Those of you who follow our content at RealData.com -- newsletters, books, articles and software -- know that we stress maximizing your chances for success through understanding the metrics of investment property.

Whether you're scrutinizing a piece of property you already own, one you want to sell, or one you may choose to buy or develop, you need to understand the financial dynamics that are at work. The numbers always matter.

We have a new article this month in the Learn section of RealData.com that will give you a concise look at some essential real estate investment "rules of thumb." It is all too easy to get buried under mountains of data and lose focus, so we hope you'll find this article to be an opportunity to get back to basics.