Big goals are good. Having the tools that can deliver are what will make all the difference in actually achieving them. Especially, without making yourself sick with stress, and still being able to enjoy the extra time you got into real estate to create in your life.

Try these tools out to upgrade and streamline your real estate investing business.

1. Real Estate & Private Lender Lead Generation

Use REWW’s SMART Suite software to instantly find motivated sellers, cash buyers and private lender leads in your ideal markets. Pinpoint the perfect deals, and automatically reach out with a direct mail campaign with just a few clicks.

SMART Suite gives all three components you need to meet your deal and dollar goals – sellers, buyers and the lenders to fund them.

Plus, you can use it to run comps on the fly, and get accurate values for making fast and smart offers.

2. Real Estate Lead Management

Identifying and attracting real estate leads is one thing. The real magic and money happens when you connect and follow up. 

You’ll need a great CRM software for this. There are many out there from the very basic to the insanely complex and customizable.

Close.io is a great new one that integrates email, SMS, and dialer follow up to automate and track every interaction so your team always sounds smart on the phone, and you close more deals.

3. Live Chat

Consumers and business owners are busier than ever. Time and attention are in very short supply. Buyer and sellers are making less and less effort. They want an immediate answer or they’ll keep hopping onto the next offer. Instead of relying on email or the phone and managing to connect with leads in follow up, live chat features can give you an upper hand.

There is Facebook messenger and Facebook chatbots for those real estate investors who are heavy on this social media channel.

Drift is one of the more recent additions to the line up of website live chat tools that can help you instantly connect with visitors and convert them into deals.

4. Real Estate Websites

Website builder software can help you get up new sites, landing pages and lead funnels quickly. You should always be testing, testing, testing. 

There are many to choose from including WordPress, Shopify and Instapage. Wix may not be as robust, but it is fast and easy to use. You can use to get up a site or landing page today, and integrate live chat features and Calendly for appointment setting.

5. Creating Real Estate Ads

Canva is one of the most versatile tools for creating real estate ads and marketing materials for generating more leads from all types of mediums.

There are free and pro versions to choose from. Use it to create image ads for PPC, SEM, and social media. Use it to create postcards, logos, brochures, images for your blog, business cards and virtually anything else you could need.

Even create your own brand filters so that all of your messaging and materials carry the same feel.

6. Email Automation Software

Email is still a very big deal in real estate lead generation. Most professionals still prefer email above most other methods of communication. If you’re not building an email database and using it, you are throwing away money and deals, and a lot of time.

There are many email software choices to pick from. Most do exactly the same things. The biggest differences are price, how well they integrate with other software tools you use and ease of use.

Mailchimp is one of the easiest to get started with. It’s free until you get a pretty sizable database. It integrates with probably the largest number of other software tools you’ll be using in your real estate lead generation.

7. Project Management & Team Collaboration

To get and keep everyone on your teams on the same page and working through the steps efficiently, you’ll need some type of project management software. Freedcamp is free. Trello has been popular for years. Wrike is a newer option that is simple to use and emails your team their daily tasks each morning. 

8. Communication

One of the most overlooked team and customer communication tools today is Whatsapp. It rolls all of the benefits of team meeting software, direct messaging, collaboration and more into one tool. One which seems to have become even more popular that Skype and Slack. Use to to share files, text customers, quickly switch across SMS, voice and video calls and avoid the noise of other channels.

Tax delinquent homes can be an attractive niche for real estate investors. This is especially true in times like these when many investors are finding it more challenging to find real deals through their old channels.

So, what are they? Why do properties end up in this situation? How do you take advantage of the opportunities as an investor? Where can you find the deals?

What Are Tax Delinquent Homes?

When we talk about tax delinquent homes we are typically talking about properties on which the owners have defaulted on their property taxes. They are late on paying these bills.

This doesn’t just have to apply to single family homes either. It works for any kind of real estate, including:

1. Vacant lots and raw land
2. Condos
3. Townhouses
4. Construction projects
5. Commercial real estate
6. Multifamily apartment buildings

When a homeowner does not pay their entire property tax bill on time, the local taxing authorities put a lien against the property. That means the property theoretically cannot be sold or refinanced until those taxes are satisfied.

Then the tax lien is put up for auction to investors. Investors bid on the returns they are willing to purchase the debt for. This may run from 4% to 18% depending on the demand for tax liens in that area. 

If the homeowner brings their taxes up to date, including fees, fines and interest, then the investor collects their returns, and the lien is released.

If the homeowner does not redeem themselves within the grace period (approximately 2 years), then the lien holder (investor) is able to foreclose and take the real estate secured by the lien.

Why Properties Become Tax Delinquent

There are many reasons for tax delinquent properties, including the following.

Financial Distress

As with any other bill, it is not uncommon for property owners to fall behind due to job losses, medical bills, lawsuits, divorce, and just generally over stretching themselves. 

Paperwork Issues

Sadly, one of the most common reasons for property tax liens is paperwork mistakes. Some property owners have lost their homes for less than $10 in erroneous fees or late fees which they overlooked or for which payment was not recorded. 

Fast Rising Property Taxes

In many cities and states property taxes are rising fast. This can be a combination of escalating property tax rates and special assessments, as well as increasing property values and tax assessed values.

New Tax Law Changes

New tax law changes have really increased the financial burden on many property owners. In states with state income taxes, caps on deductions mean property owners can no longer fully deduct their mortgage interest and property tax payments on their federal income taxes. 

Fraud

Recently we’ve seen more and more cases of various types of real estate fraud and questionable practices. Sometimes mortgage lenders and title companies who collect property tax payments into escrow never pay them. Leaving the owners out of their money and buried under fees before they know what hit them. Some cities and counties also seem to be using this strategy to make money. They have systematically foreclosed on tax delinquent properties and resold them for big profits. 

IRS Tax Liens

In addition to property tax liens IRS tax liens can be attached to real estate as well. These can present opportunities among motivated sellers and for helping those in this tough situation with creative financing techniques.

Why Buy Them?

There are several ways to invest in tax delinquent properties. This includes bidding on tax liens and simply collecting great yields when homeowners catch up and pay them off.

Other real estate investors will use these liens as a backdoor acquisition strategy to take the property at deep discounts. The property can then be rented out for cash flow or flipped for lump sums of cash.

Or the properties can be purchased directly with creative financing or with cash and can be flipped or rented out.

Top Cities For Tax Delinquent Homes

According to Foreclosure.com five of the top cities for tax lien sales right now include:

1. New York City
2. Washington DC
3. Houston
4. Atlanta
5. Chicago

How To Find Tax Delinquent Homes For Sale

There are three main ways to find tax delinquent homes:

1. Attend local courthouse tax lien auctions
2. Bid on tax liens online
3. Use REWW SMART Suite to instantly find all the tax delinquent homes in America

Kansas City Real Estate

Zillow ranks KC as one of the hottest property markets in the country. While some major coastal cities are going through a correction, Kansas City home values have still been going up. They are predicted to rise by at least another 2.3% in 2020. 

The median home value here was just $149,500 as of the fourth quarter of 2019. The median asking price per square foot is around $134. With average rents only $1,025 per month. That is at least 30% less than the national average. 

This has become one of the most popular cities with millennials seeking a great balance between affordability and lifestyle. New remote work trends mean that even though Kansas City has a strong job market, online workers can make Silicon Valley and New York City wages, but live here and pay a tiny fraction of the housing costs. 

As other big cities have become overheated and too competitive, KC provides real estate investors with opportunities that can still cash flow and have room for growth. It can be a great place to buy to live, build a rental property portfolio or flip houses.

What Makes A Smart Property Investment?

No matter where you are looking to invest, there are three key principles that are core to your success.

1. Make Your Money When You Buy

Speculating on appreciation is not much more than gambling. Look for discounts and properties that you can add value to with improvements. 

2. Know Your Numbers

Renovating properties can seem like a great way to flex your creative side and design skills. However, as Warren Buffett says, “The best investments are the most businesslike.” If you are doing this to make money, treat it like a business, not a hobby. Be objective and focus on the numbers.

3. Have a Great Team Lined Up to Help

You can’t do it all yourself. Your ability to turn an opportunity into a profitable property is all about having the best team of contractors lined up to quickly work through your punch list.

Know What You Are Really Buying 

New real estate investors struggle when they don’t really have a handle on what they are buying. Do your homework.

A title and lien search and survey will show you exactly what you are buying. It will define your ownership rights and the boundaries of the property, as well as any debts attached to it.

Property inspections and contractor quotes will help you assess exactly what you are getting with the property. It will help you assess a fair offer, create a rehab budget, and make accurate profit projections. Be sure to inspect for those less obvious and more expensive repairs, like foundation cracks, pest inspections, plumbing and electrical and roofs that need replacing.

Be sure you know the market too. What can this property really rent for? What can it really sell for? How long might you have to hold onto for a renter or buyer?

Financing Your Investment

One of the best benefits of investing in real estate is the ability to use financial leverage. This can come in many forms. The more capital and credit you can line up in advance, the more flexibility and breathing room you’ll have.

