How to Use Real Estate to Supplement Your Retirement Income (Part I)

May 07, 2014

One of the most popular workshops we offer at Financial Finesse is our workshops on retirement planning. That’s probably because retirement is a financial goal common to just about anyone that works for a living. In order to enjoy a comfortable retirement, many financial experts recommend replacing 70-80% of your income in retirement, which begs the question “What are your retirement income sources?” Continue reading “How to Use Real Estate to Supplement Your Retirement Income (Part I)”

Why I’m Investing in Real Estate

January 30, 2014

I recently got a question in one of my retirement workshops about investing in rental properties for retirement. This can be a great idea for some investors. In fact, I just closed on my own first investment property. Here are some of the unique benefits to supplementing your other retirement investments with direct real estate: Continue reading “Why I’m Investing in Real Estate”

5 Myths About Real Estate Investing

October 03, 2013

With interest rates and home prices still low but rising and economic recovery and/or higher inflation possibly on the horizon, the prospects for real estate are looking pretty good. But it’s not an area that I’m as familiar with as other types of investments so I’ve been talking to a lot of people and doing my own research to better understand real estate investing. Here are some common misconceptions I’ve found that could be inhibiting people’s success in this area: Continue reading “5 Myths About Real Estate Investing”

You Want To Flip THAT House?

April 16, 2013

If Vanilla Ice can flip houses on the DIY Network and make money, then anyone can, right? After watching too many episodes of Flipping Vegas on the A&E Network, my husband decided he could make money by renovating a vacant house himself. Well, he wouldn’t be on his own. His son would be his partner through sweat equity. Could they buy low, make quick cosmetic improvements, and make some fast money? Continue reading “You Want To Flip THAT House?”

Rental Property in an IRA?

February 22, 2012

The second week of April is Spring Break for our kids so this year we planned a family vacation to Amelia Island, Florida.  We’ve never been there before so after perusing several possible forms of accommodations, we settled on a condominium close to the beach.  As expected, the owners of the rental property requested one half of the rent up front and then the remainder at the time of occupancy.  What made this particular request a little different was who, or in this case what, we made the check payable to.  Usually you make a check out to a person or to a rental management agency but in this instance we made our check payable to the property owner’s individual retirement account (IRA).  Huh? Continue reading “Rental Property in an IRA?”

So You’ve Decided to Buy Investment Property, Great! Now How Do You Decide Which Property to Buy?

February 10, 2011

Last week I tackled the question of what to consider before buying investment property and whether or not it could be right for YOU.  You may also recall that I stated that the actual property to buy was not necessarily a major driver of the decision – initially.

That said, the property you decide upon becomes a very important piece once you have made the decision to buy.  Some things to consider (in order of importance) before signing the purchase contract are: Continue reading “So You’ve Decided to Buy Investment Property, Great! Now How Do You Decide Which Property to Buy?”

I’m Thinking the Real Estate Market is Due for a Strong Turnaround. Should I Buy Investment Property?

February 03, 2011

I get this question all the time over the Financial Helpline and in one-on-ones with the employees we work with.  I also hear it regularly from friends who want to know my perspective on this as a financial planner.

What is interesting about this question is that the answer, surprisingly, has very little to do with the real estate market.  And that’s why so many people make bad decisions in this area.  They base their decisions on what they think the real estate market is going to do, when instead, they should be looking at their own financial situation to make a decision on this. Continue reading “I’m Thinking the Real Estate Market is Due for a Strong Turnaround. Should I Buy Investment Property?”