Twitter is still one of the top social media platform out there, alongside the likes of Facebook, Youtube, and Instagram. Twitter hasn’t had to do much to mix things up over the year. They’re still using 140 characters for users to deliver punchy, quick messages—messages that have sparked movements, delivered news, and created a culture of conversation.

For those that invest in real estate, Twitter can be a valuable tool for connecting with other real estate professionals. Whether you’re following for advice, news, or looking to strike up a good rapport, Twitter is a great way to do it.

That said, it can be hard to find good people to follow on Twitter if you don’t know where to look.  But never fear—we’re here to help you out!

Misconceptions in the world of real estate investment are all-too easy to come by.

Some are generated by what we think seems like common sense—it just seems logical, so we don’t stop to think about how it really is—or it comes from years of misinformation being passed around. Whatever the reason, myths have caused many an investor to make big mistakes in the biz.

It’s also stopped some folks from getting started at all!

One of the biggest barriers to getting started in real estate investment is money. Money is, for many of us, a big motivator for getting involved in investing in the first place. We’re dreaming of leaving our desk jobs for financial freedom, or trying to build up a strong retirement and secure a financial future for our children.

For whatever reason, money tends to play an important role. So there’s no surprise that there are quite a few misconceptions about money’s role in investing. We’re here to address a few:

We have been discussing the positives to the Memphis market as a whole for many years now.  The position of the market is constantly changing based on announcements from new employers, on new projects and new incentives for growing firms in the Memphis area.  

All of these developments weigh on the success of the Memphis housing market as well.  When jobs are growing; when companies are expanding; when there are new opportunities being created in the city, the positives from these types of developments spill over onto the housing market.

The city itself and the surrounding areas grow from a migration of new residents.  Job growth pushes down the unemployment rate.  Job growth helps drive up demand for housing on both the owner-occupied side and the renter side of the equation.  With greater demand comes appreciation, especially in more stable and desirable areas, as well as a rise in rents.

Both developments are great for long-term real estate investing.

Now comes word from Wambrodt Hotel Investments that they are high on the Memphis market and are looking at several hotel projects in the city of Memphis.  This is a big development because Memphis is sorely lacking in this area.  We need more hotel rooms and more updates to existing infrastructure.  

With several hundred rooms under construction or slated for construction in the downtown area, Memphis will be in the position to host future and larger events.  With that construction comes jobs during all phases including after they are complete.  Those jobs are big!  

Here is the newsletter from Herb Wombrodt highlighting why they are excited about Memphis!

New investors are usually concerned with keeping costs down. They want to see their profit margins go up and really...who can blame them? They got into real estate investment with hopes of making some money on the side, and the best strategy seems like it’s to spring for cheaper properties and keep costs low. Maybe they even decide they can landlord it themselves.

After all, do they even really need a property manager? What’s so hard about it?

And then, a few months in, they realize they’re losing their mind trying to do it all, nothing’s going like they wanted it to, and they aren’t even seeing the profits they want (or need), and it sure as heck isn’t passive income. What happened?

For starters, there’s an old adage that seems to always hold true for real estate, even if investors don’t always see it at first.

What makes a real estate blog worth reading?

That’s a pretty subjective question on the surface. It can be pretty subjective, true, but we’d like to believe there’s some sturdy criteria that you can follow when it comes to real estate blogs so you can know what’s worth reading.

How do you avoid getting suckered in by a bad blog? Whether it’s a dead blog, an empty sales pitch, or just plain bad advice, knowing where the good stuff is will save you some precious time and energy, and maybe some costly mistakes.

Here are a few things to keep in mind.

Let's talk about a topic that most real estate investors really hate to talk about, think about and sure don't want spend too much time reading about.  Rental property management!

This topic is about as polarizing as politics for real estate investors because so many have specific thoughts and beliefs.  And to be sure, property management is a tough business. Unfortunately, there is a ton of mis-information, innuendo and just plain false stories about the property management business.  

For investors who have taken on landlord responsibilities, you know just how demanding it can be. But most real estate investors never deal with the nitty gritty details of property management, even if they understand what goes into it. 

Unfortunately, that theoretical understanding of the gargantuan task of property management means that too many investors are willing to overlook quality to save on costs.

We understand—really. After all, you’re in this business to make money, and if you’re spending a ton on property management, it means fewer dollars in your retirement accounts when rent is due. Right?

Not so fast.

Its never too early to start planning for taxes!  It may be tax day 2016, but we have a fantastic webinar with Amanda Holbrook, formerly with Memphis Invest and currently a superstar at Specialized IRA services, to help you get planning for next year!

If you invest in real estate, there is a trend that you need to know about.  For real estate investors, and real estate professionals in general, big data is slowly transforming how we do real estate, especially when it comes to the buying and selling process. But it goes deeper than that, too.

Big data, more than anything, is making things more accessible, more transparent, and less risky for real estate investors. But how, exactly? What does it mean for investors?

Defining Big Data

Forbes has one of the best definitions of big data we’ve seen:

"Big data is a collection of data from traditional and digital sources inside and outside your company that represents a source for ongoing discovery and analysis."

This data can be high-volume or high-velocity to be “big,” and it’s only worth anything to you if it’s accurate. After all, making decisions based on bad data will wind you up in a world of trouble.

I don't know about you, but my email in-boxes get overwhelmed on a daily basis.

Every day I receive unsolicited “advice” emails wanting to inform me of the latest and greatest when it comes to real estate investing and wealth. It is truly overwhelming to read many of the emails and see how outdated much of the advice is.  

As human beings, we’re all prone to making  excuses for ourselves. Everyone deals with insecurities and fears—it’s natural. For anyone looking to have a successful business of any kind, getting past the excuses born out of these fears and negative thoughts is a crucial first step.