These options may include:

• Personal, business and home equity lines of credit
• Portfolio loans for financing multiple properties at once
• Vendor and contractor financing
• Hard money loans
• FHA 203k loans
• Rehab and construction loans
• Private lenders
• Equity partners
• Real estate crowdfunding portals

Summary

Kansas City, MO has become an increasingly attractive place to move to and invest in real estate. It is an affordable market with lots of room to grow. One which is expected to be a top performer. Stick to your investment principles, know your numbers, thoroughly inspect what you are buying and get great help to make this a truly profitable investment. One which you can keep replicating to grow your portfolio and finances.

What types of properties can you rent out for cash flow on Airbnb?

Short term rentals are hard to ignore for real estate investors. They offer supersized incomes and yield potential, without the usual pains and eviction risks associated with long term and annual tenants. Many regular property owners and investors are using short term booking sites to rent out single family homes for great cash flow or to offset the cost of ownership of extra properties. Yet, there are many different types of units that can be applied to this cash flow strategy.

1. Spare Rooms & Shared Spaces

Airbnb started by its founders renting out space in their living room. Spare rooms can be a great source of extra income if you already own a place or are looking to offset the cost of buying a home. Though, you don’t even have to rent out a whole room. A couch, sleeping bag on the floor, or even a bunk in a shared room could be rented for some serious extra cash.

2. Tents

Airbnb hosts have gotten pretty creative with alternative spaces to rent. You’ll not only find things like tree houses and Airstreams, but even tents. If you can’t afford to buy a whole house, or build an extra unit, then this is about as cheap as you can get to invest in a cash flowing rental unit.

3. ADUs

A whole new cottage industry and strategy of building Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs)to rent them out has popped up thanks to Airbnb. Think of these like separate mother-in-law quarters and guest houses in the backyard. This can help serious maximize the income potential of properties, especially in areas with limited land. Just be sure to do your math carefully and calculate your true cost of building and profits. Don’t forget you’ll probably need a building permit and inspections to make them legal.

4. Tiny Homes

While perhaps not practical for full time living for most families, and not easy to finance if you are trying to get a mortgage, the tiny home trend is refusing to die out. These can make great part-time rental units, especially for short term guests.

5. Manufactured Homes

Manufactured homes are making a big come back. HUD Secretary Ben Carson’s recent TV appearances have made a renewed call to advance manufactured housing as more affordable alternatives. He even has government teams working on reducing and clearing regulations and rezoning to allow more of them across the country.

6. Multifamily Apartments

While this may be a highly controversial issue in heavily rent regulated NYC, if you own apartments and apartment buildings, more and more of these units can be leased out for short term stays via sites like Airbnb, VRBO, Expedia and Booking.com. Finding a balance between serving the community with affordable longer term housing and the high rates of profits of short term rents could be what you need to maximize occupancy and your numbers.

7. Hotels

Think big. Airbnb has even announced the launch of its own branded hotels. It won’t be able to build them everywhere fast enough to keep up with demand. That leaves plenty of opportunity to acquire underperforming and distressed hotels and rent them for premiums on Airbnb.

8. Luxury Condos

Luxury condos can make great Airbnb pads too. In premium locations and curated well, they can attract very high rents for weekends and even as seasonal getaways for the uber rich.

Of course the one caveat here is to watch out for condo and association rules which can block hopes to leverage short term rental rates. There may be a sweet spot in new condos where there are no hard rules yet, because the association hasn’t been handed over to the owners. Or make sure you can have some sway on the board, for example as becoming the HOA president. This can help prevent future issues and new rules from destroying your investments.

Summary

There is more than one way to make money with Airbnb. In fact, there are many ways to be creative and create new sources of cash flow from a wide variety of property types. Find what you are passionate about and what resonates with your capital investors, and claim your own niche. Or dip your toes into a few of them.

Short term rentals are hot. From renting at premiums to vacation users, business travelers and the new generation of digital nomads, there appear to be great profits to be found in this niche. The question is, how do you finance these investments and get started or do more of them?

The Challenges of Funding Airbnb Investment Properties

It can take money to make money. It just doesn’t have to all be your money. It’s great to be able to walk into highly profitable cash flowing investments like short term rentals. Though, where do you get the money to get going or scale what’s working? 

Most traditional banks and mortgage lenders still may not be up to date on today’s market. They haven’t adjusted their underwriting guidelines. So, most may not give you credit for the anticipated income from these investments, especially without a long track record of managing them already. That can really stretch your debt to income ratios and disqualify you from conventional loans. If not your DTI, then the additional capital reserves they want you to have.

