When talking about the real estate market, common words associated with the market are: volatile, confusing, unpredictable, and fluctuating, to name a few. So, in a market that’s anything but consistent, what can past trends tell us about what to expect?
Continue Reading →
Inflation has had a severe impact on the US economy for months now, and shows no signs of letting up. What does this mean for us in real estate?
Continue Reading →
For many, homeownership is the right path to building wealth. Discover why, and learn how you can start building your wealth with homeownership today.
Continue Reading →
Learn about Old Town Arvada and its rich history, what its cute downtown has to offer, and for how much homes in the area are selling for.
Continue Reading →
Heard the term “1% Rule” but not sure what it means? We’ll clarify and give you pointers on how to determine if an investment property is worth your attention or not.
Continue Reading →
It’s 2021, and one thing’s for sure, the real estate market is TIGHT. That’s why it’s crucial to listen to your realtor on how you can make a competitive offer that will land you your dream home.
Continue Reading →
If you’re choosing between a traditional water heater or a tankless water heater, here are a few things to consider as a property manager or homeowner.
Continue Reading →
Building your home equity will give you more than just utter joy, but an opportunity to grow wealth on your own terms. Learn 6 tips to build home equity today.
Continue Reading →
How often do you perform inspections of your rental properties? One thing’s for certain, it’s important to balance the number of rental inspections you do—too many, and you create problems with your tenants, and too few could lead to potentially serious and expensive issues. The one thing to remember is that rental inspections are vital for property management. So, here…
Continue Reading →
Following FHA, HDU, and ADA guidelines can often seem challenging for housing providers. Here’s our breakdown on reasonable accommodations regarding assistance animals.
Continue Reading →
A lot of our day-to-day happens online, and that includes rent payments. If your tenants are still using paper checks to pay, then read on to learn about the benefits of accepting online rent payments.
Continue Reading →
In the 2019 Legislative session, Colorado Congress passed several laws relating to rental properties. We’ll cover most of them over the next few months but we’ll start with HB19-1106 (Rental Application Fairness Act). This bill sets regulations on the process of charging application fees. This is a standard practice among landlords and property managers, but the bill seeks to create…
Continue Reading →
Having long-term tenants means you spend less on vacancy, marketing and repairs. The key is to keep your tenants happy to benefit your business. Here are a few simple things to implement now to improve the tenant experience and work towards longer term renters. Accept Rent Online With the rise of peer-to-peer money exchanging apps, online bill pay and the…
Continue Reading →The jury is out in the property management world on whether or not it’s a good idea to allow tenants to sublease your property. This is for good reason as subleasing comes with many complexities regarding maintenance requests, property access and reliability of tenants. As a landlord, you get the final say on whether or not to allow subleases. Here…
Continue Reading →
Are you tired of showing your rentals and not getting a bite? Even in a busy market with low vacancy rates, renters are often picky about where they are living and who they are giving their money to. Here are 5 maintenance tips to help your units make a strong first impression: Improve Curb Appeal Make a strong first impression…
Continue Reading →
A recent article in The Denver Post exposed poor business practices regarding the ranking and promotional system at Angie’s List. With Angie’s List being known as a trusted source for quality vendors, this news leaves many landlords scrambling for where to go now. The article explains how the ranking of “top-rated pro” was only given to companies who paid Angie’s…
Continue Reading →
Since 2010 national rents have, on the whole, continued to steadily increase. This trend didn’t change in 2018 and we saw a year-over-year increase of 3.1% from December 2017 to December 2018 according to CoreLogic. The Denver area was above this pace. According to Rent Jungle, rents in the area increased by 4.18% year-over-year. In Denver proper, the average rent…
Continue Reading →
If you’re looking to get into the game of real estate investing, you have a few choices for financing. Ideally, purchases are made with cash but that’s not realistic for most first time investors. This means you’ll likely be taking out of a loan of some kind, but what’s the best fit for you? Here are 4 different ways to…
Continue Reading →
It’s easy to enter the world of real estate investing, it really just takes the purchase of one property. However, there is plenty of room for mistakes along the way. It’s important to carefully consider all your expenses, stay organized and plan ahead to truly make this worthwhile. Here are 5 tips all new real estate investors need to know:…
Continue Reading →
Having long-term tenants means you spend less on vacancy, marketing and repairs. The key is to keep your tenants happy to benefit your business. Here are a few simple things to implement now to improve the tenant experience and work towards longer term renters. Accept Rent Online With the rise of peer-to-peer money exchanging apps, online bill pay and the…
Continue Reading →
