One of the first questions I hear from real estate investors is: Should I buy for cash flow or appreciation? My answer is usually: It depends. I know that’s not a very satisfying answer. But after 40 years in real estate, I’ve learned that investing rarely fits neatly into one formula. Cash Flow Is What […]
The Fed Just Raised Rates. Central Ohio Didn’t Flinch. On September 16, the Federal Reserve did what almost nobody forecast a year ago: it raised rates, a quarter point, to 3.75%–4.00%. The vote was 12–0. Mortgage rates had already front-run the move, climbing to 6.95% — their highest reading in more than a year. Here’s […]
Every October, thousands of people drive to Hocking Hills to see the leaves. Most of them get it wrong. They show up a week early and find green, or a week late and find bare branches. Or they hit the right weekend and spend it in a parking line at Old Man’s Cave. Peak color […]
I own both. And they’re very different businesses. A lot of investors look at a short-term rental and think: “I can charge $300 a night. That’s $9,000 a month!” Maybe. But that’s not how the math works. A short-term rental isn’t simply a long-term rental with a higher rent. It’s closer to running a small […]
The biggest mistake I see new investors make is falling in love with the property before they fall in love with the numbers. The house looks great. The neighborhood is improving. The rent seems high. The seller says it’s a “great investment.” Maybe it is. But none of that matters if the numbers don’t work. […]
I’ve been in real estate for more than 40 years. I’ve bought houses. I’ve sold houses. I’ve owned rental properties. I’ve made good investments, and I’ve made investments that looked a lot better on paper than they turned out in real life. So when someone asks me, “What makes a good rental property?”, my answer […]
One of the questions I get all the time is: “Should I sell my house now, or should I wait?” After 40 years in real estate and thousands of transactions, I’ve learned that the answer usually has very little to do with trying to predict the real estate market. It has much more to do […]
If you’re planning a Florida beach vacation, you’ve probably heard of Clearwater Beach. It’s famous for a reason. But here’s a little secret: You don’t have to stay on Clearwater Beach to have an amazing Clearwater-area vacation. In fact, if you’re traveling with family or a group, there are some pretty good reasons to stay […]
Freddie Mac has the 30-year fixed at 6.95%. Daily lender trackers are north of 7%. The Fed just hiked for the first time in three years, and the 10-year Treasury is sitting at its highest level in almost two decades. NAR’s chief economist, Lawrence Yun, says to expect 7% as the new normal. So stop […]
For long-term, mid-term, and short-term rental investors. Two numbers to anchor this month. 6,193. That’s Central Ohio’s single-family and condo inventory in August — the highest August level in over a decade, per Columbus REALTORS®. 7.3%. That’s the national rental vacancy rate, per the Census Bureau, essentially unchanged from a year ago. Translation: you have more product to buy, and the […]
