A reliable online rent payment service offers landlords an easy way to collect rent that saves time in collection and gets you access to your money faster. We reviewed the most popular services available and narrowed it down to the best six best online rent payment services based on pricing, features, and ease of use….
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Balloon Mortgage Calculator
A balloon mortgage is a loan that offers low initial monthly payments, and then a large portion of the principal is repaid in a lump sum at the end of the term. A balloon mortgage calculator helps you calculate your monthly mortgage payment, your balloon payment and the total amount of interest paid during…
Top 20 Features of a Perfect Tenant Appreciation Letter
A tenant appreciation letter is written by landlords to welcome new tenants politely. These letters to your tenants should include other important details your new tenant needs to be reminded of, such as house rules and facilities. We spoke with the experts who shared the most important features of a perfect tenant appreciation letter. Below…
Top 25 Characteristics of a Great Real Estate Mentor
Getting started in a real estate business can be overwhelming and challenging. Inexperienced real estate investors are encouraged to work with a real estate mentor to help cultivate their skills to become successful. We spoke with the experts who shared the important characteristics of a real estate mentor that new investors should look for. Here…
Rental Property Depreciation: Rules, Schedule & Recapture
Rental property depreciation is a process that real estate investors use to deduct the costs associated with purchasing and improving an investment property. Depreciation of rental property happens over the course of the property’s useful life as determined by the IRS’ depreciation method. This is important for investors because rental property depreciation helps maximize tax…
Top 19 Tips for Buying Land from the Pros
Buying land is hot in many markets right now, and it can be a good investment if it’s done the right way. Buyers need to learn from the pros to make the whole transaction smooth. We asked the experts for their best tips for buying land to help guide you in making the right decision….
How to Buy an Apartment Complex in 7 Steps
Buying an apartment complex is more involved than investing in single-family properties and involves a deeper understanding of the financial and management aspects. Typically, you can learn how to buy an apartment complex in seven steps. These steps include deciding if an apartment building is right for you and what type of apartment complex to…
Vacancy Rate Definition, Formula & Average
Real estate vacancy rate is the percentage of all units in one rental property that are unoccupied during a particular time. Vacancy rate is calculated by multiplying the number of vacant units by 100 and then dividing that by the total number of units in the building. The U.S. average vacancy rate is 7 percent….
Residential Rental Property Depreciation Calculator
How to Read Your Rental Property Depreciation Calculator Results Cost basis: This is the original purchase price of the property plus all closing costs; if you’re unsure of your closing costs, they’re typically 2 to 5 percent of the purchase price Averages of rental property depreciation: The useful life of residential rental property is 27.5…
Piggyback Loan: 80/10/10 & 80/15/5 Mortgages
A piggyback loan (aka second trust loan) is using two loans to finance the purchase of one house with less than 20 percent equity. The most common piggyback mortgage is an 80/10/10 loan. You’ll borrow 80 percent of the purchase price with a first loan, 10 percent with a second loan, and provide a 10…
Cap Rate vs. ROI vs. Cash-on-Cash Returns: A Real Estate Investors Guide
Real estate investors frequently use three metrics to measure the performance of an income-producing property: capitalization (cap) rate, return on investment (ROI) and cash-on-cash returns. It’s recommended to use all three to get the best understanding of a property’s potential rate of return. The ROI formula is annual return divided by total investment. If you…
Where to Get Investment Property Loans for Rental Property
Investment property loans are usually found through online mortgage providers, investor-only lenders, and national banks. Investment property loan amounts typically range from $45,000 to $2,000,000 or higher. Rental property loans usually require a minimum down payment of 20 percent. Buy and hold investors generally use long-term investment property loans. If you’re looking for an investment…