Despite the luxury housing trends of lazy rivers and game rooms, it doesn’t take much to attract good tenants to a unit. Most renters aren’t looking for all the bells and whistles, they’re just looking for a place to live that fits their budget. Simple amenities that may feel basic can be a big draw. Here are 5 simple amenities…
Continue Reading →
The life of a landlord and real estate investor is busy and can be stressful if you let it. Working with a property manager can help keep your life manageable, but you still need to adopt a few habits to keep things in order. Successful real estate investors have many of the same qualities, here are a just a few…
Continue Reading →Summer is one of the busiest seasons for real estate, rental units included. With kids being out of school and the weather looking nice, it’s a great time to move. With all the business of move-in and move-out inspections, it can be hard to find the time to complete basic summer maintenance on your properties. It’s important to keep your…
Continue Reading →
Home design goes through just as many fads and changes as fashion. Renovations to your rental property are inevitable, but following trends can end up costing you money in the long run. A trendy unit will be highly marketable for a bit but will quickly feel out of date. Here are a few current trends to avoid during your renovations:…
Continue Reading →Boulder County implemented BuildSmart regulations a few years ago and since then they have been tightening and perfecting the requirements for new developments. These building regulations are part of Boulder County’s Sustainable Energy Plan. All new developments in unincorporated Boulder County are required to follow BuildSmart regulations. Outside of the actual materials and inspection of the completed building, the BuildSmart…
Continue Reading →
Vacant units are expensive. Not only are you not bringing in rent while a unit is vacant, you also incur costs marketing it and finding new tenants. Instead of losing money to vacant units, work to keep good tenants around. It doesn’t take a lot to keep most tenants happy and it can save you a lot in the long…
Continue Reading →
There are a wide range of expectations when it comes to moving in and out of a rental. From the tenant to the owner to the property manager, there are a lot of people to make happy. So what should these walkthroughs cover and how can you manage the expectations? Here are 3 common misunderstandings for move-in and move-out walkthroughs:…
Continue Reading →
Tenants don’t sue often. Most times a landlord is threatened with court it’s an empty threat. But it does happen and it is rarely expected. Understanding the most common reasons for a lawsuit is the first step to avoiding them. Here are the 4 most common reasons tenants sue: Mishandled Security Deposit Laws about security deposits vary from state to…
Continue Reading →
When you have a vacancy all you want is to fill it, and filled quickly but that doesn’t mean you should let just anyone in. Of course, you always need to comply with Equal Housing guidelines but there are plenty of reasons to say no to a tenant. It’s not worth having the risk of dealing with an eviction to…
Continue Reading →As they say, the kitchen is the heart of the home. Make your kitchen stand out by giving it some attention before you list. A clean and organized kitchen can wow almost any buyer and all you need is a little elbow grease. Here are our 5 tips to stage your kitchen before you list: Clean – And Again Kitchens…
Continue Reading →After a few years of working with tenants it’s likely you’ll have stories to share you never would have imagined. Despite tight screening things with a tenant can go wrong quickly. Maybe they lost a loved one, lost their job or are struggling with their health. Life happens and some tenants aren’t able to manage and start to go off…
Continue Reading →Listing your home at the right price can feel like a scene out of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Too high and you might be on the market for a while, too low and it cuts into your bottom line. So how do we pick the price that’s just right? Well, it’s more of an art than a science. Here…
Continue Reading →Does the word liability make you cringe? You may be surprised by what you as a landlord can be held accountable for. Luckily, most liabilities can be avoided with good property management and tenant screening. Here are 5 major landlord liabilities to stay on top of: Hazards This is a relatively obvious one and should fall under common sense. The…
Continue Reading →Under Colorado law, all counties must reappraise real properties every two years. The Notice of Valuations (NOV) must be mailed to the property owners on or before May 1st, on odd numbered years (2017). The taxes will be for the following 2 years. The tax rates are set in December each year. For most properties, 2018 (Intervening tax year) taxable value…
Continue Reading →Many people consider buying a condo to be a good investment, one you could live in for a while and rent out later or buy outright as a rental property. Are these purchases really all they’re cracked up to be? Let’s take a look at the numbers for the Northern Denver area: 2015 Average Sale Price For Condo October 2015:…
Continue Reading →This post describes how the property taxes are calculated and what are the timelines in order to appeal if your property tax seems too high. Property taxes are determined on odd-numbered years for 2-year tax periods. Property taxes determined in 2013 will be the taxes for 2013 and 2014 State statute requires that each property in the county be re-valued…
