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By Linda Liberatore

As you build your real estate investment portfolio, you dream of ending your 9 to 5 corporate job and the day your freedom begins. No need to go into the office. Now you can spend your days finding properties and evaluating progress on rehabs while managing your current assets.

To operate as an investor having an office space is not necessary and it’s a great way to save capital. Let’s be sure that while you have saved on the cost of office space, you are able to keep great records in your new mobile workspace. There is a multitude of ways to stay organized while on the road. You might want to consider adding these mobile apps as you embrace your new virtual office. First things first, you’ll want to be sure your notes are logged from your mobile device. Some of our clients enjoy the speech-to-text features and exclusively use the Google suite of apps to manage their documents. This works perfect for sharing documents with a future virtual assistant.

The Zillow Rental Manager app allows you to post an ad on several sites. With Zillow Rental Manager, you can have your ad on Zillow, Trulia, HotPads and other top rental sites. And unlike some real estate apps, Zillow Rental Manager is free. Simply enter details and insert a few photos. Applicants from Zillow and Trulia include pet information, credit score and income. Remember, finding the most qualified candidate quickly is the goal.

Homestyler is a wonderful app that helps you envision your next rehab. Take a picture of the current floor plan and let Homestyler show you how it will look with tile or hardwood. Take the dream-work out for contractors and leads. Let them know how furniture placement can work. Check out lighting changes and more. Homestyler removes the guess-work, and the multiple trips and returns to the store.

It’s great anytime you need to share your vision with others. With more than 200,000 vendors checking in nationwide try Thumbtack for the next unexpected maintenance request. It’s more likely than not that you may get an emergency call during unexpected conditions.

If you can’t get there it’s worth giving Thumbtack a try. You can search for contractors by listing the job and they will send you the bid. You don’t have to accept anyone you don’t want to and you have the ability to read reviews and check credentials.

Private messaging allows you the ability to ask questions before selecting a vendor. If your regular crews are behind on projects this app is a great back up plan. Think big picture. You can get started with a small job with these people and if you like their work then you can add them to your team down the road.

As you grow your portfolio you are constantly on the lookout for the next best deal. Auction.com allows you to find your next potential deal anywhere. This free online auction app has over 30,000 properties to select from. It’s powerful features include using an interactive map in both local and national markets with the ability to access details and property photos.

You can use the search and bid features while you are on the move. You no longer need to feel limited by attending auctions. You can start due diligence research with free title information or HomeDisclosure.com reports. Whether it is foreclosure or bank owned homes this is a leading source for the real estate marketplace.

No mobile app list is complete without the power of the app that allows you to finalize the deal, cue Docusign. Docusign saves you from the time and resources associated with completing business critical transactions. This app keeps everyone more productive and accountable from purchases to rentals.

Once you have reviewed the details of the agreements or contracts it’s both simple and secure to e-sign. Forget about the wasted time associatedwith sending out lease renewals to be signed andnot knowing if they are getting to your tenant securely.

This application has been a huge timesaver for us and our clients. It is a must for anyone looking to increase output and efficiency.

As an investor you are constantly on the road looking for properties or checking out existing properties. Make sure to dot your I’s and cross your T’s with the amazing technology available to you today.

From the array of Google products to the apps listed above this only skims the water on the countless ways you can improve your business productivity. Take advantage of these today and you will see a difference!

By Marco Santarelli

Classifying a neighborhood by “type”, or what many investors refer to as a “grade”, is typically nothing more than a subjective description. Although most people will have a general idea of what is being referred to, in my experience it is usually nothing more than a qualitative rather than quantitative description.  Because of that ambiguity, we’ve developed a proprietary, simple grading system that we use with all our investment-grade properties. To help you understand this, a basic overview and description follows:

NEIGHBORHOOD TYPES

Low Income (“C” and “D” grade neighborhoods)

Low income neighborhoods generally have a large portion of their residents on government assistance (for example Section 8 housing assistance). The ratio of renters to owner-occupied homes is greater than 50% and often as high as 80%. These neighborhoods are almost always the most affordable (lowest-priced) areas within a market and usually have some of the highest rent-to-value ratios.

This provides some of the highest cap rates and cash-oncash returns compared to other neighborhood types. You will find substantial area anchors including schools, churches and shopping in these neighborhoods. The anchors are there to meet the needs of the people that live there. Low income neighborhoods are best suited for the wholesale (flip) strategy.