Even if you have been doing well in this real estate investing niche and has amassed several profitable properties, these banks and lenders can then cut you off for having too many mortgages.

So, what are the alternatives?

Specialized Airbnb Lenders

There are some lenders with loan programs specifically designed to allow credit for the potential income from rents and Airbnb income when buying a home. These may be ideal, especially as a newer investor. 

Hard Money Loans

If you are taking on a distressed or out dated property to renovate or improve and furnish as an Airbnb rental, then conventional lenders can be even more of a problem. Many may not approve a loan on the current condition. Unless you’ll also be living in the home and can qualify for a FHA 203k rehab loan. The alternative may be to begin with a hard money loan to make the acquisition easy. These lenders may even include funds to complete your rehab and updating. Then, once you have proven rental performance of a period of six months to a year, you can refinance on a more traditional long term loan at much better rates and payments.

Commercial Mortgage Loans

Commercial mortgage lenders get this strategy and the dynamics much better than traditional banks and residential lenders. They are loaning for investment purposes. Even if this is a condo or single family home.

This can be an ideal source of funds for your investments if you are looking to acquire a whole portfolio of loans, an apartment building, or have many income property assets and want to leverage pent up equity in a bridge style loan to expand.

Blanket mortgages can help simplify financing, by funding multiple assets in one loan and set of paperwork.

Construction Loans

The dynamics of the current property market may mean it is more profitable and easier to build new units to rent our Airbnb style than to acquire existing property. Although often rarer, if you qualify, a construction perm loan can help fund building it, and then roll right into a long term fixed rate loan with low payments on completion.

Private Money

Private money lenders can be incredibly beneficial here. They shouldn’t have the underwriting quirks you’ll encounter with traditional banks. Present your opportunity well, and you can gain access to very flexible funding. Often at far better rates and terms than you’ll find elsewhere. 

Personal Loans & Lines of Credit

With a very wide variety of types of units which can be rented on Airbnb, some investors may find the easiest and lowest cost option is just to use a personal loan or line of credit. Business lines of credit and even credit cards may work. This way the property itself, the condition or how you will generate income from it really won’t be an issue.

Owner Financing

You may not need to obtain outside financing at all. You may be able to negotiate owner financing with the existing owner. More and more property owners are finding it harder to sell for top dollar quickly. With the ability to generate supersized rents from Airbnb, you can offer them a good price and take over their payments with little out of pocket.

If you mistakenly purchased an investment property in a city or association and then found out you can’t rent it out on Airbnb, then you may also use this strategy to sell your property.

Airbnb has become incredibly popular and is even working on going public and opening its own branded hotels. Many real estate investors and brokers swear by the great profits short term rentals can offer property owners. However, just because everyone else is doing it, doesn’t always mean that you can too.

Despite how common buying property and renting it out on Airbnb and other short term vacation rentals websites may be, that doesn’t necessarily mean it is legal or allowed. The consequences of even unintentionally breaking these rules can be severe. At a minimum you may face additional taxes and very heft daily fines. In other cases, associations can become even more of a pain to deal with.

Renting Your House Out On Airbnb 

Airbnb and similar short term rental sites have become so popular in investment and Realtor circles for their higher rents. In many cases they can generate 2-3 times the rent the same units would rent for on an annual basis. Realtors also enjoy the higher property management fees they can get from these units.

Although there has been a big outcry over how Airbnb may be destroying housing affordability and culture in some communities, it can be appealing. It may be helping some to afford their homes by renting out extra units, or to offset the cost of holding onto homes with mortgages when moving and waiting to sell a previous home.

There may be additional taxes, commissions, maintenance and management costs, but many seem to be excited about the pay off. In many cases these properties may rent for more than local hotel rooms on a nightly basis.

The Secret Superpowers of Associations

It is important to remember that Airbnb and short term rental of under 30 days are not legal everywhere. NYC is one of Airbnb’s major opponents. You can be found to be illegally renting your property or operating as a hotel without a license. In addition to the extra taxes, your city or county may have huge daily or per infraction fines. In the case of lower cost properties, these fines may quickly exceed the value of your property.

It’s obviously not hard for authorities to find out if you are renting out your home in this way. If they haven’t already automated the process, it only takes them 5 minutes a month to check the major short term rental sites and Craigslist and start mailing out fines to boost their revenues. 

Even where there may be no specific law against it, individual condo associations and HOAs can have their own rules. They are incredibly powerful. Perhaps one of the most powerful organizations we have in the country.

