Real Estate

Now’s the Time to Become Your Own Landlord

You bear great risk. Your wealth is concentrated in a single investment — your business. Your personal investment portfolio lacks diversification.

Are you listening? Do NOT rest your entire financial future on a single investment. At the very least, fund retirement accounts to their maximum. Investing in real estate should also be an absolute priority, and the best opportunity is the facility your business occupies.

Rented Space: Are You Actually Getting What You Pay For?

Question: I'm renting 4,000 square feet of space (my measurement), but I'm being charged for almost 5,000 square feet. My real estate broker says this is standard. Is she correct?

Exchanging Equity for Income: The Reverse Mortgage

A reverse mortgage is a special type of loan used by older Americans to convert the equity in their homes into cash. The reverse mortgage is aptly named because the payment stream is reversed. Instead of the borrower making monthly payments to a lender as with a regular first mortgage or home equity loan, a lender makes payments to the borrower. Just as with a regular mortgage, ownership of the home remains with the borrower.

Pricing Real Estate to “Buy Right”

As with any asset, real estate is valued in three ways: asset method, market method and income method.

Business Owner and Real Estate: A Winning Combination

Real estate is an outstanding investment. Let's count the ways.

9 Essentials to Successfully Diversify into Real Estate

To reduce risk, every business owner should strive to diversify his or her assets and investments. Real estate has compelling characteristics and is a must-have in every business owner's portfolio. Here are tips for making the most of your move into real estate.

Ten Steps to Determining the Space You Need for Your Business

Whether you're a small start-up or an established business, you should begin each search by carefully thinking through your needs. A clear understanding of what you do (and don't) want for your business will save precious time and money, commodities that you undoubtedly want to plow into the business itself. So before you hit the pavement or engage a broker to help you find the right spot, go through the points below and analyze what's most important to you in a business rental.

Scam Alert: Home Mortgage

With interest rates remaining low but potentially poised for a rise, many homeowners are scrambling to refinance. Some of these loans are being resold to a "predatory lender," and you, the homeowner, become the victim of the mortgage scam.

Questions to Ask Before Signing a Real Estate Lease

Before you sign a real estate lease, investigate the landlord - his or her reputation for good management, fairness and financial condition. Also, speak to other tenants to determine how happy they are with the building, its location, their leases, and the landlord.