Buying a new home is exciting! It’s easy to get wrapped up in the idea of owning a new property but before you pull the trigger, you should carefully consider the condition of the roof and potential roof inspection.

According to roofing contractors in Dallas:

“the roof of any house is crucial to the overall condition of the property. After all, the roof is what protects the structure from rain, wind, debris and UV rays. The roof also has a huge impact on how warm and cool the house stays.”

That is why it is so important that you have the roof of any property you are thinking of making an offer on a professional roof inspection. But there are things that you can look at yourself too. It won’t take a roofing professional to spot the following signs of a bad roof. 

Take a minute or two to go over this list we have compiled of things you should look for in a roof before purchasing a home.

Shingle Condition

According to a Toronto real estate expert, “a few missing shingles here and there may not seem like a big deal but they could signify larger problems. When shingles are missing, they expose the underlayment and substrate of the roof to moisture and debris.”

You can usually see if there are any shingles missing by standing back from the property and examining the roofline. Again, this is why the roof inspection is so important.

Roof Inspection Tip: Ask Questions

Don’t be afraid to ask the important questions. Ask the owner or your real estate agent when the roof was installed. An old roof isn’t necessarily a deal-breaker. Some roofing materials like composite shingles and metal have long life spans.

But:

If you hear that the roof was installed 60 years ago and is made of a material like wooden shingles, you should think twice before moving forward with the purchase. Listen, you don’t want to be searching for a rain jacket to wear in your own home!

You should also ask what, if any, work has been done to the roof. Ask about repairs and maintenance. Inquire about the roofing material used to build the roof and if it is still covered under warranty. If it is, make sure to find out whether or not the warranties are transferrable to new owners.

You basically want to get as much information about the roof as you can. Not only to help you determine whether the house is worth buying, but also to have records should any work be needed in the future.

Proper Ventilation

Proper roof ventilation is imperative. When there is not enough roof ventilation, mold could start growing and it can cause the house to get too warm in the summer.

If the house you are thinking of buying is large, it should have ample roof vents installed throughout. If the house is smaller, it may only need a small gable-end vent or two. Soffit vents are also a good sign that there is a proper amount of roof ventilation.

A quick glance at the roofline should reveal whether or not it is properly ventilated. You should see at least a few wind turbine vents, ridge vents, or power vents. If the roof does have wind turbine vents, be sure to pay close attention to how they perform. 

Wind turbine vents are not static like other types of roof vents. They move with the blowing of the wind. If you can, listen for squeaking. If the turbines are squeaking as they rotate, it probably means that they are no longer properly lubricated and don’t move as much air as they should.

Drainage Systems

The gutters and downspouts are important to a roof system because they are responsible for channeling water off of the roof. Standing or pooling water could leak into your home or cause the roof to become too heavy.

Take a look all around the perimeter of the house. Make sure that all the downspouts are intact and connected to the gutters. Make sure that the end pieces of the downspouts are not broken and that they are pointed away from the house. All downpipes should be feeding into storm wells and not just dumping water straight onto the ground.

If you can safely get on the roof, make sure that the gutters are clean. While you can clean gutters yourself at any time, long-term clogs compromise the structural integrity of the drainage system and the roof. 

If there is debris in the gutters that looks like it has been there for ages, there may already be roof damage.

Water Damage

Roof leaks can lead to water damage inside a home. Be sure to do a thorough walkthrough of the home and look for stains on the ceilings and walls. Water stains will discolor the paint or leave dark spots on the walls and ceilings.

The previous owners could have easily painted over water damaged spots on the walls or ceilings so be sure to use your nose. If you smell fresh paint in only one or two areas of the house, the previous owners probably painted over something they didn’t want you to see.

You can either use a mold inspection company or your sense of smell to detect mold as well. Leaks in the roof could lead to mold development. Mold smells musty and damp – like there was an old moist rag left to sit in some corner of the house.

Hire A Professional

When in doubt, call a licensed roofing professional. The fact is that unless you are a roofer yourself, there will be things that you won’t be able to detect on your own. The roofer you choose to handle the inspection should have a lot of experience and come from a local company (familiarity with zoning laws and local building codes is important).

The roof of your new home is something you should not compromise on. Keep a sharp eye out, a keen nose in the air, an attentive ear at the ready and call a professional when you need help. 

There are always many questions to ask and considerations to make when buying a property. However, if you’re searching for a condo, there are some specific things to keep in mind. 

Buying a condo is a bit different from buying a house, which means it’s essential to go about it in the most strategic way possible. With numerous pros and cons involved, be sure you know what to look out for, so you get the best home or investment. 

Consider Your Needs

It’s a good idea to stop and consider your specific needs before making a big purchase like this. Based on your lifestyle and your plans, ask yourself if a condo is definitely the most suitable housing choice? For example, do you have a pet or plan to get one, and if so, will there be enough space for the animal in a condo? 

Also, will you need to move in the next few years? Since condos tend to appreciate more slowly than individual properties, you could struggle to make a profit if you won’t be in the property for long. You should also consider the potential noise elements involved with sharing walls plus potentially ceilings or floors with condo neighbors, especially if you’re someone who works from home or is a light sleeper.