Many may have created special rules to ban Airbnb style rentals. Even if you see your neighbors trying to get away with it.

There are many other association rules which can effectively block these rentals too. If you aren’t careful when buying and carefully read the fine print in those big stacks of condo by laws, you might be surprised at what you can’t do with your property.

There can be rules preventing you from renting out your property at all for the first 1 to 3 years. They may even try to put deed restrictions on reselling your property in the short term. You may even have to get special permission to have visitors or overnight guests.

Even in the absence of these regulations, virtually every association is going to have the ability to screen and approve any renter or buyer of your unit. This can be a long process. It can cost hundreds of dollars for a renter to apply. The approval criteria may be even tougher than for getting a mortgage or getting into a traditional rental complex. Make sure you know this process very well in advance of contracting to buy any units in an association. Know that these rules can be changed by the board at anytime too.

What if You Bought the Wrong Property?

What do you do if you bought a house or condo with the expectation of renting it for big money on Airbnb, and now can’t?

It’s probably not worth the risk of just trying to get away with it. It’s too expensive. Besides the fines, it can really cause a lot of friction with your association. They might stalk every visitor you have to the point it even turns off potential buyers and forces you into foreclosure.

Alternatives may be to:

• Rent it out on an annual basis
• Rent on a longer seasonal basis (6 months or more)
• Resell it conventionally or as a turnkey rental
• Move in

Summary

Airbnb style rentals can generate large amounts of income. However, just because it is popular, doesn’t mean you can do it with your unit which is in an association. Know before you buy. Stay involved with board meetings to stay ahead of changing rules. If Airbnb is your investment strategy, look for properties in areas where it is legal and avoid associations. 

Real estate was almost completely reliant on the phone just a few years ago. You had to have superior phone skills to get deals, close them, and keep your customers and business partners happy. Many have since drifted away from the phone. That could be a big mistake. Effective phone handling is still very important. How you do it can still really make all the difference in your business, profitability and net income. So, what are the best moves and tools to do it well?

The Importance of Answering the Phone in Real Estate Today

While we have many more ways to communicate today, the phone is still extremely important. It can give real estate and business professionals a level of connection you just don’t get with other modern mediums. Some people still just prefer to use it.

Most people may not answer the phone anymore. The same is true of businesses. Yet, you don’t want to lose the great deals from those who do prefer the phone. So, you have to be prepared to answer when they are calling.

If you are, and do it well, this one factor can be a major differentiator which enables you to stand out from everyone else, and gives you are great edge in closing the best deals and keeping the best customers. 

Many of the best leads, including the best qualified buyers and motivated sellers will want to call. They are serious and want to take action, but want to speak with a real human before committing. Don’t miss out. 

Two key points worth noting are firstly that this isn’t true for everyone. You will lose a ton of leads if the phone is your only closing method. Your funnels should favor your optimal method of communication, just don’t forget it isn’t about you. It’s about them.

Often the first touch won’t be by phone. They want to see you online, explore your website or blog, email or text, and then call. If you drop the ball on these other things you’ll never get to the call and close.

The Importance of Answering the Phone Fast

Speed is essential when it comes to answering the phone. The data shows that every minute and second can dramatically decrease your chances of closing a lead. It’s hard and expensive enough to generate real estate leads today. Don’t waste the budget and opportunity by failing to answer when they call. 

If you don’t pick up in the first few rings they hang up and call the next competitor on the list. They’ll keep going until someone answers, even if they aren’t as good as you. It’s all about showing up and being there at the right time and place. If you don’t anwer live, they’ll probably be talking to your competition by the time you call back, or they will have already signed a deal. You’ll be throwing all of your marketing money down the drain. Note that this can be just as important for current and past clients too. Winning the deal is just the beginning. Don’t lose them after that because you were too slow to answer. 

Answering Services

Despite knowing all of the above, being able to answer every call yourself is going to be impossible. If you are any good at what you do, you might have multiple voicemail boxes filling up every day, along with hundreds of emails and social media DMs.

Automated phone systems used to be the answer. Those really annoying systems which make you push buttons to go further down the rabbit hole, while getting nowhere. No they more often seem to be the choice of companies who don’t actually want to talk to their customers.

The best evolutions of these systems today use AI bots to interact with callers. You’ll probably never know the difference. They sound like humans and often behave better than them.

If that’s not in your budget, and your in-house team can’t handle it either, then outsourcing calls with a virtual business phone system is probably a great next step. You can forward your inbound calls to virtual assistants at different hours of the day so your service is always on.

