Can You Afford To Skip Renters Insurance?
July 11, 2016Whether they’re in Baltimore, MD or Houston, TX, the first thing people think about when they rent a new place is getting renters insurance to protect their belongings, right? No, not really. Almost all homeowners have homeowners insurance — 95% of them, according to the Insurance Information Institute. Mortgage lenders require it, after all. But only about 40% of renters buy renters insurance. If you’re a renter, you may be wondering how much is renters insurance — most policies will cost you about $15 a month. But if your…
read more...6 Ways To Boost Natural Light In Your Apartment
June 15, 2016Living the rental life has its benefits: the flexibility to move whenever your lease is up, access to neighborhoods you might not be able to afford to buy into (yet), and someone to fix anything that breaks. However, unless you’re living in a superluxury building, chances are good that at least one room in your place lacks that gorgeous natural sunlight that’s the difference between a “charmingly cozy apartment” and a cave.But whether you’re moving into a new apartment for rent…
read more...How to Find a Roommate in Baltimore!
June 8, 2016Finding a roommate is a lot like dating. There has to be chemistry and common ground to create a match that’s made in heaven. At the end of the day, a good roommate should be someone you can enjoy coming home to — whether it’s a friend, a family member, an acquaintance or a total stranger. Finding the right fit can be the difference between living happily ever after and living in a nightmare. These tips will help guide you…
read more...12 Brilliant Ways To Keep Your Baltimore Apartment (or Home) Cool Without Air Conditioning!
June 1, 2016Let’s face it: It’s hot out, and it’s only going to get warmer as summer goes on. While it’s tempting to crank the AC or plant yourself in front of the nearest fan, these aren’t the only tricks to keeping cool. It turns out there are plenty of ways to buffer your home from the heat without racking up your electric bill. And they’ll make you feel like a DIY champ, too.Keep your cool, and…1. Keep your blinds closed. As simple…
read more...11 Apartment Hunting Tips for Renters
May 17, 2016If you've ever had to look for an apartment, you know the process can be time consuming and stressful; even more so if you are new to a city or are looking in a competitive market where hoards of people show up to see every unit. There may not be a way out of doing the legwork, but these 11 tips can help you get organized, set your priorities, search smart, save time, and stay focused every step of the way.1.…
read more...8 Common Misconceptions About Section 8, Corrected
May 10, 2016Did you know that there are grants that can help real estate investors with the acquisition of investment property?Did you know there are programs that will pay above market rent for your investment property?Sure you do… but there are so many misconception about using government funds, they may be deterring you from maximizing your investments.There are numerous government sources to assist you in your real estate endeavors: to name a few, there’s the HOME Investment Partnership Program, local and federal block grants,…
read more...The Top 14 Things Landlords Wish Tenants Knew
April 28, 2016Sometimes the landlord/tenant relationship can be a difficult one. But it does not have to be that way, and it certainly does not have to start out that way. As landlords, we try to get this relationship off to a good start and keep it that way by taking care of our properties and tenant concerns.But some tenants, perhaps due to past experiences, prepare for the worst and thus approach the relationship ready for a fight. Maybe they have never…
read more...8 Tips to Create Income From Rental Property
April 19, 2016Here is some advice from experts to keep your rental money flowing in the right direction!!!1,Keep your goals in mind. Investors need to know why they are in the rental market and what they want to accomplish financially, says Wendell De Guzman, chief executive of the real estate investment firm, PCI in Chicago.If the goal is to live passively off the rental income, then investors should know how much income they'll need. The tax rate changes as income becomes passive, says…
read more...5 Tax Tips for Landlords
April 8, 2016Here are some often-overlooked tax tips that can help you manage the tax side of your rental property.Renting out a residential property can be a solid investment, but there are many tax rules that must be followed in order to claim income and expenses properly. Tracking and organizing your rental receipts is the first step in managing the tax side of your rental property, but there are a number of other important — and often-overlooked — tax tips for landlords.1.…
read more...8 Things You Can Stop Buying Today!!!
March 21, 2016As you run a household for a decent length of time, there are certain things that become automatic. Like the shopping list—stuff runs out, you buy it again. But what if you didn't? Could life go on just fine without a few of those things you're always buying at the store? And could you save a little money in the meantime?Here's the challenge: next time one of these 8 things runs out at your house, instead of automatically putting a…
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