Brendan O'Brien, Author at | BiggerPockets Blog

Dec 20, 2009Feb 15, 2024 Brendan O'Brien

Sure, Walk Away From Your Loan, Why Not?

I wish I could write a happy post about the Christmas spirit right now, but I’m not in a generous mood. I just read this article in which a professor…

Landlording & Property Management 3 min read

Dec 02, 2009Mar 16, 2021 Brendan O'Brien

Why Does Every Tenant Have One of These? Buying HDTVs vs. Paying Rent . . .

This was the second year in a row that I braved the Black Friday/Midnight Madness sales at my local retailers. I used to laugh at people who do this, and…

Landlording & Property Management 3 min read

Nov 17, 2009Mar 16, 2021 Brendan O'Brien

Getting Tenants in Tough Times

The U.S. rental vacancy rate is now the highest it has ever been, at 11.1%. This is not at all what we expected when the housing market crashed and mortgage…

Landlording & Property Management 2 min read

Nov 02, 2009Mar 16, 2021 Brendan O'Brien

Getting “The Rent I Need”

I was astonished to hear these words coming from a seasoned investor – somebody I respect a lot. “I need to rent the place for at least $1,200,” he said. …

Real Estate Investing For Beginners 3 min read

Oct 17, 2009Mar 16, 2021 Brendan O'Brien

Investing in Real Estate Overseas: The Really Big Leap

A couple of years ago, I was talking to a customer for my property management software who was based in Ulan Bator, Mongolia. “Mongolia!” I said. “Holy cow! Why are…

News & Trends 2 min read

Sep 14, 2009Mar 16, 2021 Brendan O'Brien

Government America vs. “Real” America

Researching the Washington, DC real estate market, I came upon some facts that shocked me. I started looking at federal government employment, knowing that the government is the biggest employer…

Landlording & Property Management 4 min read

Aug 29, 2009Mar 16, 2021 Brendan O'Brien

Save Your Sanity, Learn Your Building

A while back, I mentioned my project installing a bathroom ceiling fan as an example of something automated systems wouldn’t help with – a dirty, uncomfortable job I had to…

Landlording & Property Management 3 min read

Aug 11, 2009Mar 16, 2021 Brendan O'Brien

Landlords: More Details on Transferring Utility Costs

Last year I had a gas bill for $1400. That was almost one-third of my entire rent for that property for the month. This year, however, I could get bills…

Real Estate Business Management 4 min read

Aug 01, 2009Mar 16, 2021 Brendan O'Brien

A Simple Test for Entrepreneurial Success

I took a test once where I had to score 100% to pass. This was to become a licensed EMT, and there was a good reason for the 100% standard. …

Real Estate Business Management 3 min read

Jul 25, 2009Jan 27, 2024 Brendan O'Brien

Transferring Utility Costs – Opportunities and Challenges

Rising utility costs are one of the many challenges we multifamily landlords have been facing in this “perfect storm” economic climate. Landlords who traditionally paid for utilities are searching for…

Commercial Real Estate Investing 3 min read

Jul 18, 2009Mar 16, 2021 Brendan O'Brien

Commercial Tenants in the Driver’s Seat

Nine years ago, my employer (a software company in Burlington, Mass.) was nearing the end of the 10-year lease term for its headquarters building. This was just about the time…

Personal Development & Goals 3 min read

Jul 04, 2009Mar 16, 2021 Brendan O'Brien

We Are So Incredibly Fortunate

Image via Wikipedia I don’t want a bumper sticker that reads “Proud to be an American,” although I am proud of what my country has accomplished. I didn’t earn my…

Real Estate Business Management 3 min read

Jun 28, 2009Jan 27, 2024 Brendan O'Brien

What’s a One-Year Lease Really Worth?

When landlords sit down with prospective tenants, they typically say something like this: “You’re signing a one-year lease. This is a contract for you to pay $9000 in 12 monthly…