When we as real estate investors turn our eyes to a new region to invest in, it’s important for us to investigate the area. After all, we’re putting a lot of time, energy and capital towards real estate investing — shouldn’t we know what we’re getting into?

Typically, the real estate investment business isn’t considered “dangerous.” There’s a level of risk involved in any investment of course, but every investor knows that going in. As an investor, however, you also have to look out for your physical safety as well as that of those who work with you — property managers, tenants and real estate agents. While no one wants to believe something bad could happen on your property, the possibilities are there.

A warning on the front end - this is a longer and definitely detailed blog post on Turnkey real estate investing.  But I think you will find it worth your time....

I have been working with turnkey buyers since 2004  andI have come to find that there are some common mistakes that many investors make when they start looking at Turnkey real estate investing. Some of these mistakes cost investors money and some cost investors time. As a company, we have made it our mission to be able to turn investors away when the investment or our company are not the right fit for the investor.  We want to tell investors "No" when we are not the right fit and often, they are making some of the listed mistakes below that helps us realize that we need to say no...  

Investing in real estate can very easily become a full-time job. As we’ve talked about before, a truly “hands off” investor is a myth. Real estate investment is a business and a job — and what you put into it is often what you get out of it. Investors have to follow up on leads, check in with their staff, keep up with real estate news and statistics, create strategies, deal with banks and agents and contractors…

It can be a big job!

In cities across the United States, particularly in large real estate markets, rent prices have been skyrocketing.  We have seen rent increases in many areas of Memphis as well as Dallas and Houston, although rents have not been rising like they have in some large cities across the country.  Many rents are also rising in multi-unit complexes which are seeking to add more and more attractive amenities, but are not shy about raising the rent at the same time.

While many markets are recovering from the recession (some slower than others), the demand for rental units — whether single-family properties or apartments — is still very, very high and shows no signs of slowing down. Whether its residual fear of foreclosure or shifts in our goals and needs in residence, renting is popular.

Investing in real estate may be something you’ve been considering for awhile now. It’s something you think you’d really like to do, but you still haven’t quite committed to jumping into real estate investment.  Maybe you are still in the learning phase and realize there are a lot of questions you need to be asking before moving forward.

Part of that still, perhaps, is that you aren’t asking yourself enough questions (or the right questions). 

If investing in real estate is just a theoretical idea of saving retirement money or building reliable passive income, take that dream to the next level. Instead of daydreaming about all the benefits of real estate investment, it’s time to knuckle down and make your decision.  

Your security later in life - the security of your investments - relies on your getting answers to serious questions now and surrounding yourself with a great TEAM before moving forward.  What better way to vet a great team than to get the answer you need and make sure you are pointed in the right direction as a real estate investor.

The Dallas-Fort Worth area of the Lone Star state is in the running as one of the best real estate markets in the country for 2015. Dallas-Fort Worth, along with sister cities Houston and Austin, were highlighted in the Emerging Trends in Real Estate report by the Urban Land Institute and PriceWaterhouseCoopers for their strong real estate fundamentals that set investors up for an excellent year.

We love Dallas as a company.  And....many of you may not know that all three of the Clothier bothers were born in the DFW metroplex and spent many of our early years in the area.  We still have family, friends and business associates there, so Dallas was a natural market for our company to grow into.  And speaking of growth...

As investors, we always need to keep pace with the markets we have our hands in and have our eyes peeled for what’s growing. Memphis Invest grew into the Dallas, TX market going on three years ago and that market has really taken off.  Today we have an incredible team at Dallas Invest, which is simply a satellite office.  A brand name if you will offering the same quality as Memphis and developing the same standards and culture as Memphis and the market is really responding well.

Lat year, we turned our eyes toward Houston, Texas as demand for more property from our clients continued to grow.  We wanted to offer choice.  But not just any choice...

Memphis, TN is full of history. It’s nationally recognized for its contributions not only to the culture of the South, but as a revolutionary epicenter for innovation felt throughout the country. Even today, things that came from Memphis decades ago have a profound impact on our culture — and most folks don’t even realize it!

We love Memphis for a lot of reasons and all are related to real estate, business and creating opportunity for other investors.  But there is so much more that makes Memphis great!  This is a tough and resilient city and we are currently under-going a revitalization.  We are learning again and our unique culture is what we need to lean on.  When you learn about Memphis, you learn a lot about what has made Memphis Invest the company it is today.

Updated September 2022

No one person can be more instrumental in the success — or failure — of your real estate investments than your property manager. They act as organizer, middleman and voice for your investment property. A good property manager not only keep real estate investors from having to deal with the daily grind of many landlord responsibilities, but they are key in finding and keeping good tenants.

There is a phrase that is often used when talking success for real estate investors.  It goes:  A bad property manager can destroy a great investment every time.