If, however, you hate having to do lots of home maintenance and gardening tasks, like getting the roof cleaned, pressure washing the driveway, mowing the lawn, trimming hedges and trees, etc., a condo could be the perfect fit for you. When you buy a condo, these types of jobs are taken care of as part of the homeowner’s fees. Plus, if you like being a part of the community and having people close by, a condo could also be a great option.

Investigate Finance

Before you buy a condo, investigate finance options if you will need a loan to make the purchase. The reason for this caution is that not all lenders approve loans for condos. On top of the usual underwriting criteria that come with mortgages (e.g. credit status, assets, and income), lenders also typically scrutinize condo buildings themselves when deciding whether or not to approve a loan.

The terms and conditions and outcomes vary significantly from bank to bank and between other lending organizations, so do your research upfront. There’s no guarantee that your preferred lender will approve a loan if you plan to buy this type of property, and you don’t want to have a contract fall through because you can’t get finance. 

Use an Experienced Realtor

Since condos are a unique type of property, it helps to work with an experienced realtor who has assisted many clients in buying and selling condos in the past. You want someone who knows condo association documents, can walk you through terms and conditions, and help you understand things that are foreign to you as a first-time condo buyer. 

Good realtors should also be able to give you information about things such as if there has been acrimony in the local community over issues that might affect you, and if there are any current infrastructure concerns in the area to consider. They should also be able to provide details about which developments have achieved the best resale values in recent times. 

Examine the Nitty Gritty Details 

You might find a condo you absolutely love on the inside, but before you sign a contract, be thorough with your research. Examine all the nitty-gritty details that could come into play, such as the association fees and rules (especially if you want permission to bring your pet), and the inclusions that come with the condo. You need to know if things such as parking and storage are available right now or at extra costs, as well as access to on-site facilities such as pools, gyms, cinemas, etc. It might be hard to find a condo that will meet all of your requirements, however, you can always do thorough research using websites like Condo Shopper, and be sure that you made the right choice.

Look into insurance and warranty options, too. Some things may be covered already in the condo’s fees, and if the building is new, some fittings and fixtures may still have a warranty on them, but none of this is a given. You may need to purchase a specific product to cover yourself and reduce risks, such as home warranty for condo offerings. 

Also find out more about your potential neighbors, the management board in charge of the rules and administration of maintenance and other tasks, and learn if there have been any common gripes from other condo owners in the complex that could be cause for concern for you, too. 

Buying a condo, or your first home, can be equal parts exciting and stressful, and is undoubtedly a big decision. However, provided you do your research and make a mindful decision based on the factors mentioned above, you should set yourself up for a favorable living situation.

If you’re trying to find the best digital marketing methods that will help you get more clients for your real estate business in 2020, look no further.

Hosting Virtual Open Houses Is A Must

With the technology available today, you can host a virtual tour of the house/condo you’re selling. The immersive 360-degree panoramic photography is what will undoubtedly bring satisfaction to potential homebuyers.

This virtual tour allows potential buyers to walk through the house/condo like they’re physically present in the house. Another tip is to create a contest. For example, any virtual tour visitor that goes through more than five rooms will enter the raffle for winning a special prize. The real estate agencies that used this method claim that the units were sold out in a matter of a few days.

Optimizing Your Facebook Page Is A Must

If we consider that Facebook has several billions of users from which most are active every day, it’s a waste of excellent opportunity if you don’t optimize your Facebook page in time. According to Marketing Agency, We Are Igloo, “utilizing Facebook page to inform potential homebuyers about the house your agency has to offer is of the utmost importance since people nowadays use Facebook search for everything, including searches for homes to buy.” This can be a huge piece of your business plan.

High-Quality And Unique Content Is Always Important

Provide potential buyers with fantastic content that will keep them engaged, and you’ll make sure that they’ll revisit your website. Along with high-quality content, you should provide your potential buyers with amazing photographs of the houses on sale. Professional photographs always catch people’s attention more than anything else. Unique content followed by amazing photos is a win-win combination that will bring fantastic results.

Become a Content Marketing Machine

Providing your clients with a blog that serves to answer all their questions is of the utmost importance since, that way, you’ll get closer to potential buyers. People have a lot of questions they wish to ask before they decide whether to come and visit the house or not. Providing them the answers they seek will be mutually beneficial.

Utilize Google Remarketing Ads

The importance of Google ads is significant, but Google offers remarketing ads as well.

These ads will help you target the specific group of people that have already performed searches like “buy a home” or “sell a home,” etc. Creating this target list of people can be done through the Google ads dashboard. Create a remarketing list based on website URLs, keywords, and buyers’ interest. Your advertising banners will easily find people who are looking to buy or sell a home.

Learn How To Advertise To Millennials

Millennial generation accounts for 34% of all real estate buyers, but it’s estimated that in the next five years, around 65% of real estate buyers will be the millennial generation. That’s why you need to focus on learning how to advertise your sales to the millennial generation. Create an authentic brand that is friendly and informative, and you’re on an excellent way to gain millennial buyers.

