When I first became a landlord, it was somewhat by accident. I didn’t even know I needed financial independence. I wasn’t sure what to do, and how to do it. I had a solid six-figure income job, and was able to weather out any storms. I left one place vacant for 18+ months, because I didn’t have the time to work on it. I took in some bad tenants, and suffered some aggravation. Luckily, I had the income and backup capital to weather any storms. Continue reading “Investment Property for Financial Independence”
My Tenth Investment Property and Fourth Four-Plex
All of the investment property I was purchasing in the recent years was in the same apartment complex. They cash flowed great, but there was quite a bit of deferred maintenance in them when they were purchased. There were pros and cons to owning in the same complex. One downside is the properties were all in the same place. What happens to the neighborhood, happens to your investment. Continue reading “My Tenth Investment Property and Fourth Four-Plex”
Rent Collection: It’s April 2; do you know where your rents are?
I have to collect rent from 25 tenants every month. Most drop the check in the rent box in the building. In my duplexes, they tape it to the door. I have one that pays cash, and I stop by to give a receipt. Some do Bill Pay, and I get a check in the mail. One mails a check directly, with a stamp. One pays with PayPal. Some tenants are roommates, and they each pay with a check. Continue reading “Rent Collection: It’s April 2; do you know where your rents are?”
My Ninth Investment Property, my Third 4-plex
By August 2009, I was ready for another investment property purchase. The previous properties I had purchased were going well. I was looking in the same complex, as I knew the process and knew the rental market. Continue reading “My Ninth Investment Property, my Third 4-plex”
My Eighth Investment Property, my second 4-plex
My eighth investment property was a bit more creative. It was a 4-plex, built in 1984 (i.e. no lead paint issues). All four of the apartments were three bedrooms, 1 bath. As with most of my properties, it was a distressed sale. Continue reading “My Eighth Investment Property, my second 4-plex”
My Rental Strategy And Property Management
I recently did a guest post for Kim at Eyes On The Dollar. Kim is a private practice Optometrist and a personal financial blogger. She has some great tips for financial independence and getting out of debt. She is not someone who just says “Spend less, pay bill”, she actually experienced the thrill of paying off over $30K worth of credit card debt!
Here is the link to the post regarding my Rental Strategy. I hope you like it.
There are many so called RE investors that pretend to cash flow, and they are not calculating any of the soft expenses. Management, Vacancy and Maintenance are the big three. Maintenance being a thing you can put off, and see profit, but it is in actuality deferred maintenance. I allocate 10% of rents towards maintenance in my budgets, 5% for vacancy, and 7% for management. And I expect ~15% ROI if I make the purchase.
All investors MUST have a rental strategy if they are going to be profitable. My net worth went up considerably after I started investing in rental property, and it continues to climb. My income, already decent, went up by over double.
Read More at: Rental Strategy And Property Management
Please let me know what you think of it.
My First Investment Property
My first investment property I was ever involved in was before I ever owned a place for myself. I was living in my dad’s duplex while I was going to college. I was lucky, he paid the bills, and I paid for my college. He lived somewhere else, although it was close by. This is the story of how I became the owner of my first property. Continue reading “My First Investment Property”
My Introduction to Landlording, Trial By Fire
I am a landlord in Minnesota. I have 24 renters, located in Eagan and West St Paul. This is my introduction to landlording and journey…. Continue reading “My Introduction to Landlording, Trial By Fire”