Commercial Real Estate Investment Articles

Investing in strip shopping centers has been a productive market segment for decades. However, there are some issues with this real estate sector that require some special consideration to ensure that it will meet your investment needs. So what are the dangers to strip shopping center investing?

Triple net leases are a great way to lock in a safe, fixed return on a property. But they also have some unique risks that should always be considered before investing in this asset type. So what are the traps to watch out for that can damage your investment return or even return of principal?

In many ways, the biggest casualty of the rise of the internet has been the retail sector. When a consumer buys a product on Amazon they are effectively electing not to buy that item from the local retail store and that lowers revenue for the merchant. While big malls are suffering mightily, the strip center is not nearly as impacted. Indeed, the internet has little avenue to harm the successful strip center property. Why is that?

The only reason to buy a single-family home as an investment is to make money with it. And you can’t make money if you don’t have a tight handle on your expenses. And too many buyers do not put sufficient padding to cover the costs of converting a home from resident-owned to a rental property. Here are some things that buyers miss.

There are many ways to approach people. Entire books have been written on the subject, and anybody in sales will be happy to give you their personal opinion. But in over 30 years of building up one of America’s largest real estate portfolios, we are firm believers that being direct is the correct path. Telling it like it is represents a refreshing change from a politically correct America, and sellers appreciate the honesty and time efficiency. So how does that work?

It’s often been said that the three most important points about real estate investing are 1) location 2) location and 3) location. And this has never been more true than in single-family home investing. The success or failure of your investment – more than any other item – is based on exactly where the home is sited and what the future is of that market. So how can you do a superior job of choosing the right location?

It’s a fact that we are becoming a “nation of renters”. The percentage of households that rent their home has skyrocketed from 31.2% in 2006 to nearly 37% today. The last time the rate of rentals hit that level was in 1965. So why are so many Americans renting today, and how does this – and other factors – bode well for apartment investing going forward?

To many investors – particularly those who enjoy boating – there can be no more exciting idea than owning a marina on a lake or ocean. But the fantasy does not always meet the reality, and there are some things that every potential marina owner should know before they take the plunge.

Many investors associate apartment investing with having to file evictions on troubled tenants. While it is true that apartment owners do have to use evictions as a method to remove those who won’t pay their rent or act as a good neighbor, many people do not understand the actual process. Here’s the A to Z of how evictions really work on apartment investment.

Everyone in the U.S. knows what a duplex is. But many don’t know if a duplex investment is right for them, and the truth is that it’s not the perfect purchase for everyone. So what would make you think twice about buying a duplex?

How do you properly set the rates at a marina? It’s not just guesswork. Instead, there’s a methodology that yields the correct rent based on market levels. So how do you do it?

Of all the real estate sectors, “triple net leases” stand unique in their structure. They were originally designed to allow large franchises to utilize and control property without having to invest significant capital, with the intent that they could use the money that would have been devoted to real estate to further expand their business. Today, triple net lease users range from private enterprise to even the U.S. post office. So what is a “triple net lease” and why is that an attractive real estate investment concept?

There were a huge number of motels built in the U.S. in the 1950s through 1960s. While considered incredibly modern at the time, today they are either abandoned or in poor condition and catering to disreputable patrons. But in some markets, real estate pioneers are bringing these old time capsules back to life – and making huge profits as a result. Is there actually a business model in bringing old motels back from the dead?

There are few investment vehicles more versatile than the standard American duplex. Essentially two dwellings that share a common wall (although sometimes a lower vs. upper floor) these economic workhorses have many different options to meet a variety of financial objectives.

Buying a B&B can be an important step in your life. However, before you begin the process there are some basic items you need to address. The answers will shape exactly what your correct B&B investment will look like.

Most segments of real estate have only one way to profit: by selling at a higher price than you paid. But buying at property tax auctions gives you two different paths. In addition, you often have the opportunity to buy real estate at bargain basement prices. So what makes buying at property tax auctions a safer way to invest?