Forward All Potential Clients To Your Website

In case you’ve already invested a lot into your website, you should send all your social media followers and interested parties directly to your site. A fantastic site will explain all potential buyers, why should they choose your real estate company instead of many others. Adding posts on your social media pages is a free way to drive traffic towards your website. Another important fact that you must know is that social media ads aren’t as expensive as people may think. That’s the main reason why you must implement social media advertising into your marketing campaign at once.

So, you’ve bought your first home. But now you want to make some upgrades, including an awesome garden to add value to your property.

How does it feel when you see a friend’s backyard organic garden? There is a refreshing sensation that comes along with the sight of an organic garden. Organic gardening is highly coveted by many due to its numerous health benefits. It decreases the number of pesticides your family eats, and it’s also good for the environment. But sometimes eating all organic can be a bit expensive, that’s why there is nothing better than growing your own natural garden.

If you want to eat and stay healthy, that is the right thing for you. Below is a simple yet very effective procedure on how to set up an organic garden for fresh and delicious food. If you need some extra tips, check out some awesome guides here.

Establish Your Location

Choosing the right location for your garden is the first thing to do. You need to put into consideration all aspects surrounding the garden including the following;

• Drainage
• Sunlight penetration
• Type of soil
• Safety
• Accessibility
• Ease of handling

Set the garden in the most appropriate location that won’t be problematic to handle. The best site is where it’s easily accessible, has direct sunlight, and good drainage. Remember that vegetables need 6-8 hours of full sun a day and a little shade to protect them from the afternoon heat.

Combat Weeds

If your new home garden is overgrown and totally out of control, your first fight might be with weeds. 

If your site is small, you can do the whole weed-digging and pulling thing manually. Make sure to remove them with the roots as they will grow back and compete for sunlight and nutrition with your crops.

However, if your garden is big, weeds might be a problem and hours of digging can lead to back problems. The best thing you can do in this situation is to mulch. 

Simply, cut down the higher weeds and cover the area with mulch. That will exclude the light so the weeds will weaken in the dark. 

Don’t be tempted to use weed killers, as they contain toxic chemicals. After all, you want healthy fruits and veggies, not to mention various medical plants you could grow.

Prepare the Soil

If you want to have the best results from your garden, soil testing and preparation is inevitable. According to professional gardener & horticulturist Pol Bishop, you must ensure that your soil is appropriately conditioned and that it suits whatever you want to plant.

First of all, ensure that your soil is healthy and has organic nutrients. Also, check the presence of any chemicals on the soils that can make your crops inorganic. You can achieve this by doing a soil testing procedure. 

Buy a home testing kit or send soil samples to a certified lab for analysis. You can opt not to test the soil if it’s plenty in humus.

Add Compost

All gardens benefit from compost. It feeds plants, helps with water retention and air circulation. You can create your own compost or buy it from the local garden centre if you have a large garden. 

Add five large buckets of compost for every five square meters of ground. It should be at least 10 cm on the top of the soil. Once you decide to sow seeds, use a rake to flatten the topsoil so the seeds can access both – soil and water. 

Shop for Seedlings

Did you know that you can acquire organic seedlings from the local farms and planters? If you don’t want to go through the hassle of setting up a seedbed, purchase ready-made seedlings.

The best place to acquire seedlings is from extension service centers. Talk to experts and seek advice on how to go about with your garden. Inquire about different species so as to know which suits you the best.

Choose plants that grow best within your region and climate. Also, consider choosing companion plants to your primary ones as they provide necessary nutrients to help them grow and repel pests that would otherwise attack your crops.

Choose your seedlings gently and avoid the wilting ones. Also, avoid budding crops, or the flowery ones that tend to be unsuitable for transplant.

Assemble Gardening Tools

As you are going to embark on planting, assemble the right tools that you must have. Browse through some gardening tools to weed and dig from Easy Digging. Some of the starter tools include:

• Watering can
• Hoe
• Rake
• Shovel
• Pruners

These are some of the tools you will need when gardening. They are essential for the daily maintenance of the garden, and you need to purchase the right quality.

Plant Your Seedlings

After assembling the right tools, you can move on with the planting procedure. Plant your crops in the proper method and spacing guidelines. When planting, you can seek professional advice if you aren’t an expert in it.

Make sure the beds are well prepared and that the soil is wet enough. Take extra care on the seedlings immediately after planting to ensure they don’t die.

Keep it Clean

Once a week, make sure to walk through your garden and pick up any dead leaves. Remember that diseases spread rapidly in fallen foliage, and sometimes you can save the entire plant just by picking off an infected leaf. 

Water Wisely

The best time to water plants is in the morning as then is cool, and water evaporation is reduced. Never water in the evenings, as plants will stay damp overnight, which will make them vulnerable to fungal diseases.

Water the roots, not the greenery, that’s why a drip or soak system would be perfect. To establish strong plants, water infrequently but deeply. One or two applications a week considering rain is enough. Always use air temperature water, hereof collected rainwater is best. 

Practice Crop Rotation

Don’t grow the same crop in the same spot every year. Some crops like potatoes and cabbages reduce soil nutrients, whereas others like peas and beans build them up. That’s why crop alteration is essential. Also, this will prevent the build-up of pests and diseases in the soil.

Use the Companion Planting Scheme

Growing strongly scented plants near your crops will repel pests by confusing them.

• Chives – prevents aphids and carrot fly
• Lavender – attract pollinators and deter aphids
• Rosemary – stops carrot fly
• Yarrow – attract ladybirds and hoverflies
• Dill – attract aphid-eating hoverflies

Attract Wildlife

Stop using chemical pesticides, which upset the natural ecological balance and kill everything, from pests to their natural predators. Pest may recover way faster than their predators and keeping their number in check may be a problem. Toads, hedgehogs and birds are your best friend in the pest control job. 

For example, flowers like marigolds will attract ladybirds and hoverflies which eat aphids. Research your pest control and learn as much as possible about the sort of pests depending on what you are going to grow.

Below you can see which flowers can help you attract helpful insects like lady beetles and praying mantis. According to stylists at the farm-fresh flower company Bouqs, the following will also attract bumblebees to pollinate the rest of your plants.

• Cleome
• Zinnia
• Daisy
• Sunflower
• Salvia

The Bottom Line

Are you looking forward to planting your organic garden? This is the simplest way that will give you the ultimate organic garden. If you have been dreaming of owning a garden, follow this procedure to fulfill your dreams. Happy harvesting!\

If there’s one place that speaks your personality the best, then that is your home. From the furniture to the wall paints and decor, almost every part of your home reflects what you truly love. To make the precious reading sessions even more tranquil, you must keep the interior decor drool-worthy. When it comes to decorating your house, you need to sit back and think first. Find out the right theme and go ahead with the decor process. You don’t want your home to look unorganized and unplanned. 

Whether you need some warmth or softness in the rooms is truly your choice. Think about the pattern of wall decor, ways to enhance the space, and add a few warm tones here and there. Also, don’t forget to fetch the right quality items for a durable and long-lasting house make-over.

Keep reading to know the trending interior designs and tips to keep the home decor top-notch instantly.

More Light With Attractive Wall Mirrors

A house that’s well-lit and illuminated appears incredibly peaceful and fresh. Apart from the regular wall lights and chandeliers, there are few cheap ways to enhance the brightness.

All you need to do is get hold of different sized mirrors. From square mirrors to oval-shaped ones, you can fetch any mirror without giving much thought to it. Hang them on the walls opposite the windows for better reflection of the sun’s rays. Not only will they cover up the left-over space, but they also bring more value to the decor.

So, grab some attractive mirrors and create a wall of your dreams today.

Add House Plants Wherever Possible

A house should be two things, clean and green. Adding a few house plants here and there can lead to a fantastic transformation. Whether it’s for a fresher environment or an ecstatic interior decor, plants are always the right choice. You can put them anywhere.

From your kitchen slab to your bathtub, every place is suitable for some greenery. Such eco-friendly decor will surely enhance the atmosphere and freshness of your house. 

Just put some house plants near every table or on the balcony. Apart from this, you can add a few plants inside the bathroom as well. Allow the detoxification process of your rooms with a greener interior. Don’t forget to decorate the plants aesthetically in various patterns.

Create Staircase Storage For More Space

One of the most crucial aspects of interior decor is enhancing the space. You must opt for the decoration that allows better storage and spacious rooms. Instead of filling the rooms with unnecessary decor items, try being a little specific.

Choose designs that improve storage options. One such option is staircase storage. Usually, the space occupied by the stairs is left wasted. 

However, you can convert that space into a bookshelf or a plant holder with storage. All you need to do is create storage with compartments. Further, fill those compartments with whatever you like.

Moroccan Vibe With Unique Lighting

What could be better than embellishing your home with some fancy lighting and attractive decor?

If you’re looking out for some high-quality lighting to revamp your house, then choose the light properly. Always go for some durable yet classy lights. One of the best options for such home decor is led wall lights. Just grab some wall lights and pair them up with attractive lanterns. 

Add the wall lights on every edge of the room. Complete the lighting by hanging the lanterns near the areas that require better attention. 

Use Contrasting Rugs On The Floor

While decorating our house, we often overlook the floor area and its embellishment. The best thing you can do to increase the comfort and make the floors stand out is to add a rug. You can find rugs available in unique colors and patterns.

Opt for the one that matches the wall paint and overall interior design of the rooms. Floor rugs are an amazing way to get that cozy vibe in your home. It’s about time that you spend your happy days over the softness of these floor rugs. Also, this will enhance the beauty of your interior decor astonishingly. 

So, do your house floors a favor and fetch the best rugs today.

Best Out Of Waste Inspired Decor

If you’re in search of an in-budget home rejuvenation, then take some inspiration from the waste. Go ahead and enter your store-room today. Search for the waste that would look good on your bookshelves or lamp tables.

