Learning Center

Quick answer: Mesa is one of the better-value rental markets in the Phoenix metro. You get lower entry prices than Tempe, Scottsdale or Gilbert, steady demand from workers at Boeing, Banner Health and ASU Polytechnic, and fast growth in the southeast. The best areas depend on your goal: Southeast Mesa and Eastmark for newer builds and appreciation, Dobson Ranch and Superstition Springs for stable rentals, and the older central corridors for value-add homes and small MULTIfamily. Key takeaways Mesa usually costs less to buy into than Tempe, …

Quick answer: Managing it yourself saves the fee, usually 8-11% of rent for a single home and 5-9% for MULTIfamily. What it costs you is time, the after-hours phone calls, and real legal risk if you get an Arizona eviction or a deposit wrong. Hiring a manager pays off once your time is worth more than the fee, you own MULTIfamily, you live out of town, or you want to add doors. For most Phoenix owners past a unit or two, it does. Key takeaways The management fee is the cost you can see. Vacancy, under-market rent and a bad tenant are the on…

Quick answer: The best ways to add value to a MULTIfamily property are upgrades that raise rent or reduce turnover: refreshing common areas, improving curb appeal and landscaping, adding security and package-theft protection, modernizing units, improving energy efficiency, upgrading to central HVAC, and adding amenities like in-unit-friendly laundry, pet areas, storage and shared outdoor space. The 12 highest-ROI moves are below. The 12 ways at a glance: improve common areas, upgrade landscaping and curb appeal, add security, protect tenant pac…

The U.S. sets itself apart from other countries by offering a great advantage to real estate investors through 30-year fixed-rate mortgages. This isn’t commonly provided where other countries tend to present mortgages that have adjustable, variable, flexible, or renegotiable rates. Understandably, the risk factor in these mortgage offers tends to be high when the interest rate suddenly skyrockets while owning the property. Fixed-rate mortgages let rental property investors avoid future interest rate hikes although there are times when the mort…

With multiple tasks to attend to, landlords may forget to take time to evaluate what tasks streamline their rental business operation. Upon deeper analysis, they may also find ways to cut costs. Here are some tips to remind landlords what they should focus on: Attend to Lease Renewals As a landlord, you should record the end of tenancy date so you can provide your renters with lease renewal contracts 90 days before the lease rental period terminates. Otherwise, you can end up with a month-to-month rental arrangement without a lease agreement st…