My son asked me a question recently that many people looking to become a real estate investor have asked me in the past, “When did you become a real estate investor?” I’ve always answered that question as “2006,” the year my wife and I purchased our first rental property. However, as I reflected on my…
Part of going the extra mile with our clients is teaching them how to save money through their properties! Protesting your tax appraised value is a fairly easy, cheap way to do that. Here is the who, what, when, where, and why to get you started: What is a tax appraised value anyway? Every year…
As Mark Twain best said, “The secret to getting ahead, is getting started.” People talk about financial freedom, but many, given their current financial situation, don’t have a plan or understand how to get ahead. But in order to get anywhere, you have to get started and have a disciplined plan to stay focused to…
About a year ago, my 19 year old son asked me,”Dad, what makes people successful?” It was a question I didn’t expect, but as I thought about it for a few minutes and reflected back on my experience and many conversations with successful people, I responded, “It’s how you spend your spare time. It comes…
As I’ve written in past blog posts, the three most important financial numbers you need to understand is your Debt-to-Income ratio, Down payment, and Credit Score. These personal financial numbers determine a big part of your home buying power. I want to spend a little time on the last personal number, your Credit Score. Before we get started,…
With interest rates remaining at historic lows, you may decide that now is the right time to start searching for your new home. And that makes sense: the lower your interest rate on your mortgage, the more money you’ll save over the life of your loan. Just a one-point difference can mean saving thousands of dollars…
With Texas’ pro-business political environment creating jobs, its diverse economy, and booming cities, Texas has long been a desirable state for real estate investors. It’s the main reason my wife and I chose to begin our real estate portfolio 10 yrs ago in Texas. Today, we have over 40 rental units that are all positive…
Owning a Piece of America is a great opportunity to invest in your future and build wealth over time. As Andrew Carnegie said best, “Ninety percent of all millionaires become so through owning real estate”. However, where do you start? I wanted to share my thoughts in three phases: First, get Financially Fit. It comes…
Leaving an old community can be difficult. On top of moving your possessions, selling your home, and saying goodbye to old friends, it can be hard to remember the things you need to do in order to set up the new life waiting for you in a new community. We have created this handy guide…
When my wife and I bought our first home we were one year out of college, both had good jobs and had a down payment in the bank. We had narrowed down our options to a two- or three-bedroom house or townhome because I definitely wanted a garage. We knew what we wanted and thought we were in good…
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