From silver trays to plates and metal boxes, everything is usable if you’re creative enough. Put the trays on the table and stack your favorite books over it. 

You can also decorate the plates over an empty wall in a creative fashion. Overall, the waste inspired decor is what you must adhere to on your next house rejuvenation.

Give The Walls Some Make-Over

Almost everybody works on furniture, wall paints, and decorative items. To make your decor stand out, you must dress up the walls elegantly. Yes, we’re talking about the wallpapers. Choose wallpapers with unique patterns and shades. You can also opt for a nature-themed wallpaper for specific rooms. 

This is not only an easy embellishment but also one that attracts almost every guest. Convert your walls into an amazing piece of art with these aesthetic items today!

Bottom Line

Interior designs are a mere reflection of the owner’s soul. Every person possesses a specific quality which they instill in their house’s decor. If you wish to keep your house sturdy, elegant and eye-catching, then you must analyze the make-over.

Get inspired by the waste and use the same to achieve the best interiors. Further, complete the revamping sessions by using extra mirrors, wallpapers, and rugs. 

Overall, the key to an amazing house is creativity, presence of mind and smart work. You can easily procure the cool interior design impression if you work for it. Don’t wait to enlighten your guests with some drool-worthy interior.

We checked out the 2019 real estate investing books landscape, and we have found eight books that we consider must-reads if you are really interested in becoming a serious real estate investor. Take a look below.

You’re really interested in real estate investing. You’ve attended a couple of seminars, watched a bunch of online presentations but a lot of the stuff you have been exposed to has been quite sales-y, and you wonder if any of the purported plans and schemes really work.

To you it seems like the presenters are just trying to sell materials or expensive manuals.

Rich Dad, Poor Dad

Written by Robert Kiyosaki and Sharon L. Lechter, Rich Dad, Poor Dad was originally a self-published book that was eventually picked up by a major publisher. It is a thorough guide for creating wealth and accumulating assets.

While it isn’t strong about specific real estate strategies, it gives a great general overview about the mindset that is required to win in business, and the book devotes a good amount of time explaining the reason for investing in real estate as a vehicle that can produce fat returns.

The Book on Rental Property Investing

This is one of the best real estate investing books of all time. Brandon Turner wrote this book, and you’ll find it on almost all of the top-ten lists of real estate investing books.

Mr. Turner is also involved the familiar BiggerPockets.com site. His book has a great section about mistakes that novice investors need to avoid, and many think that this is the first book real estate beginners should read before they embark on a career as a property investor.

The Book on Flipping Houses

J. Scott has authored a handy treatise about flipping houses—a strategy that HGTV made very popular.

This book most importantly explains the proper methods to evaluate homes for potential flipping and walks you through the process of obtaining financing.

Start with this one if you want to do quick turnover deals.

The Intelligent REIT Investor

Written by Stephanie Krewson-Kelly and R. Brad Thomas, this book explains Investing in a Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT). Think of REITs like a real estate ETF, and you’ll get an idea of what they can do for you.

Like any investment, due diligence is key, and the authors explain just how to choose the REIT that would be best for you. If you are at all interested in passive investing, put this one of your list of real estate investing books for 2019.

Mastering the Art of Commercial Real Estate

Doug Marshall has subtitled this book, “How to Successfully Build Wealth and Grow Passive Income from Your Rental Properties.”

And that tells you what you will find inside. Understand that commercial real estate can be much different from residential housing, and if you are thinking of investing commercially, you’ll be looking at multi-family units, strip malls, warehouses and even public storage facilities.

Mr. Marshall has a good section on timing, which we all know is everything, right?

The Turnkey Revolution

Christopher Clothier wrote The Turnkey Revolution. A turnkey property is the exact opposite of a fixer-upper—everything has already been done for you.

All you need to do is buy it and rent it and watch your mortgage principal decrease while you enjoy cash flow.

Mr. Clothier tells you how to find these gems and how to properly evaluate them for superior cash flow. With any real estate investment strategy, there are areas to avoid, and Mr. Clothier carefully spells out problem areas that you may find.

The Millionaire Real Estate Investor

Gary Keller’s book should maybe be subtitled “You Too Can Get Rich in Real Estate,” as he explains how to make money in real estate.

Covering a wide range of do’s and don’ts, The Millionaire Real Estate Investor makes you think and act like a millionaire real estate investor even if you’re not there yet.

The Book on Tax Strategies

By Amanda Han and Matthew MacFarland, this book is the bible of real estate tax planning.

In fact, Brandon Turner said, “Had I read this book earlier in my real estate investing career, I easily would have saved myself thousands in taxes and my net worth would be significantly higher!”

That’s all the credibility we need, so if you want to save yourself tons of tax dollars, read and understand what the authors say before you start investing in real estate.

While many investors learn from just buying real estate and not repeating their initial mistakes, if you read the above real estate investing books, you’ll be far ahead of the game.

If you’re interested in learning more about the basics of real estate investing, check out our recent post on real estate terminology.

Buying a home in 2019 is arguably one of the largest purchases you will make during your lifetime. And lowering your mortgage rate can be equally as tough.

