The Ultimate Guide to VA Loans

Watch the entire 1 hour 19 minute class that James taught on VA Loans here: This class was taught on Veteran’s Day, November 11, 2020 via webinar. Benefits of VA Loans Nothing down Including the ability to buy new or resale properties including duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes No Private Mortgage Insurance (upfront funding fee instead) Less stringent credit requirements Typically lower rates (set by lenders in an open-market not the VA) Ability to do rate-and-term refinances even after you’ve moved out at owner-occupant rates No maximum loan amount (although VA does limit their guarantee amount) Loan may be assumable Can be … Read more

How to Improve Rental Property Cash Flow

Cash flow is a major factor when calculating whether you’ve achieved financial independence. In fact, we know that it is a combination of cash flow and the safe withdrawal rate of your other non-real-estate investments that determines your standard of living. With that knowledge, let’s look at the top 17 ways to improve cash flow on your rental properties. 1. Rent By The Bed/Bedroom Often renting a house by the bed or the bedroom will allow you to significantly increase the amount of cash flow you’re able to get from the property. Many house hackers use this strategy to significantly … Read more

Analyzing Multi-Family Properties

Investing in multi-family properties is a lucrative avenue for generating passive income and building wealth. Unlike single-family homes, multi-family properties—ranging from duplexes to large apartment complexes—offer the advantage of multiple income streams from a single investment. However, analyzing these properties requires a deeper understanding of the market, financial metrics, and operational considerations. This guide will walk you through the essential steps and considerations for making informed investment decisions in the multi-family real estate market. Understanding the Basics Before diving into the analysis, it’s crucial to understand what multi-family properties are and how they differ from other types of real estate … Read more

Establishing Your Buying Criteria Workshop

Buying Criteria Worksheet Download Follow along and fill out your own Buying Criteria Worksheet (pdf). If you want to edit the worksheet, you can download the Microsoft Word version. Unlock Your Real Estate Investing Success: The Establishing Your Buying Criteria Workshop As a seasoned real estate investor, I understand the importance of having a clear and focused approach to selecting investment properties. It’s not just about buying real estate; it’s about investing in the right properties that align with your long-term goals and financial strategies. That’s why I’m thrilled to introduce the Establishing Your Buying Criteria Workshop, a comprehensive guide … Read more

Expected Value

Expected Value is a mathematical term used in probability and statistics to determine what a typical value might be. For a more detailed definition and discussion, check out wikipedia’s article. Here’s how I use it with the Real Estate Financial Planner™ software to model my own real estate investments. First, I model my entire real estate investing strategy by entering it in the software. See the How to Create a Real Estate Financial Plan™ post to get a good tutorial on how to enter in your own real estate investing strategy. When I do my modeling I do include things … Read more

Interest Rate Buy Down Spreadsheet

Interest Rate Buy Down Spreadsheet

Trying to figure out whether you should buy down your interest rate? Use Brian and Brendon’s spreadsheet to quickly and easily do the math for making your decision. This is the latest version, version 3.01, for classes in 2020 and later. It now includes a special spreadsheet from Brendon on how to do an entire Portfolio Optimization for Refinances as well (sheet 3 of the spreadsheet). Download Version 3.01 of Interest Rate Buy Down Spreadsheet Previous Spreadsheet Versions The following is version 2 for classes prior to 2020. Download Version 2.0 of Interest Rate Buy Down Spreadsheet Classes On Buying … Read more

How to Minimize Your Monthly Payment with Your Lender

This evening I was preparing for my Cash Flow Explosion presentation on how to improve cash flow on your rental properties for our local investor club. The Cash Flow Explosion presentation is pretty much the same presentation that I gave to Nomads a month or so ago called How to Improve Rental Property Cash Flow. At the start of that presentation I talk about the importance of using the Lowest Monthly Payment Guarantee Checklist as a starting point for making sure you’re maximizing your cash flow on your rental properties. So, I decided to also share with you the section … Read more

Builder Walkthrough FAQs

Do you usually test for radon during the builder walkthrough? No. If you’re testing for radon on a new construction property, this is often done independently of the builder walkthrough. Why? Because typically radon tests happen over several days. The person doing the radon test will set it up and then come back several days later to pick up the test and record the measurements. Because it takes several days, we do not usually do radon testing during the builder walkthrough itself. Do you usually test each electrical outlet at the builder walkthrough? Some people will bring an electrical tester … Read more

Real Estate is the “IDEAL” Model for Investing

I talk to a lot of Nomads as well as real estate agents and lenders that work with Nomads. Most of the people I talk to believe real estate is an awesome investment–and it is. Some talk about how great it is that you can cash flow or that property appreciates. Few people remember the easy little trick for recalling the 5 primary benefit areas of rental real estate. Here’s the trick. IDEAL Real estate is often called the IDEAL investment because IDEAL can be an acronym describing the benefits of buying investment real estate (like we do with Nomad). … Read more