be used to change your deck's color or just accentuate the wood grain; it may also include sealant to protect the wood. To keep your deck in good shape, aim to stain or seal it once a year, says architect…

These common lies and myths are hammered into most of us as we grow up. Some are just outdated beliefs that no longer work. Others are misconceptions from those with a limited perspective on life and money. Some may be the result of billions of dollars in marketing and programming. It is good to be…

I still I hear it all the time: “I’d love to invest in real estate, but I don’t have any money!” While the first part of this statement is undoubtedly true (who wouldn’t want to enjoy the awesome benefits of real estate investing ?), the last part about not having the needed money is only partially…

The process of moving from one home to another is believed to be one of the most stressful events a person can experience in their lifetime. There are a number of valid reasons why a house move is so stressful (see below) but the truth is that there are also good ways to manage the stress of moving…

Attention, couch potatoes! Time to learn how to clean that sofa you're planted on. Think about it: If your favorite oft-used seating arrangement is like most people’s, it is semi-regularly subjected to sweaty socks, cracker crumbs, dog paws, cat hair, spilled juice (or wine), as well as everyday…

Personal finance nerds (like myself) spend an inordinate amount of time thinking about retirement. How much do you need? How can you ensure that you don’t run out of money in retirement? What’s the fastest way to get there, and does fast also mean safe? For the last 20 years, the 4% rule (a.k.a. the…

Want to increase resident retention and satisfaction, while also making your property more appealing to prospective residents? Time to think about providing some high-end apartment amenities! These 19 high-end apartment amenities all have the potential to make your residents feel more at home. Read…