It doesn’t matter if you own or rent — if you stay at a place long enough, you’re going to develop an emotional, personal attachment. That’s true for just about everyone — including your tenants.Your tenants have spent a solid chunk of time — whether it’s a year or 10 years — calling your investment …
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How to Buy and Rent Investment Property With a Business Partner
There are a host of benefits to working within a real estate partnership. When you work with a business partner, you split all the expenses for your investment (like property taxes and repairs) right down the middle. When you work with a business partner, typically there are different …
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5 Ways to Improve Your Rental Home’s Energy Efficiency
There are plenty of benefits to making your rental home more energy efficient. Not only is it the right move for the environment, but it also makes sense from a business perspective. An energy-efficient home keeps monthly energy costs down, which makes it easier for tenants to pay their rent — and …
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The Property Owner’s Guide to Renting a House with a Pool
Ahh, summer. It’s the perfect time for getting outside, enjoying the sunshine, and — depending on your property — taking a dip in the pool.Having a rental house with a pool can be a major asset in the heat of Texas summers. Not only can they add some serious value to a property (and demand …
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5 Helpful Google Earth & Maps Tips for Real Estate Investors
Back in the day, investing from a distance was tough. It was hard to get a good feel of the area, the property, and the city unless you got in a car (or plane!) and traveled there.But thanks to technology, today, it doesn’t matter where you are — you can get an up-front and personal view of a …
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The LEAP Property Management Proven Tenant Placement Process
As an investor and landlord, it can be hard to look at tenants objectively.Just imagine this scenario: You have a property that’s been sitting on the market for 90 days. You’re not getting any traction — no showings, no applications, no nothing.But then someone applies. Now, the application is…. …
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The DFW Spring Maintenance Checklist for Landlords
We may not have had much of a winter, but it’s official — spring has sprung in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.Just like spring cleaning presents the perfect opportunity to (finally) deal with those dust bunnies under your bed, spring maintenance presents a perfect opportunity to take stock of your …
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How to Protect Your Investment Properties with Six-Month Tenant Inspections
So you’ve got a fantastic new tenant in your property. Congratulations! The tenant screening process can be challenging, so getting a great tenant into your property is a huge win — but just because someone seems amazing doesn’t mean you can trust them blindly with your investment.When you …
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The 5 Biggest Lessons We’ve Learned While Growing LEAP
I started LEAP in February of 2012 with $7,000 in my account (on loan from my father). My first office space was in a spare room at a nearby church that was nice enough to give me their wifi password — since I clearly couldn’t afford luxuries like wireless internet on my own.I started with a single …
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How to Avoid a Bidding War When Buying Investment Properties
I want to kick things off with a good old-fashioned embarrassing story.When I was 14 or 15, eBay was the “new big thing.” I was on eBay searching for some Ralph Lauren Polo shirts (also a big thing at the time) when I found a 3-pack of shirts. I put in a bid and it looked like I was going to get …
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