USEFUL LINKS
What I used to get started in EVERYTHING Real Estate Related: BiggerPockets – a huge real estate social network dedicated to helping out successful real estate investors like you and I.
Google Maps. Awesome tool to take a virtual tour of properties before you buy them when you combine aerial with street view surveys. Be wary of imagery dates, though! In most cases, you can even pull up old imagery of the same house / street / neighborhood from the past to see how the area has changed over time.
Podcasts that I found extraordinarily helpful for knowledge and keeping current (even to this day):
And many others, but these are my favorite….
For checking up on Multiple Listing Service data, I’ve been advised by agents in multiple states that the home estimate values can be WAAAY off (especially in transitional markets), but these are the commonly used ones: Zillow, Redfin, Trulia, Realtor.com. Still, I use these sites as a quick check and may often cross reference each site for the same property. I also use them to pull recently closed properties nearby for comps (within 6 months ago ideally, and within a 0.25 mile radius). They are great for basic data from taxes, insurance, bed / bath, square feet, and year built, including last pics from the previous rental listing or sale listing.
Craigslist. In some markets, people use this platform to post homes for rent (mom & pop owners). In combination with some other sites, it will give you a great idea of what rental comps are for your property.
Google’s mortgage calculator, built straight into the site. Helps you run numbers quickly (know this is only principal and interest, excluding any taxes and insurance).
Auction sites. can be used to find good deals, but I should caution you that you should really know what you are doing and know the market really well. Often times you will need to buy these sight-unseen.
Apartments.com – useful for finding rental rates, pictures, and much more when doing due diligence on a property.
Loopnet.com – best to find online listings for commercial properties. These properties are usually overpriced or have some major issue to not have been sold already. Sometimes some gems pop up here, but not often.
CRBE, Marcus & Millichap, Cushman & Wakefield, CREXI – alternative websites to the Loopnet / Costar listing services. Some of these brokerages do research and consulting as well.
Reports – Links to be added soon for Berkadia, Yardi Matrix, IRR, etc.
My favorite books over the years that have fueled my desire for investing in real estate and having the power to stick things through:
Investing involves risk, including loss of principal. Past performance does not guarantee or indicate future results. Any historical returns expected returns or probability projections may not reflect actual future performance.
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