" As ALWAYS, I am not a lawyer and I in NO WAY offering legal advice. This is just my PERSONAL thoughts as an experienced aka jaded landlord" As we discussed in 3 ways to Renew Your Lease, there are three ways to renew your lease. Personally, I use a one-page renewal letter 80% of the time. So far I have not used automatic renewals at all in my leases (my markets don't support them) and I only do full lease renewals when something huge has … [Read more...]
Should I Refinance My House?
I see the question all the time, "I received refinance fliers in the mail. Should I refinance?" or "Rates are at an all time low, should I refinance?". It is true that rates are at a very low point, so for some it may make sense to refinance if they have a higher rate. Still, owning Real Estate is public record and a very lucrative market. So companies are indiscriminately sending out fliers no matter the person rate. We have even seen fliers … [Read more...]
How to Live Like Royalty While Waiting on HHG Shipments
I am excited that Cort is sponsoring this article, because I absolutely love the opportunities they provide to our military members to save money. Did I mention yet I am frugal and have an expensive empire-building habit? We are currently embarking on our fourth PCS in six years. So, I can tell you that the worst part of moving is trying to arrange drop-off and pick-up with the movers. I don't know about you, but after struggling … [Read more...]
Is HGTV Killing your Real Estate Transaction?
A serious issue plaguing real estate in this day and age is the existence of cable television networks, such as HGTV and the DIY network. While they are certainly entertaining and can provide great information, we often lose sight of their place in real estate — which is actually non-existent. They truthfully don’t belong in real estate at all. They are solely meant for entertainment. Like any reality television program, they are directed, … [Read more...]
Why You Should Use a Realtor When Buying New Construction
For many, the decision is easy about whether to use a realtor when it comes to traditional sales, short sales and foreclosures. During a typical real estate sale, buyers have their own buyers agent unless there is a unique situation and the agent is representing both sides. The question seems to come up more when buying a new construction, which totally makes sense because when you go into a new neighborhood there is a sales office with real … [Read more...]
Is it Worth Buying a House if You Move Every Two Years?
If you are in the military or another industry that moves often you probably have this question, "Is it worth buying a house if you move every two years?" As a military spouse whose husband is active duty, and as someone who has moved four times in six years, my answer is it depends. We have bought seven houses in four years. Four of the houses have primary residence and the other three were bought as rentals from day one. We didn't buy at … [Read more...]
9 Commonly Asked Questions Regarding the 2016 BAH Rates
Today, as with every mid-December, the 2016 BAH rates were released. If you have not checked your rates for next year you can find the calculator here. For some this is great news, but for others it may not be so great news. It all depends on if your rates have increased or decreased. Today, as I was noticing tons of comments and questions about the 2016 BAH rates, I realized there were a lot of common misconceptions and questions. Over the … [Read more...]
7 Reasons Not to Pay Cash For a House
I am $1.1 million in debt by choice. If I reach my goal of owning nine houses by my 28th birthday (1/1/2016), I will be $1.6 million dollars in debt. I am a real estate empire builder whose goal is early retirement by living off the cash flow of our houses. To do so means building my empire large enough that it produces the cash flow needed. Unfortunately, I am young and cash poor, so buying the houses mortgage-free is impossible at the … [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...]
Your Complete Guide to the VA Loan
The Veteran's Assistance loan or the VA Loan as it is generally called, is an amazing loan. We bought our first and fourth house using the VA loan (using the same loan). Over the years I have seen a lot of myths perpetuated and questions asked regarding this loan. As a self-proclaimed empire builder, who is also a mortgage nerd who struggles to understand this awesome but complicated loan, I put together this guide. I hope this helps you not … [Read more...]