The Ideal of Leveraging Vs. The Ideal of No Debt (Part 2)
Tuesday, March 17
While writing Part 1 of this discussion, I quickly realized how lengthy it could become. The problem is that there are so many details and variables to consider in this debate. From monthly cashflow, to opportunity cost, to tax implications, the analysis gets complicated. I read through a very th...
The Ideal of Leveraging Vs. The Ideal of No Debt (Part 1)
Monday, March 16
There is no shortage of real estate investing advice that discusses the power of leverage in purchasing properties. Experts talk about how to buy houses with “low down payments,” or even “no money down.” It seems these strategies are sometimes touted because there is a larger market of people ...
Identifying Undervalued Neighborhoods
Thursday, March 12
I remember having a conversation about nine years ago with a very wealthy individual about what neighborhoods would have the best future appreciation in the local real estate market. She replied, “That’s easy, the same neighborhoods that have always had the best appreciation.” I nodded my head in...
How to Read and Understand the HUD Settlement Statement
Tuesday, March 10
Every real estate closing done at a law-abiding title company will include the settlement statement. This two page document is required by the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA), a program administered by the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development. It is a standard form tha...
Thinking Tiny? Nashville's Three Smallest Houses For Sale
Friday, March 06
The tiny house movement is growing in popularity. In fact, the fine folks of Portlandia took time to create a rather humorous 90 second skit about micro-living at it’s finest. While many tiny house aficionados consider 500 square feet to be the maximum to qualify as being truly tiny, the listings...
Lessons Learned From The Great Depression
Monday, March 02
I recently read a book titled, “The Great Depression – A Diary” by Benjamin Roth. It is the first-person account of a 38 year-old lawyer living in Youngstown, Ohio during The Great Depression. The book’s summary says, “After (Benjamin) began to grasp the magnitude of what had happened to American...