When my husband and I got married, we bought our first place—a brand-new, 1.5-bedroom condo—in Bedford–Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. At the time, the Bed–Stuy neighborhood was rough—for example, a biker gang that loved to throw huge all-night parties was headquartered at the end of our block, and there were abandoned buildings every few feet, often rustling with the sound of homeless inhabitants. Back in the early aughts, this ZIP code was not for the faint of heart. But at $375,000, a solid C-/D neighb...
Jul 22, 2024•10 min•Ep. 1377
Remember the container ship that got wedged in the Suez Canal in March 2021? Within days, hundreds of ships halted. In less than a week, 12% of global trade halted. This is merely one simple example of volatility. A tiny event in some remote corner of the world made life perilous and unpredictable for a billion people. The shockwave reverberated across the Earth. There are many more examples like this. COVID-19 spawns in Wuhan, China, and creates a once-in-a-100-year worldwide pandemic. Or more ...
Jul 21, 2024•12 min•Ep. 1376
Since 2006, my team and I have delivered almost 500 Las Vegas investment properties (> $130 million). The properties had an annual appreciation of 15% and annual rent growth of 7% (2013 through December 2023), and our average vacancy rate stayed below 2%, including during two major economic turmoils: 2008 housing crash: Zero decline in rent and zero vacancies. COVID pandemic eviction moratorium: No impact. So why did our clients’ properties perform when most others did not? Learn more about your...
Jul 20, 2024•12 min•Ep. 1375
Do you want to get started in real estate investing but don’t have the funds to purchase an entire property? Fractional real estate investing may be the answer you’re looking for. Fractional investing offers lucrative opportunities to own part of a property rather than an entire one. Fractional real estate ownership can be affordable for startup investors who want to enter the real estate market. But what is fractional investing? And is this the right investing model for you? Learn more about yo...
Jul 19, 2024•19 min•Ep. 1374
A December report issued by staff of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) discusses several potential modifications to the accredited investor definition, as suggested by sources like the Investor Advisory Committee and the Small Business Capital Formation Advisory Committee. The Dodd-Frank Act of 2010 requires the SEC to review the definition every four years in light of changes in the economy. The goal is to maintain sufficient protection for unsophisticated investors while provid...
Jul 18, 2024•19 min•Ep. 1373
There may be a real estate underinvestment crisis looming in the coming decades, thanks to baby boomers. According to a joint study from Morning Consult and home improvement company Leaf Home, 55% of baby boomers plan to age in their 40-year-old-plus homes and have no intention of selling or renovating. That means when millennials inherit homes, they may be faced with a mountain of deferred maintenance that may prove costly and lead to a potential construction and supply crunch. Meanwhile, empty...
Jul 17, 2024•10 min•Ep. 1372
At the end of January, the House passed legislation that would extend some of the provisions of Trump’s 2017 tax bill and expand the Child Tax Credit (CTC), along with other tax reform measures. If passed by the Senate and signed into law by President Biden, the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act of 2024 would allow real estate investors to continue to claim 100% bonus depreciation, elect to expense depreciable business assets up to an increased limit, and potentially deduct busine...
Jul 16, 2024•14 min•Ep. 1371
One of the questions we see on the BiggerPockets forums over and over again is, “Where do I find a good lease document?” When people ask that question, they really don’t mean that they want a good lease document. What they mean is they want a free lease document. The truth is that leases are really the most important investment you’ll make when starting your career as a self-managing real estate investor. The free leases that self-managers share are likely to be the most expensive option you’ll ...
Jul 15, 2024•11 min•Ep. 1970
In the ongoing quest for happiness, a recent Empower poll disclosed that around 60% of Americans believe money can indeed buy happiness. However, the dynamics of money’s role vary from person to person. For 67% of respondents, happiness hinges on the ability to pay bills on time, while more than half prioritize living debt-free and enjoying luxury without financial worry. Another 45% see homeownership as integral to their path to happiness. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/ad...
Jul 14, 2024•12 min•Ep. 1369
You can’t scroll through your daily news feed these days without seeing story after story about the impact of generative AI on virtually any and all industries. It’s here, and the good news is it can be an incredibly useful tool in real estate. According to a recent analysis by McKinsey Global Institute, “In our own work with AI, we have seen real estate companies gain over 10% or more in net operating income through more efficient operating models, stronger customer experience, tenant retention...