There are also remote virtual answering services. They just act like receptionists to answer the phone and take messages. Unfortunately, most are terrible. They are completely uneducated about the business. They just cause more frustration by not being able to answer any questions. Be careful about adding more stress or reasons not to do business with you.

You should be able to recruit phone agents or call centers relatively inexpensively. Or look at the services you already pay for. They may offer answering services for free. Business mailboxes and coworking spaces are an example.

Nail this part of your business and you’ll have an amazing edge over the competition.

Kribbz has been gaining a lot of attention and traction out there. If you haven’t seen the yard signs in your neighborhood yet, there is a good chance you’ve seen Kribbz.com on YouTube, Instagram, in a real estate magazine or a post shared by a friend. Here’s what you need to know about it, and why you probably can’t afford not to use it.

Kribbz: The New Way to Buy, Sell & Invest in Homes

Kribbz.com is the brainchild of longtime entrepreneurs Robert Kanaat, Howard Paynes and myself.

If you own property, are considering buying, are an industry professional or real estate investor, you can’t afford not to know about this opportunity.

The Problems Plaguing the Real Estate Industry

There are many challenges that have been plaguing the property market and industry for a while. They’ve needed to be disrupted. If we don’t fix it together, regulators will, or the market will respond in a way that we really don’t like.

A lack of adoption of technology is one of the biggest. There is so much new tech out there. Yet, so little use in real estate. Overall it is really a prehistoric industry. From listing to viewing properties to financing and closing on them, the business has really been out of touch with the environment we live in now. If it’s not convenient, then it is going to be passed up.

At the same time there has been a lot of new tech attempts to make a foray into real estate. A lot of intelligent people, who are smart with tech and want to help modernize the industry, but who really don’t know the real estate industry. That’s just as much of a problem, if not more so. It takes mastery in both camps to really nail innovations that work and help people.

Real estate commissions are another highly controversial part of the business. Realtors have provided valuable and much needed services to many home buyers and sellers in the past. They are just too expensive for most. Especially those who need the most help buying or selling homes. They can take a bite worth thousands and tens of thousands of dollars or more out of your money and equity.

Even with Zillow, the MLS and Google maps, there is very little clarity in the housing market. There is very little confidence in what you are buying and who you are selling too. That’s a huge roadblock to individuals, families, communities and the national economy.

Even more of an issue, for everyone, is the time. It shouldn’t take months to sell or buy. It shouldn’t take all of those precious hours away from your family and life. It’s crazy.

Kribbz is changing all this, especially with its utilization of blockchain technology.

How Kribbz Works: The Basics

Put very simply, Kribbz enables homeowners to list their properties directly online, and get real cash offers for their homes from multiple buyers in hours. Buyers get to go on and purchase the perfect properties with great clarity, fast and online. All without the real estate commissions.

For Sellers

Selling your home through Kribbz is insanely fast and easy. You pop your address into the site. Upload some photos and information about the condition of your home. Kribbz will send out a certified home inspector, so that you attract more offers and higher offers.

You can begin getting offers from real cash buyers and will know the highest potential sales price for your property for cash within hours. Plus, you can do it all online and can save tens of thousands of dollars by avoiding having to use a Realtor.

For Buyers

Kribbz is just as good for buyers. You can go on, and find deals for sale in your preferred area in moments. You’ll see all the photos and already be able to view the home inspection report, so you know just what you are buying. Then make your offer, and buy fast, with confidence online. You’ll not only save a ton in Realtor fees, but in time too.

For Real Estate Investors

This is also a perfect platform for real estate investors. If you are flipping houses or are looking to pick up wholesale deals or rentals, this is for you. No more wasted time trying to scrape all the different sites out there or wasting money marketing and hounding people who won’t sell to you. You connect right with the serious and qualified buyers and sellers, and save an enormous amount of time. Use that to actually enjoy the perks of being in real estate, or do more deals.

Being an income property owner is one of the best ways to generate more income and create more wealth. It’s also a fast way to lose everything you’ve got and pile on the stress if you don’t know what you are doing.

It’s really sad to see some newer landlords really blowing their financial futures for the sake of these basic blunders. Make sure you are not one of them.

1. Failing to Understand True Rental Potential Before Making an Offer

This is one of the biggest risks facing new landlords today. If you don’t really know how much it will rent for, then you can’t make an accurate offer and secure a profitable price. Then you could be losing money every single month and have a hard time reselling.

