Archive of Jeff Brown's Articles
Licensed since 1969, broker/owner since 1977. Extensively trained and experienced in tax deferred exchanges, and long term retirement planning.
Jeff has written 111 article(s) for the BiggerPockets Blog.
Real Estate Investing by Jeff Brown | February 8, 2012Over the last 35+ years I’ve spoken with literally hundreds of people convinced they were seriously preparing for retirement. The problem for many is one of scale. For a couple in their 40s who make $80,000 yearly between them, $250,000 is one heckuva lotta money. Yet, if they’re 45, retiring at 65, turning that amount [...]
Real Estate Investing by Jeff Brown | February 2, 2012Many years ago a guy in his early 40s called for an office appointment. He’d invested in his first small income property, and was troubled by the advice his 70 year old dad had offered. In fact, there was tension between them about what investment strategies the younger man should employ. Dad, we’ll call him [...]
Real Estate Investing by Jeff Brown | January 24, 2012It’s so enticing to be able to buy a home relatively cheap, for cash, isn’t it? Sometimes, though rarely, it’s even better when they’re young and pretty. If there’s little or no fix-up, the high lasts extra long. You’re in that sweet career spot where you’re above the middle point in your career earnings, say [...]
Real Estate Investing by Jeff Brown | January 18, 2012Let’s say you have, give or take, $70,000 in your Wall Street investment account, or 401K. This account generates $500/mo in income. You’ve been adding $1,500/mo out of your after tax salary to the account, resulting in a monthly investment of $2,000 — 25% of which doesn’t come out of your family earnings from work. [...]
Real Estate Investing by Jeff Brown | January 10, 2012Since the mid-70s when I made the switch from houses to investment real estate, it’s been one of the longest held mantras.“Remember”, they begin, “When you hit retirement you’ll be in a lower tax bracket.” These are the experts who’ve been advising the very same folks who’re the targets of this nugget of wisdom. I wonder [...]
Real Estate Investing by Jeff Brown | January 5, 2012 
One of the downsides to real estate prices rising and falling is how it can create anomalous circumstances for investors. When executing a tax deferred exchange, per Section 1031 of the IRC, the rules are fairly clear, and frankly, not all that complex. Many would have you believe how sophisticated and difficult they are. I [...]
Read the full article → Real Estate Investing by Jeff Brown | December 27, 2011As many have, and no doubt will, I learned this lesson the hard way. My mentors were of epic quality, as was my luck in the opportunity I had to learn from them. Still, there were far too many lessons I learned the hard way. Dad once told me I was far too smart to’ve [...]
Real Estate Investing by Jeff Brown | December 20, 2011The first stretch of truly hard times I faced as a real estate investment brokerage owner began in late 1979. It was akin to enjoying a lazy float down the river on a warm summer day, beer in hand, only to suddenly find yourself in the spin cycle of a rapids you never knew was [...]
Commentary by Jeff Brown | December 14, 2011I coined that incredibly original phrase about this time last year in a post on my own site. The post duly noted that the convergence of three factors, crucial to long term real estate investing. Interest rates at historically low levels, price/rent ratios mimicking 1958 textbooks, and blue ribbon locations sporting smallish newly built income [...]
Commentary by Jeff Brown | December 6, 2011Let’s just get down to brass tacks. Your 401K/IRA is virtually guaranteed to let you down when it comes to the income on which you’re relying for retirement. You’ve been lead down the garden path. Ironically, these so-called ‘qualified plans’ are in reality very well designed future streams of income — for the Treasury Department [...]
Taxes by Jeff Brown | November 29, 2011 
We’re in the back stretch of 2011, which bodes well for folks contemplating some tax related moves. Here are some suggestions you may want to put into your own arsenal. Though basic in nature, I’ve learned most tax preparers definitely aren’t proactive in digging for tax savings beyond the normal deductions. You’ll notice a common [...]
Read the full article → Real Estate Investing by Jeff Brown | November 15, 2011Building a better retirement for real estate investors is what I do. Though obviously there are multiple factors involved, my typical client zeroes in on income, which makes sense. The glitch in their plans is control — they don’t have much of it. Their 401Ks/IRAs go up and down for reasons on which the experts [...]
Real Estate Investing by Jeff Brown | November 1, 2011The strategies available to the typical long term real estate investor have been more than somewhat limited. Either their ‘strategy’ is cash flow or it’s capital growth. They employ leverage as it relates to down payment, or opt for overwhelming down payments, even all cash. They’re from the school saying you buy, but never, as [...]
Commentary by Jeff Brown | October 25, 2011What BiggerPockets is known for among other things, is the never-ending pursuit of excellence. My professional upbringing came from brutal OldSchool mentors who cared not a whit about what I thought of their advice, or my feelings. Though they surely agreed with the pursuit of excellence concept, they didn’t label it as such. To them [...]
Real Estate Investing by Jeff Brown | October 18, 2011Many of you have dealt in notes secured by real estate. Most dealing notes regularly bought them at a discount. For those who have notes they’d like to turn into investable cash — without selling the note for a loss, or at least no profit, this could be your answer. The concept in a nutshell [...]
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Joshua Dorkin
The Real Estate Investor Retirement Recovery Window – Two Years Old
by Jeff Brown | December 14, 2011I coined that incredibly original phrase about this time last year in a post on my own site. The post duly noted that the convergence of three factors, crucial to long term real estate investing. Interest rates at historically low levels, price/rent ratios mimicking 1958 textbooks, and blue ribbon locations sporting smallish newly built income [...]