If you are averse to paper work, formal agreements and legalese, get over it. You can’t avoid it and it’s vitally important. Think of your contract as a big safe to protect your huge amount of valuables. The subject here will be the contract – I’ll circle back in later posts to cover the [...]

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In my last post I talked about how to prepare psychologically for that first plunge into investment. Okay, so now you’re ready, somewhat calm and almost fearless. In this post I’ll drill down from there to one aspect of investing that touches every other aspect and allows you to sleep better at night - DUE [...]

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When the decision is made to start looking for that first investment property it can be exciting and frightening. Both excitement and fear are good teachers if we do a little analysis to discover how they affect decisions. When you arrive at the level of investing it‚s wise to understand emotions. I could give [...]

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In the last few years I’ve noticed much of the public has lost respect for Realtors and view them as overpaid “salespeople� that get a lot of money for simply showing a house or two and writing up a simple contract. For some, that perception will never change simply because they see it as a [...]

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You don’t need the construction skills of Bob Vila to be a rehab professional, yet it’s no secret you can save if you do some of the work yourself. As a general rule, estimates from contractors in our area run 1/3 for materials and 2/3’s for labor. So theoretically, we save 66% by doing the [...]

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I sat at a poker table and saw a Straight Flush be beaten by a Royal Flush. One of my friends told me of a convenience store clerk that refused to break a $20 bill without a purchase being made. To comply, my friend bought a lottery ticket and won $100,000. I jumped for [...]

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Rehabbing a house can be a nail-biting experience, particularly the first time around. Sometimes, nice readers over at my blog email asking advice about their latest rehab project. Generally, the questions involve finishing issues such as whether to paint or replace kitchen cabinets, or if carpet or wood floors work better in a rental. I [...]

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