I am a complete and utter klutz when it comes to doing my hair. I don't know how to use a straightener or curling iron. Let's just say my specialty is a messy bun and brushed hair. This works fine for the normal day-to-day work events or even date night. Where this burns me is the weddings, military balls, and all the other formal occasions that require my hair in an updo. Whenever I needed my hair done and couldn't manage to rope a friend … [Read more...]
3 Ways to Renew Your Lease
Great tenants who want to renew their lease are a landlord's dream. I find that the most burdensome process of both being a landlord and self-managing from a distance is the tenant installation phase. For me, this is the part that is the most demanding in time. From advertising, to showings (and all the no-shows) to qualifying (including those who get through the whole process and change their mind) and finally doing the move in and move out. … [Read more...]
How to Live Mortgage Free
My husband and I are 27 and 29. We live mortgage free. This didn't happen overnight but through slow empire building, house by house, until we live mortgage payment and utility payment free! Our current dream home for our location (we are an active duty family so local is relative and so is dream) is a three bed two bathroom with office, 3 car garage and pool is paid for by the profits from our 6 rental payments. When we are transferred it will … [Read more...]
How to Ask Your Tenant To Move Out Early
It happened, you, the landlord need to break the lease. Whether it is you are moving back in the area or selling the house; it is all the same. You need a way out of your lease, a binding contract with your tenants. The first thing you will want to do is to review you lease to see if they cover your current issues. Here are the three things you will want to review in your lease. Reverse Military Clause - In all of my leases I have a reverse … [Read more...]
How to Save Hundreds on Your Dry Cleaning Bill
This post contains affiliate links see full disclosure policy here. The biggest surprise I noticed upon entering the professional world, was the cost of being a professional. Don't get me wrong, I love the salary. When I was given that offer letter right out of college, I felt like I was on top of the earth, $48,000. I am RICH!! or so I thought. Thanks to my amazing parents, the thing I didn't realize was the cost of being an adult. While … [Read more...]
Landlords: How to Designate Items “as is” in Your Lease
As Landlords, our biggest assets are our houses and biggest expenses are our appliance repairs. In order to be able to obtain market rent we have to keep our house in working order and updated to the area's requirements. Most of us aren't starting with new houses or with houses that were built and sustained to be rentals. Many of us are reluctant landlords who are renting because the house wouldn't sell and have appliances that are susceptible to … [Read more...]
18 Places To Search for the Perfect Home
Hunting for the perfect home, can be stressful, crazy, and honestly, tiring. When we first got started five years ago, the only place I knew to look for our next home was Craigslist. The truth is there are TONS of places to look for your next perfect home and as a landlord I have found that the more places you list your house, the bigger the audience you will reach. This is even more true as a potential tenant especially if you are in a very … [Read more...]
How to Minimize the SCRA Risk When Renting to Military Families
I am a proud military spouse and truly understand what being a military spouse means in regards to PCS season. Not only have we totally done that last minute move (can anyone say 7 days notice?), but I am an empire building landlord with six personal rentals and ten that I manage. As a small business owner whose business is rentals there are some important mainstays that keep me on the road to success. A few of these are keeping vacancy low, … [Read more...]
No Cable Needed: 69 Great TV Series You Need to Watch
This post contains affiliate links see full disclosure policy here. I am a "TV-aholic." I got through my Undergraduate Degree, Grad School, my first deployment (and the insomnia), and the writing of my ebook, all with the background noise of some amazing TV series! I was able to afford all of these big ticket items by living frugally which meant no cable. The hardest part was feeding those addictions with new TV series. I am always tempted … [Read more...]
80 Questions to Consider When Interviewing Your Next Property Manager
A very important part of being a landlord is the property management side. For some, the decision is to self-manage and for many others they wish to hire a professional property manager. Property managers are a HUGE and amazing asset. The thing to remember when finding a property manager is not everyone is created equally. That is something I found out the hard way (read about my experience here) and the ultimate reason that I decided to … [Read more...]