real estate

Never send money before viewing the interior and meeting the property manager or owner. Many times these con-artists will have an elaborate story as to why they can’t meet prospective buyers or renters.

If you are looking to sell your house, you should make potential buyers say “WOW” with curb appeal before they even walk in your house. This is accomplished by giving your house curb appeal. The MLS requires you to put a picture of the outside as the first picture of the listing so people may […]

Radon awareness has risen substantially the last few years because it is a serious threat to families all across America. Radon is estimated to cause 20,000 deaths each year from lung cancer according to the EPA and the Surgeon General Office. Smoking is the only cause of lung cancer that takes more lives per year. […]

Real estate is not a sprint, it is a marathon. Many people get into the real estate industry because they think that they will be able to make a lot of money in a very short amount of time. This is not the reality in most cases.

In order to be a successful Realtor or investor, you must think long term.

1. Set Your Business Up Right

Understand your philosophy and your business model. You do not want to reinvent the wheel. Model successful investors and Realtors that you admire. Interview them and find out how and why they are successful. How did they start? Would they do anything different if they could start over? Did they encounter any roadblocks and how did they overcome them?

If you are interested in finishing your basement because you want to put it on the real estate market in Chicago, read this first! Many people do not realize that having a finished basement can really increase the value of a home in Chicago. You get the best return on investment when you finish a […]

If you ever get a frozen pipe in your home, you will be in for a substantial amount of damage and headache.  Frozen pipes can stop the water flow and what’s even worse is that the pipes can expand and crack or burst. Did you know that a small 8 inch crack can leak up […]

Owning rental property has several advantages especially when it comes to tax deductions.  Almost everything that you purchase to run your business is tax deductible as long as it is ordinary, necessary, and the cost is reasonable for the item or service you are purchasing.  (As a friendly reminder since we are almost into February, […]

Today in Chicago you could throw a boiling pot of water into the air and it would freeze before it even hit the ground.  That is why it is so important to make sure your real estate investment is properly winterized.  It is ideal to winterize in the fall but the weather today inspired this […]

Most people become real estate investors for one reason and it isn’t money typically, it is the flexibility and lifestyle that real estate provide.  People love the fact that they can work from home.  The U.S. Small Business Administration reports that over half of all small businesses in America are based from home.  This has […]

If you are thinking of taking the Holidays off, think again.  This is the best time of the year for Realtors to get great deals for their buyers and the best time for investors to pick up houses at bargain prices.  It is true that there is typically less inventory but there is also more opportunity […]