ATTOM, a curated real estate data titan, recently released the second quarter 2024 U.S. Home Equity & Underwater Report. And if you own property in the United States, things are looking up. 49.2% of mortgaged residential properties are considered “equity-rich.” This means these properties have a combined estimated loan balance under half of the property’s estimated value.

Every real estate investor starts with one property, but then what? Scaling your portfolio can feel as daunting as buying that first property. Some investors fear branching out into new markets or neighborhoods, worry about over-leveraging, or cringe at the thought of making a costly error. That’s all natural.

But at the end of the day, the only way to grow substantial wealth – the kind that leads to financial freedom – is to add properties to your portfolio.

When you do so with diligence, wisdom, and the right support in place, you put yourself in the best position possible to succeed.

What made you immediately decide not to buy something you were considering? A bad review? A greater expense than anticipated? Unfortunately for us real estate investors, there are no reviews for potential properties. Thankfully, there are red flags that help us know when a real estate deal is less than ideal.

Turnkey investors have an advantage here – their turnkey partners have plenty of experience identifying and vetting ideal investment properties. But that doesn’t mean you’ll always go this route. Regardless of your investment strategy, it’s good to know what red flags to look for…if only so you can ask informed questions!

With the 2024 Paris Olympic Games underway, we’re enamored with the Olympian spirit. Truly, fewer people are more resilient and dedicated on the planet! But as hard as these athletes train with blood, sweat, and tears, not everyone will win the gold. There will be failure and heartbreak.

To our Floridian readers out there, fair warning: we’re about to pick on your state a little.

Out of all the investment opportunities in the world, why invest in single-family rental properties? After all, it’s not the hottest or most exciting asset. But there’s a reason people have employed this investing method – with great success – for decades. Individual investors have specific goals: early retirement, financial freedom, generational wealth-building, etc.

Morgan Stanley recently called homeowners “strong hands” in the real estate market. Strong hands refer to those with the financial means and capacity to hold onto their assets long-term. They withstand market volatility and downturns.

When we talk about what makes a property an ideal rental, we often end up citing factors around the property rather than the qualities of the house itself. Things like location and proximity to amenities are of utmost importance – but it doesn’t mean any ol’ property in a good location will make a good rental.

In the sea of real estate investment asset types and strategies, two tend to pique the public’s interest more than others: short-term and long-term rentals. But how do these two stack up against one another?

What does it take to succeed in real estate investment? We’re sure you can think of plenty of skills and qualities. Honestly, so can we! But we want to boil it down to the essentials. Remember, hope is not lost if you’re not exceptionally skilled in these areas. Anyone can hone and enhance these skills to fuel their effectiveness as a real estate investor. And, for simplicity’s sake, we’re mainly referring to buy-and-hold SFR investing.

While these qualities apply on a broader scale, that’s the context we’re operating in, so that’s the kind of investing we’re speaking into!

Here are the skills you need to master: