5 Things a Toddler Taught Me About Real Estate Investing in Grand Rapids

SwingAh, toddlers.

Those of you who have been parents, aunts, uncles, or babysitters can tell you – a 2 year old kid is a wild ride!  Amazingly,  toddlers are also chock full of wisdom (despite not being potty trained).  While it seems like their knowledge would be confined to crayons, toys, and books made out of cardboard, you can learn much more from them.

Fortunately, our two year old (we’ll call her Little Bear) has taught me a ton about real estate investing in Grand Rapids.  Here are just a few of her lessons I’ve tried to apply to our work.

 1.  Be persistent.

Little Bear loves to go outside. LOVES IT.  I think if she could live in a tree house 24/7, she would be overjoyed.

SnowIt doesn’t matter if it’s freezing cold, pouring rain, or windy enough to blow down a tree… she wants to go out.  If we tell her ‘not right now,’ she will ask again about 20 minutes later.  When we finally get outside (for as long as time and temperature allow), she doesn’t care about the nasty weather.  She’ll splash water around, pick up snow, jump in puddles, anything.

In short, she doesn’t let the challenges stop her from having a great time.  She sets her goal, and makes the best of it.

If you can apply this lesson to real estate investing in Grand Rapids, you’ll be nearly unstoppable.  Whether you’re interested in buying a rental, flipping a house, or working with notes, you will face many challenges.  You’ll experience unexpected delays, stressful conflicts, and plenty of self-doubt.  If you push through the difficulty, and always make the best of your situation, you will find success. Continue reading “5 Things a Toddler Taught Me About Real Estate Investing in Grand Rapids”

5 Keys to Getting Started in Real Estate Investing in Grand Rapids, MI

Door

You’re ready to get started in real estate investing!  Great news.  You can do a lot of good, and Grand Rapids is an excellent place to start.

Maybe you’re a TLC addict, or can’t get enough of ‘Flip this House.’  Maybe you picked up a book on landlording, or saw a late night infomercial that promised the moon. But how do you realistically get started?

1.  Tune out the Hype

Real estate is a great field, with a lot of potential.  However, many, many people will sell you a dream.  They will indicate (but never guarantee) that you can make a ton of money in your spare time, without a lot of work.

This is a lie.  Investing has a large learning curve, and it takes time and hard work to get good at it. Continue reading “5 Keys to Getting Started in Real Estate Investing in Grand Rapids, MI”

The Ultimate Guide to Buying and Selling Real Estate in Grand Rapids, MI

Ultimate Guide to Buying and SellingBuying and and selling houses can be tricky.  Here in Grand Rapids, MI, we have a huge variety of markets and sub-markets, wildly different seasons, and enough options to make your head spin.  Do you buy a historic home in Heritage Hills, or a brand new build in Walker?  A side-by-side duplex in Kentwood, or a 3/2 in Wyoming?

What about the Kalamazoo, Portage, or Parchment areas?  Am I crazy to consider a rent-to own, and will a new build be way too expensive?  All of the questions can drive you nuts.

Fortunately, we can cut through the clutter.  If you’re looking to buy or sell a house in Grand Rapids, MI, or the surrounding areas, read on!

How to Find Real Estate Deals

How to Find Real Estate DealsLet’s start on the purchasing side.  Where do you start if you want to find the right home for your family (or the perfect investment)?

The ‘Tried and True’:  First, you can talk to a Realtor.  The right Realtor can provide a huge boost to your home search.  Since they work in your local market every day, they often get wind of great deals before they hit the MLS.  In addition, many homes are easier to access if you have a Realtor on your team.  They can show you a dozen houses in a day if you like.  Visit this page for great tips on picking the RIGHT Realtor.

The ‘Tech Savvy’:  The internet has a huge number of sites where you can look up available homes for free.  Zillow.com, Trulia.com, Realtor.com, FSBO.com, and ForSaleByOwner.com, are excellent places to start.  Looking through these sites can give you a great idea of what is available here in Grand Rapids, MI.

The ‘Do-it-Yourself’:  If you are willing to put in the work, you can find and create your own deals.  While this is more of a commitment, these ‘diamond in the rough’ properties often wind up being great deals.  Many of the best deals and homes aren’t listed on the MLS, so you’ll either have to find your own motivated sellers or know someone who does.  Which leads us into our next point… Continue reading “The Ultimate Guide to Buying and Selling Real Estate in Grand Rapids, MI”