It's a competitive world out there. There are many investment options. So why should you invest in real estate? Well, real estate has some unique qualities that have made it one of the top investment strategies in the U.S. for hundreds of years. Its benefits include:

If you’re new to the investment or house flipping space, and you haven’t closed a deal yet, you aren’t alone. You may be wondering how it’ll go. Will it be smooth and seamless, like it sounds when you listen to professionals talk about it? Will it be a nightmare? Will you be nervous, or excited? It would be nice to hear about the experience other first-timer’s had, so you could learn from them, or set your expectations a little better, right? Well, now you can. Here are the stories of a handful of investors, and a summary of what you can expect when closing your first deal…

One of the ways to earn huge profits in the real estate market is through flipping houses. Like any investment endeavor, however, it involves lots of work and risks. It is important to approach this carefully and with as much knowledge as possible. So how exactly do you make money from buying houses, renovating them, and then selling them down the road? Start by keeping these best practices firmly in mind.

Lots of people try to create successful real estate investment businesses. Few make it long term. Few see real success from their business. So what’s the difference between those who fail, and those who succeed? That’s what I’m exploring in this article, guided by the help of some established investors. I asked a few investors running their own companies what makes someone successful. And here’s what they said…

It’s no secret from people who know me that one of my biggest mentors for business is Seth Godin. And some time ago, I learned a very simple, but very important principal from him. That simple principal is this: As a business you only need two things: 1) for customers to know you exist, and 2) to have them trust you. Now, rolled up in those two things are a myriad of other details that we tend to spend most of our working life focused on: our offering, pricing, brand image, website, lead channels, etc. So I’m not saying that business owners shouldn’t think about those things. But what I am saying is that as business owners (or in your case, as investors); the tendency is to overcomplicate things and get flustered trying to think about how to increase sales and growth. Seth’s summary of those two things, to me, is a beautiful way of simplifying things. Instead of spending all your time searching for “2018 marketing hacks” or watching the latest guru show you what’s working this year, you’re zooming out and focusing on a principal that’s timeless. Think about it, you could be a blacksmith in colonial America, or a self-driving car company in 2025. What you need is customers to know that you exist (meaning, know you who are, and what you offer), and then you need them to trust you. So, in a future article I plan on doing a deeper dive into some of the specific marketing channels available to investors, thereby helping you figure out a plan for #1: getting motivated sellers to know you exist. That article will be a bit more practical and “current”, but if you don’t understand the foundations of this principal, you’re going to miss the point, and be someone who can’t figure this out on their own in the future.

As more and more real estate investors look to make the most of online marketing channels, one thing becomes clear: they all need a website. If you’re new to investing, and looking to start your business, but don’t yet have an online presence, there can be a lot to consider. Actually, it’s not just the “newbies”. You may have a successful business, but still no online presence, because you do things all through word of mouth and mailers at this point. If that’s you, and you don’t have a website yet, I hope this article will help you decide on the right platform for you. At this point in my career, I’ve had experience with most of the major platforms: WordPress, Squarespace, Wix, Investor Carrot, Lead Propeller, and even coding websites from scratch. My goal with this article is to talk about some of the things your website needs, some things it may not need (although offered), and some general best practices to getting up and running. In the end, launching a website for your real estate business is going to depend on your ambitions, brand, target market, and more.

My business partner and I are the 5th largest owners of mobile home parks in the U.S. But even today, with hundreds of properties bought and sold, our attraction to real estate remains unabated. Here are the reasons we got into real estate in the first place:

So, you’ve decided to take the plunge into investment real estate. Your next step is to find an investment property. This is sometimes easier said than done. During a seller’s market, investment property selections may below. If you’re looking for a duplex or another special consideration, finding exactly what you want is challenging. Good properties typically sell within 30 days of being listed. That means you should be open to different ways to locate that perfect investment property. Real estate auctions are one option that levels the playing field and allows you to compete against anyone wishing to buy the home. However, you should be aware of a few things before purchasing at a real estate auction — like these six tips

If you’re reading this, you are more than likely either an investor or considering building a rental portfolio of single-family houses. Owning a rental property – or a portfolio of properties – can be very lucrative. The market has exploded for rental properties all across the nation. Investors have thrown themselves into the industry and have dedicated themselves to learning vital lessons about buying properties, finding tenants, and managing the entire process. If you’re new to investing or merely trying to get a different perspective, we want to walk you through FIVE KEYS TO MASTERING RENTAL PROPERTY!