Financial obligations attached to owning real estate should not be taken lightly; lowering the coast of your homeownership begins with your mortgage.

With that said, if you don’t follow some of the tips below, you will end up shelling out a lot more cash than you intended.  

Go Shopping

Don’t sign for the first home you see. Lowering your mortgage rate should be a thought you have in mind, which will take time.

Take your time to shop around for the best rate; your wallet and long term financial situation will thank you.

A 2012 Stanford University study concluded that consumers who obtain at least four mortgage quotes save nearly $2,700 in fees for a $200,000 home loan compared to those who only got one or two quotes.

Thankfully, the advancement of the internet makes shopping around for better rates more efficient than it was 20 years ago. 

Maintain a Good Credit Score

You must maintain a high credit score in order to get the best possible rate for you for your mortgage.

A high credit score ensures your lender that you are credible enough to pay it back. A low credit score could cause a lender to raise your rate and potentially deny you the loan altogether.

There are many different ways to keep an eye on your credit score. Many of the top credit reporting companies are secretive about how their scores are calculated.

However, FICO openly lists how they compute credit scores, and they are as followed:

• 35% is based on your payment history (make them on time)
• 30% is based on your credit utilization (try to keep it under 20%, if possible)
• 15% is based on length of credit history (don’t close accounts you’ve had for a long time that are in good standing)
• 10% is based on new credit accounts (only open new accounts when it makes sense to do so)
• 10% is based on credit mix (lenders want to see that you can manage different types of loans) 

Long & Consistent Work History

Another way lenders will evaluate your credibility is through your work history. Lenders are more likely to give you a satisfying rate if you have maintained the same job for a few years and your annual income is consistent or growing.

At the same time, if you have a resume with gaps and inconsistencies, lenders will view your income as unreliable and charge you a higher rate or deny you entirely.  

Ask For a Better Rate

It can’t hurt to ask! You can ask for a lower rate or ask your lender to match a competitor’s rate. The worst-case scenario is that they say, “no.” If your credit score is 800 or higher, your chances of being granted a lower rate go way up.

According to FICO, only 1 in 9 Americans have scores this high, and if you are one of those people, lenders will do almost anything to keep you as their customer. So, don’t be afraid to ask!

You are ready to start investing in real estate, but you want to be careful; you don’t want to make the same mistakes that others have, and while you have done some research, you know that there are some basic guidelines to follow as you start investing in real estate.

To help you become a sophisticated real estate investor, we’ve compiled a great list of nine common errors to avoid.

Are You Overpaying?

This might seem simplistic, but the easiest way to lose money on a real estate investment is too pay too much for the property. Paying even as little as $10,000 too much can cause you to go cash-flow negative and to be stuck with a poorly performing property.

If your monthly costs are $900, and you can rent your unit for $1200 per month that produces $300 per month in cash flow.

If you overpay and raise your monthly costs just $200 to $1100, you’re not leaving yourself much room to make money; you may try to get an unrealistic amount for rent, and your place may sit empty, therefore costing you more than $1000 per month.

Your dream rental property will quickly become a nightmare if you buy it incorrectly.

I’m Going to Get Rich Quick

We urge you to attend one of those real-estate-road-to-riches seminars, like the one shown above, that you’ll see online or even in your town.

These are offered by a number of people, but their story is always the same as they claim that by buying their book, taking their seminar or by signing up for costly consulting, you too can be a passive real estate investment millionaire.

Sure, someone, somewhere occasionally gets rich quick by investing in real estate, but in reality, those that do make a lot of money attribute it to hard work and perseverance with a little luck thrown in along the way.

By all means go to a real estate investment seminar but be skeptical about anything you hear.

Winging It When Investing in Real Estate

You need a plan. You need financing. You need knowledge. And you can’t attain these things by merely waking up one day and deciding that you’re going to be a real estate mogul. You need to form great habits!

Learn about the business, pay attention to those that have been the most successful and have a good idea of what you want to accomplish before you start.

No Homework When Investing in Real Estate

Do you understand mortgage terminology?

Do you know what REO property is?

Do you understand title policies?

Do you know the difference between gross and net profit?

Do you know what a buyer’s agent does?

You get the point — study the business you are about to become involved in.

I Don’t Need Anybody to Help Me

Successful entrepreneurs know their weaknesses. If they are not good at employee relations, they hire an HR person who is. They have lawyers draft their contracts and CPAs do their taxes.

Sure, you know how replace a toilet handle, but can you fix a ceiling leak that originates from another apartment unit?

Buttonwood, property management Toronto, advises, “don’t start investing in types of real estate until you have your resource team lined up. You can’t do everything yourself, unless you want to ride that lone scooter into bankruptcy court.”

Cash Flow Investments?

Understand cash flow because cash is king. A good friend of ours was a street educated business person and said that she used the checkbook method of accounting.

When she had money in her checkbook after paying bills she was doing well; when she was short of funds and bills were piling up, she was doing poorly.

Now we’re not saying you should employ that primitive bookkeeping method, but our friend certainly understood what cash flow meant and so should you.

