Richard has written 179 article(s) for the BiggerPockets Blog.
Real Estate Investing by Richard Warren | February 7, 2011 
I remember going to my first major league baseball game. I was ten-years-old when I went to see the New York Mets at Shea Stadium. That ballpark was located in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by auto salvage yards in the borough of Queens. It seems like stadiums of that time were located on whatever [...]
Read the full article → Commentary by Richard Warren | January 3, 2011 
Another New Year dawns. For many, the last several trips around the sun ended with a sense of relief when they were finally over. Will this year be any different? Some may feel the way baseball fans do every spring – this is a championship year! But is it? Or will they just see their [...]
Read the full article → Landlord Tenant by Richard Warren | December 6, 2010 
Most investors and a fair number of retail home buyers would never consider purchasing a property without a thorough home inspection. This is your opportunity to uncover problems and negotiate their resolution with the seller prior to closing the deal. The proper escape clause in your purchase contract also allows you to walk away from [...]
Read the full article → Real Estate Investing by Richard Warren | November 1, 2010 
Real estate investing does not require an advanced degree. You don’t need a college education, high school diploma, or any formal schooling at all. Equal opportunities exist for all regardless of ethnicity, economic class, social standing, sexual orientation, or religious preference. But if you want an MBA you’ll need a PhD first. An MBA has [...]
Read the full article → Commentary by Richard Warren | October 25, 2010 
A couple of weeks ago I paid my property tax bill with a smile. Why? It was 25% lower than it had been the year before. Then I realized that this wasn’t just the case for me, but for every homeowner in my area. We know all too well how much property values have fallen [...]
Read the full article → Real Estate by Richard Warren | October 18, 2010 
At a recent real estate club meeting we had a typical mix of regular members, both seasoned and novice investors, as well as a few newcomers. It is only natural that you size up these visitors almost instantly. We all know that first impressions are so important and if your initial reaction is negative it [...]
Read the full article → Real Estate by Richard Warren | October 11, 2010 
Remember the heady days of the real estate market? You had to grab something before prices went up even more. Then the bubble burst and people ran for the exits. There has been so much negative talk that people often overlook the positives. Back in 2005 people were complaining that they couldn’t afford to buy [...]
Read the full article → Real Estate Fraud by Richard Warren | October 4, 2010I often see forum postings from real estate investors looking to raise their own investment funds. These are often newcomers that are frustrated by their inability to obtain financing for what they’re sure are smoking hot deals. The banks have told them ‘no,’ hard money lenders laughed in their face, private lenders turned them down, and [...]
Real Estate Investing by Richard Warren | September 27, 2010 
Albert Einstein said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. While this may seem funny, many people consistently do just that. How about you? Are you still operating your real estate business the way you did five years ago? The world of real estate investing [...]
Read the full article → Landlord Tenant by Richard Warren | September 20, 2010 
Many people demonize landlords as evil and greedy bloodsuckers. Some of them are to be sure. Most of them (us) are really just investors trying to make a living and build wealth. Finding a story about a slumlord that does nothing but collect rent is easy. They do as little as possible in terms of [...]
Read the full article → Commentary by Richard Warren | September 11, 2010This post replaces my normal Monday column. Full Disclosure: This post has absolutely nothing to do with real estate. As I contemplated what to write this week my thoughts kept returning to 2001. For many September 11th is certainly a day to pause and reflect but it isn’t necessarily personal – it is for me. [...]
Real Estate Investing by Richard Warren | September 6, 2010 
In my previous career I spent fifteen years as a financial planner and investment advisor. When helping clients select investments we usually discussed political risk, that is the risk associated with changes in the political environment. While it is usually associated with foreign investment, it applies to domestic securities as well. However, political risk is rarely [...]
Read the full article → Real Estate Investing by Richard Warren | August 30, 2010 
Visitors to Las Vegas and other parts of southern Nevada often take a break from the gaming tables to visit nearby ghost towns. These vestiges of mining booms gone bust are rich in history and folklore. Places like Goldfield, Rhyolite, Calico, and others offer a glimpse into days gone by and while walking among the [...]
Read the full article → Real Estate Fraud by Richard Warren | August 23, 2010 
Striking Back In Part I of this story I outlined problems that I was having with a small town property manger and in Part II I told of my discovery that others were having problems as well. To recap it quickly: The PM was collecting rents but not forwarding them to the owners and he was [...]
Read the full article → Landlord Tenant by Richard Warren | August 16, 2010 
Last week’s article (Part I) discussed problems with a small town property manager – the only one in town. What started as bad business, being unresponsive and unreliable, soon turned into something much worse. He was apparently operating on a shoestring budget and cutting corners at every turn. It’s quite possible that he meant well initially, [...]
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Joshua Dorkin
Real Estate Optimism in the New Year?
by Richard Warren | January 3, 2011Another New Year dawns. For many, the last several trips around the sun ended with a sense of relief when they were finally over. Will this year be any different? Some may feel the way baseball fans do every spring – this is a championship year! But is it? Or will they just see their [...]