In the beginning, there was one... Adam stood alone in his backyard, gazing out at the empty plot of land. He dreamed of a lush garden, filled with the sweetest fruits and the most vibrant colors. With a determined look in his eye, he set to work.

Owning your own home can be a beautiful and life-changing experience. It is a space where you can create and reflect the universe inside, a place where your heart can truly feel at ease. While it may seem like a daunting task to purchase, owning your own home is one of the best investments you can make in yourself and feel whole again.

Not only does owning a home give you a sense of financial security, but it also provides mental and emotional benefits. It allows you to follow your heart and create a space that feels truly yours. Whether it's creating a cozy book nook or decorating the interior with unique and personal touches, owning a home gives you the freedom to express yourself in ways that a rented space cannot.

Food for thought... Using edible landscaping for beautiful gardens.

Spring is here, warm weather approaches, and the cherry blossoms are blooming.  It's the time of year when our focus shifts to the amazing gardening opportunities that can accomplish both beautiful curb appeal and a sustainable future.

Time to start looking for a new home?  By becoming a registered member of this site, you will be able to connect with every listing in the MLS database. One stop shopping at your fingertips!  There's never been a better time to start your home search...   Spring is right around the corner and with the change of seasons comes an entirely new inventory of homes for sale.  

Since the dawn of the internet, buying or selling a home has never been easier.  With a click of a mouse, you can connect on the fly.  Only requirement is patience so the stars can align.  

Real estate can present an excellent investment opportunity for those with the patience to stay in the market for a while. As the economy fluctuates, so does the real estate market – but in the long term, you can rest assured that your property will likely pay off in profits. Once you’ve got your financing in order and know what your general business plan, you are left with one pressing question: how will you decide what properties to invest in?

We have some helpful advice to assist your decision. Read through our guide for some quality tips on how you can choose your next property investment, what types of real estate deals you should keep your eyes open for, and some things to keep in mind when you’re getting started with your investment career.

• Tip #1: location, location, location

It’s easy to get caught up in the features of a property you want to buy. Seeing newly renovated bathrooms, finding a contemporary kitchen, and encountering state of the art plumbing make investors’ eyes pop with glee. But before you get too excited, it’s important to remember that the location of your property is highly important.

One rule we like to abide by is that the worst property in the best neighborhood is better than the best property in the worst neighborhood. After all, you have some control over how nicely you can renovate the property after you purchase it, but you have no control over what the rest of the neighborhood might do.

If you find a fixer-upper in an up-and-coming neighborhood, your instincts should tell you that that it’s a good opportunity. A little TLC and renovation later, and you’ve got yourself a massive profit. 

• Tip #2: Keep your horizons wide

When most real estate investors get started, their first thought is that they should buy a unit in a condo complex or a house to flip and sell. While these can be great options, they’re by no means the end of the story. You may want to find commercial real estate to invest in to diversify your portfolio. Sometimes, commercial real estate doesn’t need nearly as much renovation as a residential home, and you are sure to make significant returns if the business that occupies your property is successful.

Don’t miss out on great opportunities like leasing advertising space on billboards and benches, or purchasing land that developers may want to build on. Real estate is a diverse industry, and it’s a shame to constrain yourself to only a certain corner of the market when there’s so much profit to be had across the spectrum!

• Know when to cut your losses

We’ve known far too many investors stick with a sunk cost just because they’d already put so much work and money into it. Just because you’ve lost money doesn’t mean you have to lose even more money. If you see that your investment is tanking and you don’t think there’s a good chance for recuperating your funds, it might be time to sell at a lower price.

For example, say you’ve bought a house to flip and rent. However, soon after your renovation is finished, rent prices in the area take a nosedive. Suddenly it looks like you’ll never be able to make back the money you spent while collecting the meager amount from rent you can expect. It might be time to sell the property instead of holding onto it and losing money on property taxes and continued upkeep.

A good investor knows when it’s time to double-down and when it’s time to cut their losses. Figuring this out is a fine balance, and often takes years of real estate experience, so don’t beat yourself too much if you make a mistake early on in your real estate investing career.

Real estate can be a lucrative and rewarding investment to make. With so many options, you’ll be sure to find something in your budget and that suits your portfolio’s needs. Remember, the most important tip of all is that patience is a virtue. The most successful real estate investors are those that know it can take time to see returns on an investment. Good luck, and have fun on your real estate adventure!

Being a landlord in today’s economy can be rewarding, and you can improve your personal and financial well-being. A successful landlord occupation will give you freedom in your personal life so you won’t be stuck in a 9-5 job.

Before you invest in real estate, be sure to ask yourself these questions.

Still interested in rental properties? Good! One of your tasks as a landlord is to find ways to maximize your rental property so you can receive a larger income. Here, we provide you with five helpful tips to minimize your expenses to increase your return on investment. We’ll teach you how to find the right location, tenants, and contractors.

1. Pick a Great Neighborhood

Location, location, location. This is the mantra of every real estate agent and they all know this is a key factor in attaining a property with a high value. When you’re searching for ways to maximize your rental property, it’s important to conduct research on the area you’re looking to invest in. One way to easily search for homes is through real estate apps that doe the scouting for you. Alternatively, there are plenty of sites that do the same! You can search for houses, identify the right area, and buy, all from the comfort of your own home. They help to find homes in high-value areas, like Burlington County in New Jersey. It’s important that you take time to do thorough research so you can find a property you truly love.

2. Rely on Professionals for Big Jobs

Rental homes face small and large scale problems. Sometimes you’ll buy a property where the walls are damaged. Other times you’ll find that the property has faulty plumbing. Some handy landlords are good at fixing these problems on their own. But you should always hire a professional contractor if you’re not 100% certain you can fix the problems yourself.

