Securing the debt financing to purchase investment real estate has been fairly easy over the last decade as we have been in a long period of plentiful capital and historically low interest rates. It seems you could find lenders in every direction, ready to lend on a good investment property but as recently as a year ago, we started to see a shift. Interest rates had been climbing for a year or so, and newer, inexperienced investors started defaulting. The credit markets and private capital providers alike started pumping the breaks. So how do we as RE Investors, secure the debt financing to invest in today’s environment?

First, you have to start with a “good deal”. You would be shocked at the number of times, potential borrowers fill out an application for a loan on a property that has no chance at profitability. If you are a newer investor, educate yourself on what makes a deal a “Good Deal”. Attend your local REIA meetups, shadow a successful investor, JV with someone more experienced, hire a coach to teach you. Don’t just grab a contract and assume it will be profitable for you. When you present a “bad deal” to a potential lender, you immediately lose credibility. Let’s face it. No one wants their money to be
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As a hard money lender, I see a lot of closing statements (aka HUDs) from a lot of title companies. I’ve noticed an annoying trend that is also disturbing.

When I’m lending money to a real estate investor, I send the title company my very detailed and specific lender requirements – one of those being a basic Lender’s Title Insurance policy from a well-rated underwriting company. In most cases, I do not require additional Insurance endorsements, and I never require a closing protection letter.

In fact, part of my title order says: “Do not add endorsements unless specifically requested. Do not issue a closing protection letter.” Yet, several title companies still try to include them. Sometimes many of them.

Like this one, from an actual preliminary HUD:

• Closing/Settlement Fee to [xxxxxxx]  Title & Escrow Co. $295.00
• Courier/Shipping & Handling to [xxxxxxx]  Title & Escrow Co., $25.00
• Search & Exam to [xxxxxxx]  Title & Escrow Co. &
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What would happen if you were to step away from your business thoroughly?

If that question just gave you the chills, then I have a few more for you: 

• Do you feel your business owns you instead of you owning the business? 
• Do you see poor communication in your team? 
• Do you feel compelled to be involved in every business-related decision? 
• Do you have a problem getting the results you desire from your staff?
• Are you an entrepreneur looking to scale your business but don’t know how you’ll manage any more than you’re already doing? 

I was once told (while struggling with some of these questions myself) that your business is not measured by its success when you are there but by its success when you’re not there. 

It’s true. However, many real estate investors run businesses that cannot operate
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Real estate investment, whether in residential or commercial properties, is a multifaceted endeavor that demands careful planning, strategic foresight, and a keen understanding of market dynamics. Among the myriad of professionals that investors may engage, architects play a crucial role in ensuring the success and profitability of these investments. This article elucidates when and why real estate investors should consider architectural services, highlighting their benefits and the scenarios in which their expertise becomes indispensable.

1. Property Acquisition and Due Diligence

Before acquiring a property, investors must conduct thorough due diligence to assess its potential and feasibility. Architects can provide invaluable insights during this phase by evaluating the structural integrity of existing buildings, identifying design flaws, and estimating the cost of necessary renovations or upgrades. Their assessment can reveal potential issues that might not be apparent to the untrained eye, such as compliance with zoning laws, building codes, and accessibility standards.

2. Maximizing Space and Functionality

Many investors like buying rental properties to make passive income. Passive income is money you earn without having to work for it every day. Owning rental homes or apartments means you can collect rent payments each month without doing much active work.

Take the story of Jim and Cindy, for example. A few years ago, Jim inherited a small two-family home from his grandparents. At first, they weren't sure what to do with it. But after fixing it up, they decided to rent out both units. To their surprise, the rent covered the mortgage payments with some left over. They had stumbled into passive income!

Motivated by this experience, Jim and Cindy used their savings to purchase another rental property a year later. As the properties started building equity over time, they began exploring ways to diversify their investments and revenue streams.

If you already own a few rental properties like Jim and Cindy, you wonder - should I buy more properties, or try making passive income in other ways too? There are several options to consider beyond just more real estate.

Buying more rental properties has adva
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The other day I saw one of those so called “cutsey” commercials where the narrator talked about the dread of the “Monday morning blues” and 5 more days till the weekend. 

I hate those commercials as it always seemed to me that some ad agency is implying that the majority of the American people hate their jobs. 

To me that is such a sad state of affairs, to spend a good part of your life doing something you hate. I always spoke to my kids when they were young about what were their interests and  what do they really have a passion for. And then the conversation would be, how and what they needed to do to be able to do to end up doing what they love. Hopefully most Americans at the very least like their jobs. 

I sincerely hope you like what you do, as well as like the people you work with. After all a good part of your life is spent working so you might as well enjoy it.

But if you are one of those 5/7ths people, who live for the weekend, and yearn for something better, something you enjoy and can start doing part time, real estate investing may be for you. 

There is no business quite like real estate investing. Yo
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"It is common sense to take a method and try it. If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something." - Franklin D Roosevelt

If you measure your key metrics you can manage the performance of your business, AND you can see problems well in advance of when they might show up in revenue or profit figures.

Each and every business has key performance metrics [Key Performance Indicators (KPI's)], some of which are common to other businesses, some are industry-specific, and some companies create their own KPI's.

These sort of things are our bread and butter, when working with small businesses tax pro.

Do you need help?

Financial metrics are often common to all businesses. Some examples include:<
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 John Wires and James Gregg chat with Dave Green from Accurate Title in Episode 004 of the MAREI PartnerCast. Covering a ton of issues that Real Estate Investors: Title, Liens, Foreclosure Sales, Tax, Sales, Title Insurance, Virtual Closings, Online Earnest Money and More. Did you enjoy our PartnerCast? Be sure to give us a like and to make sure you don't miss a future PartnerCast, subscribe to our Channel.

 John Wires and James Gregg chat with Kevin Woltkamp with Oasis Construction and Design in Episode 3 of the MAREI PartnerCast. What's happening in the contractor world right now and a look at the contractor's perspective when it comes to working with real estate investors plus some great tips on best practices for working with your contractor and developing a scope of work. Did you enjoy our PartnerCast? Be sure to give us a like and to make sure you don't miss a future PartnerCast, subscribe to our Channel.

If you’ve tried to buy a house during this time, you may be surprised at how quickly viable homes are being snatched up. Despite the pandemic, housing demand continues to rise. Some experts indicate it is 25% above pre-pandemic levels.

Homes are selling at higher prices in part due to new listings being down by an average of approximately 27.1% from a year ago, as Zillow reported. The following chart shows the decreased percentage of listings for key cities in each state. With more buyers than sellers, this low inventory has obviously maintained an optimal seller’s market.

While the quantity of stock is lower than last year, there are different predictions for how the second half of 2020 will pan out as well as the beginning of 2021. For buyers, there may still be heavy competition for a home, but the upside is the low mortgage r
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