Afraid to Do Two

If you are going to make significant dollars investing in real estate, you’ll need to have the capability to do more than one project at once. Good deals are sometimes fleeting, and you may have to strike quickly. If your preferred business method is plodding, investing in real estate may not be for you.

You are Too Single Minded

You buy a fixer-upper to renovate and your plan is to get the work done quickly and then flip it—just like they do on TV.

You’re ready for some cost overruns, and you have your demo and reconstruction crews lined up. You move quickly and the house looks beautiful. Then a water main breaks and floods the street and the city finds a labyrinth of caverns below ground. Suddenly, no one can even get to your property to view it, and potential buyer traffic is non-existent.

Now you have to start thinking about renting or even trading the home for another property. You used all of your lines of credit for the remodel, so you have a big problem and you have painted yourself into a corner.

Sure, you’ll eventually get out of the mess, but not until you get your rental machine going, or you are able to make a quick deal to get out.

If you would have considered early on that something bad could happen, you could have planned accordingly.

Bad Estimates (More Headaches)

Cost overruns can kill you, and if you don’t get multiple estimates for everything like insurance, remolding costs, and even broker commissions, you are doing yourself a disservice. 

Yes, you too can make good money investing in real estate, but you’ll have a greater chance of success if you pay attention to the 9 pitfalls described above.

An open house showcase is a tried and true way for generating buyer interest in your real estate property, and it is easy to see why.

Potential first-time buyers will have a tough time making a decision if all you provided is an online listing, so the solution is to give them something more tangible to ponder over, such as a live preview of the property.

With that being said, organizing an open house event is no small task, even if you’re a real estate veteran. Many factors will contribute to the success of your open house event, from the way you present the property, to the way you market the event, to the structure of your guest-list.

If this is your first time planning an open house, or if you’re looking for suggestions on how to take your existing events to the next level, look no further. Check out our list of 10 property showcase ideas that will get buyers knocking on your door.

1. Create a Welcoming Environment

The main purpose of an open house is to evoke a positive first impression from visitors, and this means making them feel welcome as soon they set foot on the property. In order to create a welcoming environment, make sure to:

• Update the walls and fixtures
• Keep clutter under control
• Paint over scuffed areas
• Replace missing light-bulbs
• Stage each room with the appropriate furniture

2. Provide Factsheets

There is more to promoting an open house than just making it appear nice. More discerning visitors will look past appearances and will insist instead that you provide relevant facts and information about the property. One way to do it would be to present the facts yourself in person, but a smarter, more efficient approach would be to provide factsheets at the sign-in. Ideas for what to include in terms of information:

• home’s construction
• condition
• flooring
• square footage
• number of bedrooms and bathrooms
• lot size
• land
• location

3. Prepare an Engaging Script

Contrary to popular wisdom, products don’t really sell themselves. Even if your property well-built, richly furnished, affordable, and situated in a good neighborhood, people will still be reluctant to buy without some convincing on your part.

Nowadays, being too aggressive in your sales pitch will immediately turn people off. What you should do instead is frame your pitch in terms of a story. Don’t just bombard visitors with information (that is what the factsheets are for). Instead, explain how buying this particular property will impact their life for the better.

4. Send out Invitations through Mail

Most real estate agencies rely on email for sending open house invitations. There is nothing wrong with this approach per se, but an email invitation can feel a little cold and sterile, which are not feelings you want to evoke. So instead of using email, you can deliver invitations via regular mail. This will make your invitations feel more personal, and as you probably know by now, personalization is the key to marketing success.

5. Place Hangers on Neighborhood Doorknobs

In addition to sending out direct invitations, you can spread the word about your open house event by notifying people in the area. There are countless ways to do this (a couple of which we will cover in the coming paragraphs), but one in particular grew to become a staple in the world real estate. Of course, we are talking about placing door hangers on houses in the neighborhood. Door hangers are cheap to produce, flexible in terms of design, and they are fairly non-intrusive as far as marketing techniques go.

6. Use a Drone to Create Aerial Photography

Today, high-quality images are necessary for creating promotional materials, but they are no longer sufficient to set you apart from competitors. So, in order to take things up a notch and provide truly memorable imagery, you can use drone photography. Hire a professional drone photographer, and have them take photos of your open house from above. And if you want to take things even further, you can use the drone to record a video, and use it to promote the event online.

7. Set up Banners Around the Property

Never underestimate the power of traditional marketing. The real estate industry is a unique position with regards to traditional marketing tactics, such as putting up promotional banners. Banners can display all essential information about your open house event, so passersby can learn about your offer with a single glance. Pay special attention to your banner copy. Don’t be too sales-minded, and be economic with your words.

8. Live Stream the Event

Open house showcases are often recurring events, unless you get really lucky with your first batch of visitors. The problem with this is that you have to redo much of the preparatory work each time you host the event. Or at least you had to until just a few years ago, when streaming technology became mainstream. Now you can livestream the whole event while it unfolds, giving online leads a chance to take a peek as well. Naturally, you can reuse the recording for future events as well.