Ignore local asking rents or average rents in the city. Look at what rental rates are in that neighborhood on leases being signed right now. Make sure you factor in the time it will take to lease. In a high demand neighborhood and with a good system you can have tenants in on day 1. In other markets and with poor management it could take 3 months to land a tenant, meaning your annual returns and net cash flow is much, much lower. Know what is typically included in the rent. Having to include water, electric and WiFi can make hundreds of dollars of difference each month. Calculate the cost of having to offer lease deals to new tenants. Know how much you can reasonably get if you have to stick with an annual of off season tenant versus peak season short term rentals. Be tuned into rental rate and demand trends. If the market is declining you need to build in more cash flow cushion to account for lower rental rates on lease renewals.

2. Not Filling Units Quickly

Ideally you’ll have a tenant moving in on the first day you take ownership of the property. If it needs rehab, then it should be the day the renovations are complete. Extended vacancy times not only ding your returns and cash flow, but will lead potential renters to think there is something wrong with your property. It changes the perception of the market for competitors and renters. Once you have a few rentals sitting empty in a neighborhood for a while, tenants want to pay less, and landlords can get into a price war and begin slashing their asking rates.

3. Nickel and Diming Tenants and Rental Applicants

No one likes to be nickel and dimed to death. Not mobile phone plan customers, not car shoppers, not mortgage borrowers, not landlords or tenants. It’s a huge turn off. It always makes the consumer feel like they are getting a raw deal and are being taken advantage of. Having 3 sets of application fees to make it look cheaper on the surface can bite you back hard. So, can a bunch of miscellaneous fees at the signing of your lease. It can cause a lot of fall out, and then much more paperwork and time consuming activities for lower returns on your time. Don’t you prefer a simple flat price so that you know what you are getting? You just want people to say what they do, and do what they say, right? So, do the same.

This especially becomes an issue when landlords try to nickel and dime their tenants after a lease is agreed to. Some landlords realize they didn’t do the math well and need to make more money. Going back and trying to add fees and costs onto the rent can be a serious mistake. It doesn’t matter if it is $10 or $10,000, tenants are going to feel you are doing them dirty. You’ll instantly lose trust and respect. They will only be able to assume that you’ll keep doing more of the same. They could make extreme moves to try and protect themselves or get even. The amount of your change doesn’t matter, it’s the principle.

If you made a mistake in your math or being clear on the terms, go back and explain first. Let them know what the issue is, why you need more money, and try to work something out fairly. If they still like and trust you, there’s a good chance they will go out of their way to help you.

Make sure you are mastering these items if you want to generate the best profits and really enjoy your time in real estate. Now check out the next 4 common landlord mistakes in Part 2 of this report.

You can also find leads on motivated rental property sellers here, and learn more about mastering being a landlord online in the REWW Academy.

4. Bartering with Tenants

This can seem like a really attractive idea in some cases. Executed with great skill it can create a lot of value and win-win solutions for both renters and landlords. Like trading rent for contractor and rehab work, or regular landscaping, or even housing team members. There are pros. There are also a lot of potential pain points if you get it wrong.

Too often these arrangements blur the lines of friendship, employer-employee relationships, and landlord-tenant laws. That can lead to many fierce disagreements, stress and negative branding.

Done poorly it can even devalue your real estate assets. At a minimum, make sure you keep your rental rates at market value on paper. Any bargaining should be done as temporary discounts, and rents showed be kept separate from work traded. For example; giving them back a rent credit or rebate, instead of accepting a lower lease rate. Whatever, you do, have clear boundaries and clear and well defined agreements. A basic “help me, and I’ll help you,” deal sound great, but too often ends up in disaster before long. Someone always feels they are getting the short end of the stick or misinterprets the deal.

5. Not Putting Everything in Writing

The above usually falls apart because things aren’t clearly put in writing. Everything in real estate should be in writing and signed in order to be legal and defensible in court. That includes leases, even month to month leases, and addendums or temporary adjustments. At least keep an email papertrail (not text messages).

6. Assuming Your Message Got Through

Many more landlord-tenant disputes and outrageous situations arise from other breakdowns in communication. Often because people aren’t getting each others’ messages. Never, never, never, ever just assume the other party got your message. Just because you sent it doesn’t mean they got it.

You might be trying to text them on a Skype number that doesn’t accept text messages. You email may have gone to spam, they might never check voicemail messages, some neighborhood rascal may have stolen the note you left. Always ask for confirmation of receipt. Some text and email services will let you know when messages are read too. Have your property manager take photos with a timestamp if they post a notice on a tenants door.

