Landlords should properly screen prospective tenants by running credit checks, verifying income, confirming employment, conducting criminal and other background checks, and verifying prior landlord and residence histories in order to assess whether a prospective renter will make a good tenant. Proper screening helps landlords avoid the common problem of accepting applicants who end up being…
About the Author
William Flood
Bill Flood is a staff writer for Fit Small Business, specializing in real estate investing. Bill is a Midwest-based entrepreneur, real estate investor, and consultant to fledgling entrepreneurs. He owns property in 6 states, and his consulting firm has served over 100,000 students and clients. When not tending to his businesses or real estate portfolio, you’ll probably find Bill engaged in some retro-themed activity.
Buy and Hold Real Estate Investing: The Ultimate Guide
Buy and hold real estate investing is the process of acquiring real estate, particularly rental property, to own and profit from over a long period of time. It involves careful selection of investment properties, financed well, and managed well, with an eye towards monthly income potential and potential long-term gain. If you have a buy-and-hold…
Everything You Need to Know About Tax Lien and Tax Deed Investing
Tax lien investing and tax deed investing involves buying property on which owners have become delinquent paying their property taxes. Investors profit from tax liens by earning interest and sometimes penalties. Investors can also potentially acquire below-market property both with tax liens and tax deeds if the property owner ultimately fails to repay their debt….
Blanket Mortgage Fundamentals: Rates, Terms, Qualifications and More
A blanket mortgage enables real estate investors to buy, hold, and sell multiple properties under a single financing arrangement which is more efficient than having multiple individual mortgages. With a blanket loan, properties can be sold without triggering the “due on sale” which allows proceeds from the sale to be used to purchase more property….
Owner Financing: The Ultimate Guide to Seller Financing
Owner financing is a financing arrangement in which the seller agrees to accept installment payments directly from the buyer rather than having the buyer obtain a loan from a bank. Owner financing is a useful tool that provides buyers with easier qualification and repayment terms than a traditional mortgage while providing sellers with monthly income….
How to Buy Land – The Ultimate Guide
Buying land is an often overlooked form of real estate investment that can produce good returns. Land is a fairly hands-off investment but generating returns is more involved than with rental property. This is because to buy land there’s more research, evaluation, and firm profit strategy needed. Here are 4 stages to buying land and…
How To Find Renters: The Ultimate Guide
If you want to know how to find good tenants, it boils down to effectively promoting your rentals. There are 3 paths to finding prospective tenants: find renters your own; hire a real estate agent; or, hire a property management firm. Each method offers a set of promotional options, with each harboring certain advantages and…
Hard Money Loan Calculator: How Much Will Your Loan Cost?
Hard money loans are usually the fastest route to financing rehabs or property flips. Hard money loans are usually approved based on the property’s value rather than the buyer’s qualifications. However, hard money is typically more expensive than traditional financing. Our hard money loan calculator will help you determine how much hard money might cost….
Best Property Management Software 2017: Rentalutions vs. Buildium vs. Property Manager Cloud
Whether you’re managing your own portfolio or running your own firm, great property management software is par for the course these days. Owners and tenants expect things online. We reviewed three leading property management software tools on the market: Rentalutions, Buildium, and Property Manager Cloud. We researched the most popular property management systems and narrowed…
How to Buy a Duplex, Triplex, or Fourplex – The Ultimate Guide
Buying a duplex, triplex, or fourplex can be a good investment for both investors and residential home buyers. Purchasing small multi-unit properties requires some basic understanding of how to locate, finance, and manage multiple units. Those activities are only slightly more involved than for buying single-family properties but can lead to a profitable multi-unit investment….
Gross Rent Multiplier (GRM): How to Calculate & Formula
Gross rent multiplier (GRM) is a figure used to evaluate multi-unit and commercial income producing real estate investments. It uses the price of the building, divided by the gross rents to arrive at a ratio that may be compared and contrasted with similar investments in a similar market. How Gross Rent Multiplier Is Used The…
How To Buy An Apartment Building – The Ultimate Guide
Buying apartment buildings is more involved than investing in single-family or small multi-unit properties. There are pros and cons to apartment investing, and investing in apartments requires a deeper level of understanding of the financial and management aspects of real estate investment. If you are searching for apartment financing, check out Patch of Land. They…
