Traditionally, investors have looked upon owning far-away rental properties with suspicion. It seemed impossible to own and manage a property that was hours away from you. In today’s hyper-connected world, these impossibilities have disappeared. If work can be done remotely, why can’t investing in real estate?

How would you describe yourself as a real estate investor? We’d hope you’d use descriptors like diligent, ambitious, successful, and driven. Unfortunately, though, not all investors have such sterling reputations. While there are many things you can be as a real estate investor, the one descriptor you want to avoid is sloppy or careless.

The build-to-rent (BTR) model has gained momentum over the past several years for good reason. This strategy, which builds new properties with the explicit intention to rent them out rather than sell them to homebuyers, helps bridge the affordability gap between would-be homebuyers and new construction.

There comes a time when every investor must grow their portfolio from one investment property to two. Portfolio growth is the path to passive wealth! No one can expect to build worthwhile passive income with only one investment property. But how do you know it’s time to scale up – and when you’re ready, what do you do?

In real estate, location is everything. Whether you’re determining where to invest for the first time, where to expand your portfolio, or whether or not your current markets are still best suited for investment growth, you need a set of clear guidelines and metrics to follow.

When it comes to investing in real estate, getting started is the hardest part. This has always been true, but it’s even more evident in an economic climate that puts homeownership out of reach for so many. If you can barely afford to buy your own home, how can you begin to consider saving up to invest in real estate?

Due diligence is a simple concept to understand but challenging to execute. It’s anticipating and mitigating risk, gathering accurate facts and data for informed decision-making, and doing your best to ensure you’re building your wealth and managing risk exposure.

For some, the real estate market has been profoundly confusing. No one could anticipate, after all, the radical impact the pandemic would have on the market. It seems like real estate is frustratingly stubborn in the face of attempts to quell raging prices. The seeming unpredictability of the real estate market may deter some people from joining the fray as buyers and investors.

While certain aspects of investing in real estate can be electric and exciting, the bulk of your investment strategies should be boring. If you’re always on a real estate roller coaster that thrives on hype and risk, you’re not going to achieve what you need for lasting investment success.

Business Insider reports that fraud within the real estate industry is on the rise. This increase is likely a reaction to a somewhat hostile housing environment. Buyers and sellers are feeling desperate, and that desperation is something unsavory characters will take advantage of. Unfortunately, these aren’t all scams we can see a mile away.