One of the most daunting tasks, for just about anyone who is interested in buying their first rental property, is trying to sort through the countless articles, courses, informercials, and books on buying properties and managing them. Unfortunately, most of them lack quite a bit of substance, often leaving you with the same questions you had at the start.
After having interviewed successful rental property owners and reading as much info as I could digest on buying properties, I began to purchase my own rentals and enter the realm of “professional landlording.” The learning curve was steep, but fast, and pretty soon, I began to coach others on how to buy their first rental homes. These experiences led to my book, How To Buy Your First Rental Property and Beyond. The book has been more successful than I had anticipated, probably because it provides what most of the other books, courses and infomercials lack (in my humble opinion) – a common-sense, “step-by-step” plan to help the reader successfully buy their first rental properties and build a solid landlording business.
One of my goals is to create a set of dynamic resources for both the novice, “wanna be” rental property owner and the experienced landlord. This idea was the seed for my site, HowToBuyRentalProperty.com, and even this blog. I have also started an email newsletter (ezine) aptly named The Landlord Business Insider, to cover longer topics that are simply too lengthy, or somehow not as appropriate for blogging format. You can sign up at the site for the currently free subscription at HowToBuyRentalProperty.com.
In addition, I have been hard at work on a Rental Property Owner / Landlord Resources section of the site (Update 1/18/2008: This resource site has been greatly improved and is now found at www.ManageRentalProperty.com) . You really should check this out and bookmark it, since I think the current content, as well as future plans for the site, will make it a valuable part of any property owner’s arsenal. I hope you find, like I do, that it provides the tips, “secrets” and “crucial” information you need to succeed. It contains a lot of *free* resources, like property management software (yes, fully functioning, free versions available!), mortgage rates and calculators, and government/legal links. I have included other cost-effective “landlording aids,” like books, services and “tools” to help enhance your effectiveness and efficiency at professional landlording. And that’s just the start of what you will be able to find in the near future…
Happy Holidays!
Warmest Regards,
Steve