Continue Reading →An article from the Certified Distressed Property Expert (CDPE) website stating the additional evidence supporting the shortage in the housing market. It is more difficult nowadays for investors to pickup bargains. In the past the investors have been able to wait out the “preference” period given to home-occupant buyers. The HUD and many banks have a period of time giving…
Continue Reading →The Colorado Senate Bill 70 – 2012, creates the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act describing the obligations of both landlords and tenants as it relates to rental property and rental property agreements. The industry stakeholders including the Property Managers community, Colorado Apartment Association and Colorado Association of Realtors are in opposition to the bill. We are involved in and/or…
Continue Reading →The purpose of this case study is to illustrate the steps involved in analyzing a residential investment opportunity. It may not cover all aspects of the investment analysis but it is very comprehensive. Where applicable, there are links to more explanation of the topics throughout this post. The objective is to show how one, systematically and objectively, can quantify the…
Continue Reading →Law & Regulations investors and managers should know: Risk-Based Pricing & Credit Score Disclosure HB10-1278 HOA Registration LBP Compliance Guide LBP Pamphlet Renovate Rights Pamphlet HB09-1276 Delayed Foreclosure HB10-1249 Expedited Sale Protecting Tenants in Foreclosure HB08-1356 Warranty of Habitability HB09-1091 Carbon Monoxide Law
Continue Reading →Decision Points Unlike purchasing a property as a home, where the buyers are emotionally involved, the purchase of an investment property mostly is (should be) a business decision. Below are some of the decision points: Initial cash needed for down payment, closing costs, repairs, etc Cash flows (before and after tax) Tax impact (liability or savings) Return on investment Financing,…
Continue Reading →I’ve discussed the first component of wealth building, Time Value of Money, in another post. In this post I am discussing the second component Leverage, the pros and the cons. First some definitions and I’ll have examples. Leverage is the use of borrowed funds to finance an investment. A Positive leverage is when an unleveraged investment has higher returns than…
Continue Reading →The two principals in wealth building that an investor must understand are the Time Value of Money and Leverage. This post describes TVM and a few things about financial calculators. But first 5 definitions: Compounding(i) & Discounting(i), Present Value(PV), Future Value (FV), Payment (PMT), Holding Period (n). (A)Let’s say you invest $1000 today (PV) at 10% annually for 5 years…
Continue Reading →The taxes you owe on the sale of an investment property is made of 2 parts: 1) Tax on the gains Taxable Gain = Sale Price – Cost of the Sale – Adjusted Basis*. 2) Tax on total cost recovery (depreciation) Tax on the total cost recovery taken is at the maximum of 25%. For Example, You purchased a property…
Continue Reading →Adjusted basis refers to the total cost of acquiring a property less any cost recovery (depreciation). So, Adjusted Basis = Purchase Price + Acquisition Costs + Capital Improvements – Cost Recovery. Example, You purchased a property for $80,000; paid 1.5% mortgage origination fee; Put a new roof for 5,000; and, kept the place for 10 years. The land is, say,…
Continue Reading →The methodology behind figuring out the After-Tax cash flow (ATCF) is to take your Before-Tax Cash-Flow (BTCF) and add to/subtract from it your tax savings/ tax liability. Here are the steps: Taxable Income = Net Operating Income (NOI) – Annual Interest Payments – Cost Recovery See below for Cost Recovery (a.k.a. depreciation) calculation. Tax Impact = Taxable Income X Investor’s…
Continue Reading →The Capitalization Rate is defined as CR=NOI/Price. Cap Rate is often used to valuate and compare investment opportunities. It is a simple way to do so. It takes into account expenses but not the financing, appreciation, tax impact, etc. An Example: There are 2 four-plex buildings. Building A with an annual income (NOI) of $30,000, priced at $335,000 yielding a…
Continue Reading →Net Operating Income (NOI) , as one put it, is the center of the universe. Practically all valuations are based on NOI. It is the Net income from the property as if there are no Mortgages. A couple of definitions first: Gross Scheduled Income (GSI) is the income expected from the rental property assuming fully rented + any other income,…
Continue Reading →Single filers can exclude from their income up to $250,000 and married couples up $500,000 of gains from the sale of the primary home meeting the time-test. The seller(s) must have lived in the house 2 years out of 5 years prior to the sale. The 2 years does not have to be consecutive. There are other rules and exceptions…
Continue Reading →There are several ways to estimate the value of and analyses of an investment property. Each method has advantages and disadvantages. All should be considered when applicable. There are 3 key areas that would impact the value. Like a 3-legged stool, all 3 must make sense to for the investment to stand straight. Income from the property Operating expenses of…
Continue Reading →Pay careful attention to 3 key areas Income Expenses Financing Run the numbers BEFORE buying Cash-flow analysis before and after taxes Tax Savings or Liability Project the cash-flow for the holding period Disposition plan and overall investment performance over the holding period FMRR – Financial Management Rate of Return is a system to capture a the points listed above. I…
Continue Reading →