Jul 13, 2024•9 min•Ep. 1368
In 2005, I decided to start an investor services business. I reviewed all the popular investing literature. What I found were self-professed experts offering opinions and no processes. As an engineer, opinions hold little value. I shifted my research focus to the commercial sector, where I found rigorous processes that resonated with me. I discovered that retail store location selection and stocking methodologies are excellent guides to systematic residential investing. Here, I will explain how ...
Jul 12, 2024•15 min•Ep. 1367
In case you missed it, Scott Trench, CEO of BiggerPockets, wrote this thoughtful article: Multifamily Is at High Risk of Continuing Its Historic Crash in 2024—Here’s Why. Scott and I have been discussing this topic offline anyway, so I thought I would take him up on his invitation to debate the subject online. Healthy debate is what BiggerPockets is all about, right? I will start by saying I agree with most of what Scott wrote. I agree with most of his facts, the challenges facing the multifamil...
Jul 11, 2024•22 min•Ep. 1366
Virtual house flipping can be an exciting, lucrative way to get involved in real estate investing. But as with as any type of investment, it’s important to understand the finer details to determine where you fit in. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 10, 2024•13 min•Ep. 1365
Three years ago, I opened the doors of my guest room to travelers on Airbnb to offset my mortgage. What started as a way to supplement my living expenses evolved into a passion for creating 5-star guest experiences and led me to start Stay Peachy Homes, a short-term rental (STR) property management company that helps homeowners and investors maximize their property’s performance and remove the management hassle. However, like many first-time hosts, I made my fair share of mistakes in that first ...
Jul 09, 2024•16 min•Ep. 1364
Do you enjoy filing your taxes? Of course you don’t. But there’s a silver lining. Doing your taxes can be fun (or at least tolerable) when you understand how to make the best of your circumstances. Savvy investors know the power of taking advantage of every last deduction—within the limits of the law. This leads to an important question: How much mortgage interest can I deduct on my taxes? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 08, 2024•14 min•Ep. 1363
As most house flippers or BRRRR landlords will tell you, paying for hard money—with high interest rates and points tacked on top—can take huge chunks of profit out of a project. For landlords, extra expenses are involved in making monthly payments and paying to refinance into a regular mortgage, further eroding the bottom line. It’s generally a big pain and a reason many would-be-flippers and landlords stay on the sidelines or prefer to find private lenders, content to get paid once a deal sells...
Jul 07, 2024•12 min•Ep. 1362
Many investors assume that ownership is inherently safer than debt. I currently own equity in thousands of units and have invested six figures in real estate debts. I can tell you firsthand that it’s not—at least not always. Still, real estate equity and debt investments serve different purposes in your portfolio. Before parsing the risks of equity versus debt investments in 2024, it’s worth reviewing the roles each plays. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 06, 2024•18 min•Ep. 1361
Real estate investors are usually most concerned about rental income and property taxes. They seldom discuss home insurance. Many assume that home insurance is a standard fixed price in most parts of the country and give it scant regard, but you could be making a big mistake if you are one of those people. According to insurance.com, the average cost of home insurance nationwide hovers around $2,800 per year, which equates to $231 monthly for $300,000 in dwelling coverage and liability and a $1,...
Jul 05, 2024•13 min•Ep. 1360
If you’ve been reading our stuff for the past year or so, you know we’re bullish on preferred equity. And we believe there is a short window of opportunity to achieve this asymmetric risk/return opportunity. Investors are asking a lot of questions about preferred equity, so we thought you might be interested in some details on the most recent preferred equity opportunity our fund invested in. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 04, 2024•8 min•Ep. 1359
Insurance premiums are skyrocketing across the U.S., with no end in sight to annual increases that may just make you rethink investing in real estate in several parts of the country. At the very least, anyone investing in 2024 needs to be aware of the states where insurance premiums are rising the fastest—and factor these changes into their costs. According to a recent report by the insurance comparison platform Insurify, home insurance premiums are set to rise by 6% in 2024 after already jumpin...
