Robert DeForge
Have $40,000. Where would you put it for the best return??
So, my wife and I have been have been saving for a while, which isn't really easy. (Two kids, tuition, CA prices..) But we do live a pretty thrifty lifestyle. 2001 ford truck for me and 2010 Pilot for the Mrs. All pa...
Jeff S.
Living off rentals
While listening to Barbara Corcoran she emphasized the need to have other income while building your real estate holdings. I wonder how many actually live off rental income alone without having put in years of buildin...
Osazee Edebiri
California Vs Out of State (really, but why?)
I think the constant discussion of California vs anywhere else is intriguing. So I pose a question. Hypothetical, if a person had a 2 million dollars to invest, they purchased property with 1 million in California an...
Shane Pearlman
Cashflow Doesn't Build Wealth?
While cashflow is key to keep the property safely under control, I seem to find that the larger returns for our portfolio to date come from strategic growth of equity. My wife and I are still fairly small in our inves...
Aaron T.
What percent are you using for maintenance, vacancy, PM, etc???
I am using the BP rental calc to evaluate properties for potential rental performance. What numbers is everyone using for their expenses?I am using:Vacancy- 6%-8% this gives me one months rent at 8% or just enough to ...
Amit M.
Why appreciation matters in the SF/Bay Area
check out this interpretation of the case-shiller index over the last 30 years. Basically several huge, long run ups, and a few short, minor corrections. Tricky and challenging to get in, but this is how you make the ...
Wade Kulesa
Is Dave Ramsey correct? Anyone still around after 10 years?
I've been on the Dave Ramsey bandwagon for the last several years. His advice definitely worked to get us out of debt and allow us to save a pile of cash. But as I look to get more into real estate investing, there's ...
Brie Schmidt
HELOC payoff strategy
Twice recently people have told me of this new strategy to use a HELOC to pay off your mortgage faster. You essentially take out a HELOC to pay off your first lien, and then use that account to direct deposit your pa...
Matt Hangsleben
401K: Continue Contributions or Stop?
I recently purchased my first rental property with no money down. I did so by necessity as I am cash broke! However, I do put a substantial amount of money into my 401K account every pay check. I have always been r...
Will Barnard
Validate the 50% rule
It has been agressively stated here on BP that operating expenses average 50% of gross rents. I have posted many times that while that may be true with some properties, it is not accurate or appropriate to use this pe...