Believe it or not, the end of the year is already upon us. By the time we account for the holidays, it may as well be over, especially when preparing your investment portfolio for 2025!

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!

Every investor benefits from the counsel of a financial advisor. Ideally, your advisor knows you, what you want and need, and the essential aspects of your investment strategies. Their perspective and know-how help construct effective action plans and mitigate risk along the way.

But advisors aren’t just there for big-picture talk. Before you move forward with a property acquisition, consult your advisor to ensure you’re making the best decisions possible for the health of your investment portfolio.

As a passive real estate investor, here are some key topics to cover:

Committing to a huge financial decision is never easy. It’s a process of back-and-forth, pros and cons, self-doubt, and infinite, exciting potential. For many, this is the decision to make a significant investment. We all know how critical due diligence is, including asking serious questions!

Let’s do a quick self-evaluation. On a scale of one to ten, how good do you consider yourself with money?

There’s a lot of different criteria that could go into your answer. If you really think hard about it and try to answer honestly, it might take some time to come to a conclusion. If we’re honest with ourselves, most of us have weaknesses when it comes to money management.

Who doesn’t love a good podcast? If you haven’t decided to start listening to podcasts, we encourage you to give them a shot. They’re great when you’re traveling, commuting, or even doing low-focus tasks that allow you to listen.

We live in a world where pretty much anyone can start their own radio show over the Internet, and while there are definitely some duds out there, there are some real gems, and ones that real estate investors can learn from.

These are just a few business and finance podcasts we’ve found that you might want to check out!