9. Use a Sign-in App

Having visitors sign up on a list during view is a long-standing open house tradition. It is also a major source of hassle, both for visitors, and yourself. Visitors usually want to look at the property straight away, and deciphering their signatures on a sign-in sheet is an exercise in frustration. Fortunately, nowadays you can use a sign-in app to streamline the whole process. An app such as Spacio will enable you to ask custom questions, sign in people on mobile devices, and send all collected data directly to your CRM system.

10. Send Follow-up Emails

Whether you made a sale or not, you can still extract some utility from your open house event by staying in touch with visitors (especially if you collected their data). All you need is their name and email address, and you can send out follow-up emails after the event to keep them invested in your brand. Thank them for showing up for the event, and offer them the option to get notified about future events. If you run an email newsletter, you can have them sign up to receive your regular content updates (which you should be doing anyway as a part of your digital marketing strategy).

Conclusion

Open house events are a great way to showcase your real estate property in a positive light. Use them to develop a stronger relationship with potential buyers, raise awareness for your business, and hopefully close down sales. And if get stuck at any point during the organization, bookmark this article and look it over to remind yourself of what you ought to be doing.

It’s great that you have some extra cash to invest, and it’s come to down to investing in real estate vs. stocks. So, how do you know what to do?

You like the quick pops you can get from equities, but lately you’ve been worried about volatility and the effect of lower interest rates on the market. You’ve also been looking at some supposedly undervalued companies, but you’re also concerned about a value-trap situation like GE or even Bank of America.

If you ask us, we’d take real estate as an investment any day over stocks, and following are seven great reasons why:

It’s Tangible

When you buy a stock, maybe even using Stock Apps, you are purchasing a piece of a company. The only problem is that you will have no say in the company’s day-today operations. You’re an owner, but virtually a silent one.

Sure, you can team up with other shareholders and vote at a shareholder’s meeting, but you will be one of millions of stockholders, and your lone vote won’t have a significant effect on the way the company does its business. The Green Bay Packers are publicly owned, but most shareholders have no voting rights, so while you are a company stockholder you can’t call the coach and tell him to call different plays.

Well, you could call him if you had his number, but our point is that you have no real power just because you are a shareholder of the Green Bay Packers or a large public company. You’re basically along for the ride.

You can always buy shares of stock, perhaps you are someone who wants to buy palantir shares, but if you buy a piece of real estate, especially a first time buyer, you can see it, touch it and manage it if you want to. You can drive past every day and make sure that it’ still in good condition. It’s there and it’s a tangible item. And, you can make decisions about repairs, rentals, upgrades and marketing. If you decide that investing in real estate vs. stocks is the way to go for you, you’ll be in control.

You Make the Decision Based Upon What You Actually See

When you buy a stock, you can see the prospectus, read reviews online and then basically take a chance.

If you’re a Peter Lynch guy, you’ll buy shares of Kohl’s Department Store, for example, if you’ve had a great shopping experience there. What goes on in the boardroom, however, will be hidden from you, and you may be the last to know when surprises are about to rile the market.

When buying real estate, you can actually “kick the tires.” (That’s what your dad did before he would buy a car. People used to think that if the tires were sound a used car was a good buy.) Anyway, you can certainly ascertain if a property needs work, and most people get a professional inspector to help them unmask potential problems before purchasing real estate.

Less Volatile

Ok, if your city decides to put a sex offender residence facility next to your property, you may see a quick downward price trend, but those who like investing in real estate vs. stocks will usually not experience quick property value declines. Even in severe recessions, housing price decreases usually take some time to materialize, and you should have time to get out before a housing crash manifests itself.

Less Fraud

If you like penny stocks you can get burned in a hurry. If you like unicorns and startups, the same thing can happen. If you like futures, just beware. There are lots of scammers out there and “pump and dump” schemes are a cloud that often hangs over certain stock market areas. 

When you buy property, however, you won’t enter into a transaction until you receive a fresh title policy form a reputable insurance company, and few banks are going to give you a mortgage on a apiece of property with a clouded or even minimally questionable title status. With a little diligence, you’ll be sure that the seller of your property actually does own it.

Inflation Hedge

When some ponder investing in real estate vs. stocks, they point to inflation as an overriding decision-driving factor. Investopedia.com says:

“For the majority of U.S. history – or at least as far back as reliable information goes – housing prices have increased only slightly more than the level of inflation in the economy.”

Only during the period between 1990 and 2006, known as the Great Moderation, did housing returns rival those of the stock market.

The stock market has consistently produced more booms and busts than the housing market, but it has also had better overall returns as well.”

While we understand the statistical relevance here, we are in a unique environment with a top-heavy stock market and record low interest rates and we’d feel much more comfortable with an income-producing four family than with 200 shares of Samsung stock.

There is a lot of geo-political tension, and we feel real estate is in a better position than stocks to defend itself against these threats.

Real estate is tangible, solid and slower moving than stocks. Even though stocks may seem easier to sell at time, we like the traditional and concrete value that real estate presents.

And if you’re looking to buy some real estate without much money down, you can always contact us to get started.