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Where is the Market? Hiding in Plain Sight. By Jen Hudson

This week I was down in Seattle looking at property for investors.  I know we’ve all seen them: the cranes.  The cranes downtown seem to keep working on more and more apartments, condos, and mixed use developments.  Those cranes have been around so long, you may not even notice them anymore.

It looks like there is an endless supply of apartment units coming soon. Apartment construction in top markets across the country has surpassed a 24-year historical average.

With all these apartments, you might not notice that Continue reading “Where is the Market? Hiding in Plain Sight. By Jen Hudson”
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12 Key Factors When Buying Land

Congratulations!  You’ve decided to build your own home.  But where do you start?

Now that you’ve drawn up the plans or maybe even picked out your perfect manufactured or modular home, you’ll need to find the land to put it on.  It may sound like a simple process.  Pick the home, buy the land and move-in, but it’s much more complex than that.  Finding that right piece of land can be just as cumbersome as searching for the perfect home, if not more.  And, to complicate matters even more, not all real estate agents know land, so make sure you find one that does. Continue reading “12 Key Factors When Buying Land”
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Real Estate vs Stock Market

Why Real Estate is Better than Stocks

The thing I love about real estate is that it allows you to leverage your money. Here’s what I mean. Let’s say that you have $40,000 to invest.

Option 1: Investing in Real Estate. You find an income producing property, maybe a little run down that is only $200,000.  You put 15% down, or $30,000 and still have $2,000 for closing costs and $8,000 for upgrades.

Option 2: Investing in Stocks.  Say $20,000 goes into mutual funds and $20,000 into an aggressive stock.

Now, move forward one month. Continue reading “Real Estate vs Stock Market”
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We live in a litigious society. Be cautious.

How do you know if an investment property is a good rental?

There are a couple basic items to consider when looking at an investment property.  Just like in real estate, rentals are about location, location, location!

If you are considering a full-time rental property, is it close to schools, shopping or allow for easy commuting?  If you are looking at a vacation rental, what is the draw for that area and why do people visit?  Is there a golf course, beach or another attraction that brings people to the neighborhood consistently?  Even a retirement community?  Find out what it is and utilize that. Continue reading “We live in a litigious society. Be cautious.”