October 2010

Builder Model Home Sale and Leaseback: Investor Benefits | Part 2 of 3

by Mark Saunders | October 29, 2010

In Part 1, we discussed the concept of purchasing and leasing back a model home and the benefits to the builder / developer. In Part 2, we dig into why many investors love the concept. Next week, we will discuss do’s and dont’s and points to remember when negotiating an agreement. In essence, investors can [...]

Real Estate

Multi-Family Green Case Study

by Jim Simcoe | October 29, 2010

For the last weeks I was on an east coast tour meeting with clients and working on projects in Pittsburgh, Maryland and Washington, DC. All of the projects are as different as the cities and clients who own them. We’re working on a 20-unit multi-family building in Pittsburgh and a few row-houses and semi-detached homes [...]

What if My Tenants Damage My Mobile Home?

by John Fedro | October 29, 2010

One of the top questions I receive about mobile home investing is what if your tenants or payment buyers stop paying you, trash your property, then leave. This article is to help alleviate these preventable worries. Every time I hear this question, it comes from someone who is role-playing in their mind the worst case [...]

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Choosing a Property Manager: Nobody Watches Your Money Like You Do

by Steve Dexter | October 28, 2010

Before you put your money down on that can’t-miss out of area real estate deal, watch your wallet. Lots of rich California real estate investors lost their money big time during this last down turn because of inept property management. You are at a disadvantage owning a building you can’t see, having tenants you can’t [...]

Real Estate Law

The Series LLC Experiment – Looking for Guinea Pigs

by Clint Coons | October 28, 2010

When it comes to asset protection, I always tell my students and clients that segregating dangerous assets from each other is a sound strategy to limit overall risk exposure. Best practice dictates that each asset should have its own entity. For many people this could translate into to a multitude of business entities. For example, [...]

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The Plight of an Accidental Landlord: Tips & Advice

by Peter Giardini | October 28, 2010

If you hang out on the BiggerPockets forums you know that at least once a week a brand new landlord… mostly a person who was forced into the landlord role just to cover the mortgage on an investment that went wrong, will make a post… actually it is more of a plea asking for help [...]

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Buying Your First Rental? Be Sure To Do The Right Math!

by Shae Bynes | October 28, 2010

I was recently speaking with a new investor (let’s call her Maya for simplicity) who is looking into acquiring single family homes as rental properties. The conversation we had about her expected net positive cashflow on a particular property reminded me that it’s so important to understand the basic mathematics for real estate to ensure [...]

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(3) Reasons you should be a Realtor and Real Estate Investor

by Marty Boardman | October 27, 2010

They say you shouldn’t eat at least an hour before you go swimming. They also say that two wrongs don’t make a right, that you get what you pay for, you can’t win them all, nobody ever said life was fair, what you don’t know won’t hurt you and there’s no such thing as a [...]

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Three Ways to Attract Great Tenants to Your Rental Property

by Julie Broad | October 27, 2010

Hope is not a strategy. I’m sure you’ve heard that many times before. Yet I can’t tell you how many real estate investors I speak with that tell me about the great deal they got on a rental property, only to find it difficult to rent out. As I look into their situation to help [...]

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Lowering Cap Gains Tax Bills Via Property Transaction Structure

by Jeff Brown | October 26, 2010

If you’d like to take a sale on a property, but the tax hit will be painful, do some tax planning via the sale’s structure. This is the time of year when all kinds of slight modifications in a sale’s terms can result in solid tax savings. This year though, it might be problematic due [...]

Commentary

“You Think!”–A Mantra For The Age Of Foreclosure

by Charles Feldman | October 26, 2010

“You think!” This is a phrase that will come up often in this post. And, the cool part is–it’s actually a cue for YOU to take part in this blog. That’s right. YOU get to participate. First, how about a trial run. On the count of three. One! Two! Three! “You think!” Not bad. Though, [...]

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Commentary

Working Your Leads: The Art of the Follow-Up

by Brooks Conkle | October 26, 2010

I was sitting enjoying the victory of the Auburn Tigers this past weekend (War Eagle!) and discussing business with a friend of mine. He’s in the insurance sales industry. I listened to him as he explained to me that he needed a minimum of 20 leads (30 to be safe) in order to be successful [...]

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Housing

Housing Starts and Builder Confidence Rise Boosting Housing Sentiment

by Ryan Hinricher | October 25, 2010

Volatility turned to positive news this week in Housing Starts and Builder Confidence. Also covered are updates on interest rates and mortgage applications. Lastly we’ll review the upcoming news for this week as the housing market turns towards October. Housing Starts Notch 3rd Month of Gains The Commerce Department announced housing starts rose 0.3% during [...]