Working with contractors is easier than ever thanks to handyman software, which helps them adhere to local building codes. You always want to make sure that you hire contractors who are organized and professional. If not, you may risk losing value in your property from poor repairs, which can lead to even greater property damage.

3. Screen Tenants

After you spend countless hours finding the perfect property to rent to future tenants, you don’t want to risk losing money or having to pay more expenses than you have to because of a difficult tenant. Screening tenants and obtaining background checks can help you find reliable, long-term tenants so you avoid the expense of missed payments or dealing with evictions. Screening tenants is one of the many ways to make your life easier as a landlord. Finding low-risk tenants will bring you peace of mind. It’s nice to know your rental property will be taken care of and payments will be received on time.

4. Create a strong rental agreement

It’s crucial to create a strong rental agreement for your tenants to sign. Failing to create a rental agreement can often leave you with a financial burden that could force you to sell the property to make up for your losses. In order to maximize your rental property, landlords can use online websites like eforms that have templates you can use to create your rental agreement. Using online tools to create your own rental agreements will help you save time and ensure that you are including crucial components to your rental agreement, like when rent will be paid, the security deposit amount, information on utilities, and more.

5. Take advantage of tax breaks

Finally, using apps like Thumbtack can help you find tax professionals in your area so you know you’re getting your maximum deductions. Finding a tax professional can help you maximize your rental property by helping you calculate your deductions such as interest, travel expenses, home office expenses, repairs and more. When it comes to filing your taxes, you may find yourself overwhelmed with tracking and calculating all of your expenses on your rental property, which is why consulting with a tax professional can help maximize your rental property. In Conclusion

In Conclusion

It is always important to take time to research the numerous components of what it takes to own a successful rental property that will provide you with a steady income. From finding the right location to buy property to hiring professional contractors, use these tips and you’ll be on your way to a lucrative rental business.

If you’re thinking of investing in real estate to turn it into a rental property, there are a few things you should know before diving in. Being a landlord is a lot more than just sitting around collecting rent and making a huge profit. For example, you’ll have to review credit reports of prospective tenants, process rental applications, draft rental agreements, maintain the rental property, and follow up with tenants should any issue arise – just to name a few responsibilities.

Here are five tips that may make your life as a landlord a little easier:

Screen Prospective Tenants Thoroughly

Properly screening your prospective tenants can be a huge boon for your rental business because it may help lower the risk of expensive evictions and other problems.

Ideally, you should do a credit check for landlords so that you can gain a full understanding of your possible tenant’s financial background.

With a credit check, you can glean information about a potential renter’s financial health such as:

• Applicants’ credit history

• A prospective tenant’s risk factors (a large, unpaid debt, for example)

• National and statewide criminal records

• Eviction reports

• Income data

  • Will your applicants be able to afford the rental property? Find out if you need additional income verification with this information

If you end up allowing a tenant to rent from you, keep all their information in one place with apps like Landlord Studio.

Foreclosed Homes

If you choose to purchase a home that’s in foreclosure, make sure you know what you’re signing up for with this sometimes complex investment option. A smart buyer will consider a variety of factors before signing a deal.

Elements to consider when you’re buying foreclosed property:

• Surrounding area: Is the neighborhood around the area well-maintained? Are other homes also in foreclosure in the area?

• Home maintenance: Has the home been properly maintained? Is the property up to building codes? Is the home in an overall good state?

• Dealing with current residents: Will you be leasing to the current residents or will you evict them?

While there are positives to investing in property under foreclosure, there are also considerable risks you may want to take into account.

Consider Older Tenants

Older adults are some of the best tenants you could possibly have. They are usually more responsible and tend to have more savings than the younger crowd. With younger tenants, you might have issues with partying, drinking, and property damage more than you would with older residents. However, make sure you’re following anti-discrimination laws when you are screening potential tenants.

Move-In and Move-Out inspections

As a landlord, you should do a walk-through with your new tenants and make sure to take photographs. This will help ensure your tenants don’t leave the property damaged and then try to claim later that the damage was preexisting.

In addition, it’s a good idea to have your possible tenants fill out a sheet making note of any damage to return to you so you can sign it.

Create a Strong Rental Agreement

A good rental agreement protects both the landlord and the tenant. In the rental agreement, you should have all the conditions and terms of the lease outlined in clear, concise language. Here are a few things you should include on your rental agreement:

• Names of everyone living on the property

• Occupancy limits

• Terms of tenancy (for example, six months or year lease etc.)

• Rent and deposit

  • How will rent be paid? By what date?

  • Will you let your tenants use a website like Cozy or Venmo to send rent?

  • When is the deposit due? How does the tenant get it back at the end of the lease?

• Quiet hours policy

• Pet policy and pet deposit

• Fees for late payment of rent and noise complaints etc.

• Repairs and maintenance

  • Will the tenant or the landlord be responsible for paying for repairs?

  • As a landlord, it’s a good idea to use apps like Thumbtack to find reputable technicians to fix any house issues that you can’t fix yourself

• Your contact information and hours of availability

• Prohibit illegal activity explicitly to avoid lawsuits and liability issues should you have any issue with your tenants

In Conclusion

As a landlord, there are a lot of different aspects of renting that you will be in charge of including collecting rent, establishing a habitable environment for tenants, and taking care of required maintenance as outlined in the rental agreement. However, by taking certain precautions like setting up a robust screening process, you can better protect yourself and be on your way to creating a real profit.