Moderate Income (“B” grade neighborhoods)

Moderate income neighborhoods are similar to Low Income neighborhoods with one critical difference – higher home ownership. While low income areas have a large portion of their residents on government assistance, moderate income areas have a large portion of residents working in the blue-collar sector. This stabilizes the neighborhood and makes for a more attractive investment area.

The ratio of renters to owner-occupied homes is more balanced and closer to 50% for each. Area anchors are similar to low income neighborhoods but with home owners being anchors as well. Moderate income neighborhoods are best suited for the wholesale (flip) and buy-and-hold strategies.

Middle Income (“A” grade neighborhoods)

Completely different in almost every way to low income and moderate income neighborhoods. The biggest differences are homeownership and types of employment. Most of the residents own their homes in these neighborhoods and are employed in high-level blue-collar jobs or in the white-collar sector. Middle income areas are excellent for long-term holds because of the stable nature of the area and tenants.

The ratio of renters to owner-occupied homes is closer to 80% owners and 20% renters. Middle income areas will have a greater number of anchors that meet the wants of the people that live there. These include the three “Ms”: malls, movies and meals. Middle income neighborhoods are best suited for retail fix-andflips and buy-and-hold strategies.

HOME VALUES

Home values vary from market to market, and between neighborhoods within each market. So one should not choose a neighborhood based on the market values alone. It is usually best to target those neighborhoods where property values represent the affordable housing stock in the middle market.

These properties are often within desirable neighborhoods making them easy to lease, buy and sell. Properties in the upper-end of a market’s price spectrum often don’t provide desirable rates of return, while properties in the lower-end of a market’s price spectrum often provide some of the highest expected returns but with the risk of attracting some of the lowest-quality tenants.

SCHOOLS

When it comes to residential real estate investing, it is not as important to have top-rated schools as it is to have multiple schools located in the area. Too many investors put more weight and emphasis on the school’s rating than all the other factors which can be a mistake and cost you in lost opportunities.

While many of our investors choose properties in neighborhoods with some of the best school districts, when it comes to investment properties, often times these properties come at a premium price relative to the income it generates. Many renters are just not willing to pay premium rents for premium schools.

CRIME

Generally speaking, better neighborhoods (“A” and “B”) will have below average crime rates (both violent and property crimes). Although lower relative crime rates are certainly a desirable characteristic to have, it is not the most important factor in your neighborhood selection criteria.

Finally, if you’re working with a reputable company to help you find or provide you with investment-grade properties then they should be able to advise you on the various markets and neighborhoods as well as provide you with detailed information such as neighborhood characteristics and demographics.

By Anita Woods

Investing in property can be frustrating, especially when you’re always searching for good financing options that suit your time-frame as an investor.

Having someone in your corner toprovide quality information and advice can help you reach your goals more quickly than going at it alone.

Steve Bighaus’s clients know they can count on him when they need to finance a new opportunity, even when that opportunity is their own place of residence.

Bighaus has a vested interest in the success of property investors…it’s why he does what he does. His number one goal is to become the all-in-one resource for property investors.

But as a forward-thinking kind of guy, Bighaus is always on the lookout for ways he can improve his processes to get better results for his clients.

One such process is technology, using it efficiently and effectively.

That’s why, after speaking with thirty to forty companies, Bighaus settled on working with Sierra Pacific Mortgage Company. They understand his goals as a specialist in lending to investors, and they share his vision of using technology to deliver exceptional products for his customers.

One exciting development is the creation of a new loan origination system that will allow a borrower’s information to be obtained straight from the source.

This will simplify the process for both investors and homeowners and expedite the loan origination process.

One particular issue that many fix-and-flip investors are facing is the challenge of finding eligible buyers for their properties.

Steve’s research has found that these investors are experiencing a dismal fall-out rate of 40 to 50 percent.

As part of his goal to be a full-service company for investors, Steve and The Bighaus Team at Sierra Pacific Mortgage Company aspire to preclude any potential problems as early in the process as possible.

Using all of the tools at their disposal, they can provide quality pre-approval letters towards the goal of improving results for investors. Other tools that Bighaus can use include an automated system for appraisals that will let the lender know whether or not an appraisal is needed, and a great customer relationship system.

And as any of his customers will tell you, Team Bighaus is known for their stellar customer service. Whether you leave a voice message, drop an email or send a fax, you will receive a response the same day.

Need a pre-qual letter and it’s the weekend? Just call Steve Bighaus! He’ll take care of it.

Think of him as your personal banker – someone you can count on to be in your corner.

Bottom line, while pricing is important, there’s something Bighaus and his team can offer that few can: Responsive customer service paired with innovative technology to create exceptional products to help investors grow their wealth.