| |
real estate: Post-Katrina Alabama Coastal Towns vs. The Ninth Ward: A Case Study - 08/27/09 09:49 AM
There's an old cliche that "the squeaky wheel gets the oil," but at what point is the proverbial oil no longer helpful? What if the wheels can oil themselves if given the chance, but grow incapable over time of doing so if they are constantly oiled by someone else?
In coastal Alabama, many rural towns populated by hard-working veterans of the seafood industry are still struggling four years after Hurrcane Katrina devastated their homes. They have received little or no federal or state aid, while watching areas like New Orleans' Ninth Ward scream and hollar for more handouts from the government. … (0 comments)
|
real estate: Coming Out of the Real Estate Woods - Are We There Yet? - 07/18/09 11:23 AM
On Wednesday July 15, Fitch Ratings issued a 189 page report about the U.S. real estate market, and their belief that we are at or near the bottom of the real estate market collapse.
This is great news, particularly for real estate professionals such as realtors or investors forced to sign a rental agreement instead of a sales contract. That being said, the report's optimism was cautious, and warned that there is still a long way to go.
One of the reasons for hope, in evaluating the movement of the market, is the increase in builder confidence and decline in builder … (1 comments)
|
real estate: Actually Funny Real Estate Videos (Shocker!) - 06/25/09 10:53 AM
Man, who would have thought there were actually funny real estate videos in the world? YouTube really is one of the greatest ideas of the internet.
Without further ado, here are the funniest real estate videos you'll ever see:
1. Funny Ad for MyRealty
2. Funny User-Made Video for EZ Landlord Forms (hehe - iPod)
3. Hitler the Real Estate Investor
See? Real estate videos can actually be funny!!!! Amazing. Just amazing. … (10 comments)
|
real estate: Fun Real Estate Facts - 06/11/09 01:30 PM
It's Thursday, and that means... well it actually means nothing, but I'm in the mood for something a little lighter (not atypical for my personality). So we're going to have some fun with real estate investing today.
Fun Fact 1: Cameron's House from Ferris Buehler's Day Off is For Sale!!!!
I'm convinced that there isn't a single English-speaking person in the world between the ages of 13-55 who hasn't seen Ferris Buehler's Day Off. And one of the more memorable scenes from that oh-so-memorable movie is when, that's right, Cameron sends his dad's 1962 restored vintage Ferrari out the back … (6 comments)
|
real estate: The Absentee Landlord Part I - How to Retire Within 18 Months to the Destination of Your Choice - 04/26/09 02:23 PM
Part I: Introduction, Defining Destination & Budget Goals, and Becoming an Absentee Landlord
Whether you're a landlord, a real estate investor, or just a regular wage slave looking to escape the drone-like existence of 9-5, most of us have daydreamed about living on a tropical island somewhere sipping pina coladas and having income wander its way into our checking accounts.
What if you could live off your lease income alone? What would that take? What would it look like? No, it's not a get rich quick scheme, or some kind of snake oil I'm trying to sell, but merely a … (5 comments)
|
real estate: Demography, Geography, and a Long Term Real Estate Perspective - 04/03/09 11:05 AM
If you're one of the four people in the world considering investing in real estate right now (five including me), you're probably looking to make the safest bet you can. While short term investment returns are pretty basic to predict, as the market won't shift much over the course of a few months, it's a different story if you're looking to sign a lease agreement and settle in for the long haul. What would a safe bet look like, over a long investment period?
This being an age of bu11$hit litigation and nervous legal disclaimers, let's start with this: there ARE … (3 comments)
|
real estate: Dominoes - 02/23/09 03:56 PM
We know what the last domino in the chain is: the global economy circles the toilet bowl, and 6 billion people (myself included) all start crying and whining and jumping up and down looking for someone to blame. It's the mortgage lenders! It's the banks! It's Wall Street! It's the CEOs!
The public cries for heads, and the U.S. Government starts looking for unpopular people to blame. What do they do then? They slap the scapegoats with regulation, making it harder for anyone to do business in the future, and a longer economy recovery period. But these are all shallow answers … (5 comments)
|
real estate: Run, Do Not Walk, to Exit Real Estate - 02/13/09 03:22 PM
It's an interesting time in the real estate business. Ok, "interesting" is something of a euphemism, but regardless, these are not normal times. The national real estate market has never fallen this far, this fast, in the history of America, which has lead many experienced and intelligent real estate professionals to flee the industry, while others have respecialized, while some crazed individuals are actually trying to LAUNCH a career in real estate.
Unsolicited Advice Point 1
If you're considering real estate as a career, the only area where it makes sense to enter right now is as a long term … (5 comments)
|
real estate: How to Succeed in Real Estate without Really Trying - 01/24/09 11:49 AM
Real estate can be an infinitely fun and lucrative business, but it can also be tedious, litigious, and miserable. Fortunately for you, there are some things you can do to keep yourself in the territory of the former.
First of all, we're going to recite a cliché for a moment and restate that less is, in fact, more. More properties means more opportunities for something to go wrong (and believe you me, things DO go wrong in real estate all the time), so you'll want to minimize the number of your real estate transactions and maximize your profit from each. For … (6 comments)
|
real estate: Fun, Novel, and Totally Impractical Real Estate Ideas - 01/06/09 10:13 PM
Cold weather, cold worldwide economies, cold real estate markets... baby it's cold outside!!!!
