Last year, my wife and I joined the league of accidental landlords. We were upside down in our home and couldn't sell it without taking a big loss. So after relocating for work, we decided to rent our house out. I thought it would be a simple endeavor to charge enough rent in order to cover our mortgage payment each month. But that was hardly the case when the rubber met the road. There were several important factors I neglected to take into consideration that hampered my return. I was struggling just to break even. With a mortgage … [Read more...] about The Trials, Tribulations, and Struggles of a First-Time Landlord
Landlord
The Top 7 Mistakes New Landlords Make
If you’ve recently become a landlord or are considering purchasing a second home for renting purposes, you’ve likely been introduced to a large bevy of responsibilities and duties you never expected you’d have. You can also find many mistakes landlords make. While renting out your property can be an extremely lucrative business venture, many enter the realm of rentals without proper knowledge or education on the subject and find it’s not as easy as expected. We’ve laid out the top mistakes landlords make when they run into, and the … [Read more...] about The Top 7 Mistakes New Landlords Make
Reader Question – Can I Rent Out Property After Hiring A Property Manager?
This is the next installment in the Reader’s Questions Series, which highlights questions emailed to me by you, the readers of Money Q&A. Be sure to find out at the end of this article how you can receive a free copy of Dave Ramsey’s book, The Total Money Makeover if I feature your money question on a blog post. If you’re not familiar with Dave Ramsey’s book, you should run right out and get it. It’s one of the top ten best personal finance books you should read. Today’s question comes from Jeff who asks about renting … [Read more...] about Reader Question – Can I Rent Out Property After Hiring A Property Manager?
Coming To Grips With Paying Your Rent On Time
Whether you have recently left home or full time education or your circumstances have changed, taking responsibility for paying your rent on your own can be a daunting prospect. Probably your most important outgoing will be your rent cheque, be that owed to a property management company, a private individual, local authority or a relative. Paying your rent and in line with your contractual obligation takes some organization. For even more practical and clear advice on subjects ranging from universal credit to where to get help if you fall … [Read more...] about Coming To Grips With Paying Your Rent On Time
Why I Don’t Mind Losing Money As A Landlord
I have a confession to make: I lose money on my rental property every month. But I'm OK with that. I've got a long-term plan. Or I'm still delusional and hoping for a turnaround in the housing market. Either way, I stubbornly refuse to lose $30,000 in home equity by selling. I'd rather pay $300 a month out of my pocket in the hopes of hanging on to what little equity I have left. It's a Renters Market Out There Much like a home buyer, a renter has a lot of purchasing power. It's a pure case of supply and demand if there ever was one. There … [Read more...] about Why I Don’t Mind Losing Money As A Landlord
Are You Ready to Invest in a Rental Property?
This is a guest post from Emily Guy Birken who writes at One Money Design. Now seems like the perfect time for investors to get started in the landlord business. The housing market is still recovering, which means that home prices are reasonable, interest rates are low, and rents tend to be relatively high. Under these circumstances, buying a rental property seems like a no-brainer. However, owning an investment rental property is not all about pushing wheelbarrows of passive income to the bank. Being a landlord comes with many risks-and … [Read more...] about Are You Ready to Invest in a Rental Property?
Ten Things I Learned About Renting My House
Getting your house ready to rent is a lot like getting it ready to sell. There are several things that I have learned about renting my house along the way that have greatly helped speed up the process. And, there were a few stumbling blocks too that could have tripped me up getting my house ready to rent. Here are ten lessons that I learned about renting out my house and hopefully it will help you as well. Ten Things I Learned About Renting My House First Impressions Matter The other day we were surprised with a tree that fell down in our … [Read more...] about
The Unintended Costs Of Being A Landlord
My wife and I recently listed out home for rent with a property manager. I found a great property management company that I have really enjoyed working with after asking tons of questions before hiring a property manager. Now that we have started to get the ball rolling finding renters and even showing our house to potential renters I have found a few expenses that have cropped up. Some of these costs were expected, but a few of these new expenses have kind of caught me a little off guard. Unexpected Expenses Of Being A … [Read more...] about The Unintended Costs Of Being A Landlord
Twenty Questions To Ask A Property Manager Before You Hire
More homeowners are finding themselves as accidentally landlords recently. Whether you are moving for a new job or relocating to be closer to home, many Americans are finding that they cannot sell their homes for what they owe on their mortgages. But, do you know the right questions to ask a property manager? So, if you are a landlord, the next question becomes whether or not you hire a property manager? A property manager will help you find tenants, fix problems with your home, and collect the rent or do you do it all … [Read more...] about Twenty Questions To Ask A Property Manager Before You Hire