Rent may be a necessary evil for tenants, but for real estate investing, it's simply necessary. Rent is your positive cash flow, after all. Those savings are integral to having peace of mind in our uncertain and ever-changing economy.

We all want a good deal, particularly when it comes to our real estate investments and how we define that good deal is very important.  We all want less risk and most of us define good deals by how much money and how much risk they take.  

After all, there’s more risk involved in spending more money, right? While that may or may not be true, to a large degree, those in real estate investment must be wary of dirt-cheap deals on properties. It's tempting to jump on discounts with the assumption that if something is on sale, then it’s a good deal.  Just because you are buying something lower than the advertised price, does not mean it is a good deal.

Navigating the world of real estate investments can be a arduous task, to say the least. While it’s said to be one of the best sources of passive income (and it is!), that doesn’t mean that investing in real estate is always easy. Honestly, being a real estate investor can have difficult moments. You’ll have ups and downs and face daunting challenges. While some of the pitfalls of investing in real estate are impossible to avoid, there are some that you can.

As a real estate investor, one of the most challenging aspects of investing has to do with other people. Specifically, with tenants. Search the Web and you’re bound to find thousands upon thousands of hits regarding bad tenants. Some stories are so horrible that the only thing you can do is laugh — maybe because you can’t believe it yourself unless it happens to you.

Whether you are managing your own properties or you’re outsourcing to a property manager, there are ways to ensure that your tenants have a great customer service experience. 

Curb appeal is king when it comes to your investment properties. Not only does a great curb appeal help catch the eye of good tenants, but it keeps them happy with their home over time. Spring is a vital time to do some work to spruce up your curb appeal. In fact, if you don’t do some maintenance and landscaping in spring, your curb appeal is likely to suffer the rest of the year. This type of maintenance doesn't have to be painful chore, however; here are a few tips to make it easier.  

Sometimes Memphis doesn’t get as much credit as it deserves. Every city has its problems and Memphis is no different — but Memphis has a lot to offer its residents, its visitors and even real estate investors!  It’s where rock ‘n’ roll began and home to great food, great music and a lot of heart and soul. We love Memphis. Part of being a good real estate investor, even if you don’t live where you own rental property, is knowing your market and having a great team in place to help you. That means knowing the people, the city, and being able to sing the praises of the area and your partners.  If you cannot do those things...keep looking!