7. Failing to Pay People on Time

Nothing crushes trust or sours relationships like failing to pay people, or being late on paying them. As a landlord this can apply to contractors, deposit refunds to tenants, remote marketing staff, and more. It doesn’t matter if it’s $30 or $30,000, it’s about the principal. Plus, on those days you think you are struggling to balance money, you can bet they are struggling even harder.

So much relies on relationships and online reviews today. You just can’t afford to burn people for a few dollars. Know how much your brand, name and reputation and future finances are worth. If the number you owe is less than that, you can’t afford to drag your feet on paying them. You’ve got to fight the temptation to just head off on a long holiday weekend before making sure everyone is paid. You can bet that one person who was relying on the check to cover their kids’ birthday or anniversary that weekend is watching your Instagram feed. If they see you posting photos of dining out, and their fridge is empty, that $30 might as well be $3M to them.

Fortunately, the reverse is true too. If you are fast and consistent about paying people on time, you can bet they will go above and beyond for you and become some of your best referral sources and brand ambassadors.

8. Not Supervising Your Property Managers

It’s just smart to have a professional property management company handling your rental units. The good ones can do a far better job than the average individual landlord, and can create a lot more value and profit. Yet, some will know when you aren’t paying attention, and will take advantage of that. Make sure you are supervising and holding them accountable. Make sure they know you are.

AND NOW that you know what NOT to do, learn more about mastering being a landlord online in the REWW Academy.

Turnkey Real Estate Investment 101: What is it?

Turnkey real estate investing has been the norm, or even go to investment strategy for investors in Europe and Asia for decades. It really woke up in America after 2008.

This term is typically used to describe investing in fully managed single family rental homes. Instead of doing it all yourself, a turnkey real estate provider like REINation will find and screen the properties for you, help with tenant placement, and connect you with ongoing full time property management. All you do is invest and reap the rewards in your bank account, fund or self-directed IRA.

The Benefits of Turnkey Real Estate Investing: Why Do it?

There are several obvious advantages of going turnkey, including:

• Eliminating or at least shortening the learning curve
• Fast tracking getting started in real estate investment
• Ability to benefit from real estate without quitting your job
• Minimal to no time needed to acquire and scale an income producing portfolio
• Truly passive income
• Leveraging the best experts at every part of the process
• Long term wealth building
• Tax saving and deferring benefits of real estate

Essentially, if you are busy, you want to get going quickly to avoid missing out any longer, and you want to minimize risk as low as you can, and make expert moves, all without sacrificing your precious time, turnkey really stands out as an attractive option.

Turnkey Investing Vs. Other Real Estate Strategies

There are many great real estate investment strategies. You can use more than one, and probably should at some point. Different vehicles may be a better fit for your circumstances and needs at different phases of your life as well.

For example; real estate wholesaling is highly regarded as one of the fastest and lowest risk ways to get into real estate and get paid. Especially, if you are limited on funds and credit. It can produce sizable paydays fast. You don’t even have to get your hands dirty. Wholesaling can also be used long term at create scale as a very profitable business. On the other hand, unless you have automated this business it is very intensive. Meaning, if you aren’t out there buying and selling deals this month, you aren’t getting paid. You have to keep putting the work in, to get the money out.

The same goes for house flipping. Flipping houses is very intensive and time consuming. There are many variables and skills required. It can give you a bigger paycheck in one deal, in one month, than most people make all year. Yet, if you love your career or the foundation you are working for, you might just not have the time or desire to get dirty rehabbing abandoned homes.

You can do it all yourself as a landlord as well. Many love this. Though, you will have to deal with tenants and maintenance, and find the deals yourself. It’s just not passive like turnkey investing. Though great if you are living next door to a duplex you own and love talking to your renters all day long.

There are also turnkey style commercial real estate investments. These can be good too. Though with the exception of multifamily apartment buildings, investors do need to keep on the technology risk and how new tech is impacting these properties.

What to Look for in a Turnkey Property Investment

1. Strength of the location and future outlook
2. Pricing of the properties and what value is based on
3. Likelihood of return of capital
4. Likely return on investment made
5. Experience of the property management team
6. Plans for sustainability of the investment, income and company
7. Spread between any debt, expenses and rents
8. Potential for rental rate growth
9. Tax saving and deferring opportunities
10. Risk versus reward balance
11. Ease of staying on top of your investments (i.e. real-time online vs. quarterly paper statements)

Summary

Turnkey real estate investment has grown in popularity in the United States. It is a strategy that has proven to work for decades. It may be especially appealing to those with capital to invest, who are busy professionals, or have accumulated wealth through other forms of real estate investment. It’s quick to get started with. Just make sure you know how to take advantage of all the benefits, and what to look for in the best opportunities.