Well, when all else fails, have some fun, right? Here are a few ideas to help heat up your real estate properties that are just sitting on the market for sale or rent, and who knows? Maybe one of them would even work.
Heat It Up Idea 1:
Install a sex swing in the master bedroom. (If you really have a dark sense of humor, put it in the second largest bedroom for some teenage daughter's dad to flip out over).
Alternative: leave it in the closet and … (4 comments)
|
real estate: Internet Marketing - SEO, PPC, and Online Advertising - 12/17/08 01:02 PM
If you’re a realtor, whether in Vancouver, British Columbia or Destin, FL, you need internet exposure to help draw new clients. This is particularly true in today’s stone-cold real estate market, where finding buyers is about as much fun as drilling teeth.
You may or may not have experience with website building, internet marketing, SEO, PPC, or any number of confusing contractions, but here’s an idiot’s guide to internet marketing, which should at least set you on the right path.
Step 1: Create a Website
This is as complicated or as easy as you want it to be, tech-knowledge-y not … (3 comments)
|
real estate: Suriving in a SLOWWW Real Estate Market - 11/16/08 12:12 PM
Smart investors can earn a living in ANY real estate market, and being a smart investor is not as difficult as it might seem. Here are a few practices for bringing home the bacon as a real estate investor, even if your real estate buddies shout that the sky is falling.
Practice 1: Foreclosure Auctions
You know why the media yells and screams about foreclosures? Because they sell for less than their MLS-listed counterparts, so when there are too many they can drag down the market. But they’ll ALWAYS sell for less, because there are so fewer buyers. See … (7 comments)
|
real estate: How to Buy Real Estate Investment Properties at Foreclosure & Other Auctions - 10/27/08 02:52 PM
A lot of people talk about buying real estate for a steal at foreclosure auctions, and most of them have never actually done it. From someone who actually has, here are a few tips.
Tip Number 1: observe a few auctions before bidding. On the most basic level, you’ll need to understand the procedures; showing proof of funds for deposit, understanding what they're talking about in the legal description, etc. Beyond all that, though, there’s a rhythm to auctions, and you need to get a feel for it.
Tip Number 2: Be prepared. Would you go bid on a … (2 comments)
|
real estate: Real Estate Investment Strategies – Part III - Cash Flow - 10/02/08 11:30 AM
Some real estate investors are interested, not in a one time payout (now or in ten years), but in earning a consistent, monthly income from their properties. Who hasn’t daydreamed about living solely off of their investments, off of passive income? It’s a tantalizing dream, and one I intend to make a reality. So where does one start, on this journey from working for a lousy wage to earning income while tanning on a beach? Start from the following concept: maximizing cash flow, specifically maximizing the cash flow from each specific property. Because, as we’ve seen, landlords are targets … (0 comments)
|
real estate: Long Term Real Estate Investment Strategies – Part II - 09/18/08 04:37 PM
In some ways, long term real estate investment is easier than short term investment, because landlords remain somewhat immune to periodic spikes and dips in the real estate market. They also have a longer period to recover costs and allow the property to appreciate, if their expenses goes over budget.
That all being said, there are certainly plenty of pitfalls for landlords and other kinds of long term investors. Lawsuits are constant threat, since the ownership exposure is so much longer, and tenants love to sue landlords (see here for Landlord Legal - How to Protect Your Real Estate Assets). … (3 comments)
|
real estate: Real Estate Investing Strategies - Part I - Short Term Investments - 09/02/08 04:12 PM
Real Estate Investing Strategies
People who invest in anything, whether it’s real estate, commodities, futures, etc., all have different financial goals. Some investors look for long-term profits, others look for short-term gains, still others try to create cash flow. Here’s a brief look at the investing strategies associated with each, in several installments, starting with short term real estate investing.
Short Term Real Estate Investments: Contract Flipping or Renovation Resales
So, you want to invest in real estate and get paid within, say, six months. There are really two avenues available to you: flipping real estate purchase contracts and … (5 comments)
|
real estate: Real Estate Legal Protection - A Must-Read for Landlords - 08/20/08 07:19 PM
Introduction
The market is soft, so you might be thinking now’s the right time to buy a rental property and hold it. And you’d be right, it IS a good time to buy and hold, but there are a few things you should know before writing any big checks and diving in headfirst. Here are few ways to protect yourself from litigation and other legal issues related to real estate and being a landlord.
Legal Protection Strategy 1: Real Estate Ownership Type
All too many smart people make an easy mistake when they first start buying real estate as an investment: … (1 comments)
|
real estate: Landlording 101: Real Estate Investment and Property Management - 08/10/08 06:29 PM
Introduction
So! You're ready to progress beyond home ownership, and build your real estate empire. Where to start? Well, here, not to put too fine a point on it. This tutorial will be basic, but will get you started with some fundamental concepts.
Step 1: The Property
Ready to start playing hardball? Then you need to start by answering a tough question: How much can you afford? Keep in mind that there will be some months when you have to carry the property while it's vacant, so make sure you’re playing with extra monthly income as well as money … (3 comments)
|
|
|
|
|
|
G. B. Davis
Towson,
MD
More about me…
Hyperopia Investments
Email Me
Real estate investment is scary. Ok, not really, but that's where the blog comes in. An inside look at investing, property management, being a landlord, and avoiding the not-so-fun stuff like, say, getting sued.
 Listings
Links
Archives
|
;)
;)
;)