Jul 03, 2024•14 min•Ep. 1358
Whenever I hop on a conference call, someone asks, “Where are you located?” And then their eyes widen when I respond, “Lima, Peru.” But back when I invested in rental properties, I did so in my hometown of Baltimore. It was only after I moved abroad that I discovered just how much I had subsidized those properties with my own labor. When people ask me today what I would do differently if I were to start investing in real estate all over again, I have an answer ready—because I did start over agai...
Jul 02, 2024•12 min•Ep. 1357
Five years ago, on the BiggerPockets forums, the name Western Wealth Capital (WWC) started to appear. With offices in North Vancouver, Canada, and Phoenix, they were well-known syndicators with a solid reputation, doing deals nationwide. A competitor, Sam Grooms of White Haven Capital, stated: “They’re solid underwriters and performers. Janet [LePage] (Western Wealth Capital CEO) is known to not budge on her criteria and price. I doubt she’d overpay for a property. We’ve competed against them on...
Jul 01, 2024•20 min•Ep. 1356
Growing old is a fact of life—even for Keith Richards—and while it’s doubtful you’ll see world-famous rock stars or aging screen stars in a residential assisted living (RAL) facility, for the rest of the population, they serve as the last stop before our final elevator ride. This is why, after a pandemic pause, senior housing communities are back to making a roaring trade. “People put off moving in for an extended period of time during the pandemic,” Lisa McCracken, head of research at the Natio...
Jun 30, 2024•14 min•Ep. 1355
Mortgage rates recently rose above 7% for the first time this year, bringing an already glacial housing market to a standstill. The news has hit investors like a horror movie jump scare after we’d thought the worst was behind us. A robust economy is partly to blame. During the pandemic, when U.S. citizens feared rationing and mass unemployment, predicting our current economy would have been almost unthinkable. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 29, 2024•14 min•Ep. 1354
In our first sotry today, California ADU laws have been softening for several years in an effort to increase housing space and availability. ADUs are often used as rentals, which can help alleviate some of the pressure on rental supply. However, what it doesn’t do, is increase general housing supply, as ADUs are considered a part of the primary residence, where only one person can own it. However, Assembly Bill 1033 was passed in California last October that changes everything, and presents inve...
Jun 28, 2024•17 min•Ep. 1353
As a rental property owner, there’s no better feeling than a tenant signing a lease. This puts you on track to generate a positive return on investment (ROI). Unfortunately, things don’t always work out as planned. For example, a tenant not paying rent can turn your profit upside down. Should you find yourself in this situation, there are several key steps you must take. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 27, 2024•13 min•Ep. 1352
Pittsburgh has the hottest housing market in the country. Who knew? According to Redfin, Pittsburgh housing prices were up a mighty 22% from February 2023 to February 2024, making it the city with the fastest-growing house prices in the country. Formerly the heart of the Rust Belt, the city has recently reinvented itself as a tech town, welcoming major players like Google, Facebook, Amazon, Uber, Apple, and Microsoft. It’s not by luck. The city’s Carnegie Mellon University boasts one of the coun...
Jun 26, 2024•12 min•Ep. 1351
When discussing rental properties, it’s common for people to refer to multifamily residences. How many times have you heard someone say something like, “I have 20 units under management,” most of which are probably spread across just a few buildings? This investment approach is logical from an economic standpoint. Having four units under one roof versus just one, four rents instead of one—you get the point. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 25, 2024•17 min•Ep. 1350
During much of the year, this short-term, two-bedroom rental in Indio, California, a lovely, quiet, desert town about 35 minutes past Palm Springs, hovers around $172 a night. That is, until mid-April every year when thousands of revelers descend on the world-famous Coachella music festival, the listing says it is a 17-minute walk away. During those weeks, this very same rental commands $808 a night. That’s more than a 369% increase, and it’s the same for every rental in the area, in every price...
Jun 24, 2024•9 min•Ep. 1349
Simply investing in any metro Sunbelt market is not a recipe for success. To catch a cresting wave of appreciation and cash flow, you’ll need to dive deep into the metrics to examine where people are moving to, how property and rental prices are increasing, and what the unemployment rate is like. The good news is that we’ve done it all for you! So stop throwing darts at the map, examine our findings, and pick markets like the savvy, switched-on investor you are. Learn more about your ad choices....
Jun 23, 2024•18 min•Ep. 1347
