BiggerPockets Daily

There are hundreds—if not thousands—of books on real estate, personal finance, personal development, and motivation. It’s likely you’ve heard of many of them, whether you read about them in an article or heard about them during a podcast. But what are the best real estate books for beginners?Successful real estate investors and entrepreneurs recommend everything from How to Win Friends and Influence People to The Millionaire Next Door. But deciding which book you should read first or next is a daunting task. Considering throwing up your hands and giving up? We understand—and so we did the heavy lifting. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bonus depreciation lets you maximize your return and minimize your tax liabilities. With bonus depreciation, you can deduct a large portion of the cost of qualifying assets during the year they were placed in service. Unfortunately, understanding bonus depreciation, how it works, and whether it’s right for your real estate investment strategy is no small feat—but that’s where we come in. In this guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about bonus depreciation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Choosing the right real estate investment to add to your portfolio requires ample research and extensive knowledge about the market that you’re investing in. A poor decision can result in your portfolio dropping substantially in value. When markets start to dip, and the economy enters a recession, selecting the best investment becomes even more important. The most rewarding investments are ones that occur in recession-proof markets, which are areas where homes are in high demand regardless of how the economy is performing. Not every market performs the same. By investing your money in homes that are situated in recession-proof markets, you can benefit from consistent rental income, moderate appreciation even in poor economic environments, and continued rental increases YoY.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Commingling refers to the combining or intermingling of funds that may be coming from various sources or earmarked for different purposes. As a real estate investor, commingling can help diversify your portfolio and expand your potential. As a property owner, you must clearly understand where your funds are coming from and what they’re for so that you use them appropriately.In this post, we’ll explain what commingling is, when it’s advantageous, and when it could be illegal.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Selling your house without a Realtor may not be as complicated as you think. Although more work is involved, selling without the help of a real estate agent could be a smart financial move. You could save money on the agent fee, have more control over the sale process, and, in some cases, sell your home faster. However, before you put a “For Sale by Owner” sign up in your front yard, it’s wise to consider the complexities of selling your house without a Realtor. Apart from dealing with a ton of paperwork, selling a home by owner is time-consuming. And in the end, the money you save on agent commission fees is usually not worth the extra effort. This article discusses the pros and cons of selling your property without a Realtor. You will learn about the selling process to help you decide if the “sell a house by owner” route is for you. If you decide it makes financial sense, then go for it, but you might find that it makes more sense to simply hire an agent. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I know what you’re thinking. This guy is trying to stretch the SVB headlines into a multifamily real estate investing story. It must be clickbait. I get it. But I hope you’ll give me a moment to tell you two ways the SVB and other major bank failures could potentially benefit multifamily syndicators and investors. Then you can decide if there’s any substance to my headline. Like all of us, I watched the news stories unfold swiftly over this past week. Silicon Valley Bank went from paying bonuses to closing shop within days. There is no need to recount the gory details here. But as I pondered the bad news falling out from this hopefully localized but potentially more significant situation, I realized two potential bright spots for multifamily syndicators and investors. Not just current players—but those eager to get into this currently over-crowded space. My short-term thesis is speculative, so I freely admit I could be wrong on this one. But I will plant a confident flag on my longer-term discussions below since I believe these outcomes are virtually inevitable.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rental properties are a fantastic source of income as long as your tenants pay rent. Unfortunately, even the strictest tenant screenings are imperfect, and even the most responsible renters can be hit with unpredictable, life-altering circumstances. That’s when rent guarantee insurance comes in handy. Rent guarantee insurance provides financial protection if your tenants fail to pay rent. In the occasionally unpredictable real estate environment, rent guarantee insurance helps you minimize risk, so you don’t have to worry as much when collecting your monthly rent payment. In this article, we’ll discuss rent guarantee insurance, how it works, and how to find the best insurance policy for you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It goes without saying that investors of all stripes have been spooked by the recent collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, as well as the Swiss National Bank facilitating UBS’ $3.2 billion purchase of Credit Suisse, First Republic Bank’s stock falling more than 70% and bank stocks, on the whole, being hammered. Many seem to think a 2008-like financial crisis is beginning. While it’s important not to understate the precarity of our current situation, there are major differences that make these two events, more or less, incomparable.For one, Lehman Brothers was an investment bank, and both Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank were commercial banks. The size was also quite different despite Silicon Valley Bank being the second biggest bank failure in American history. Lehman Brothers had $600 billion in assets in 2008. Silicon Valley Bank had $198 billion. Adjusting for 15 years of inflation, Silicon Valley Bank was maybe 20% the size of Lehman Brothers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are you listening to the advice of the world’s greatest investors? More importantly, are you acting on that advice? If it isn’t clear already, the latest swing banking failures show that risky bets are capable of producing devasting results. Protecting your money should be first and foremost on your mind.So with that in mind, I’ll ask again. Are you listening and acting on the strongest advice of the world’s most successful investor? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A square foot is a measured amount of flat space that covers an area. Its measurement is one foot x one foot (or 12 inches * 12 inches, equaling 144 square inches), meaning that if you have a 100-square-foot bedroom, you can divide it into 100 equal squares.Regardless of your reasoning, you need to know how to calculate square feet down to the foot. Being off by even a little bit can cost you hundreds—even thousands of dollars. Here are a few reasons why: Identifying fair market value: Square footage is a key indicator of a property’s fair market value. When selling a house, you need to know what comparable homes in your area are worth. If the average home price per square foot in your neighborhood is $200 and your measurements are off by 10 feet, you could undervalue your property by $2,000. Tax assessments: If you believe the assessed value of your property is too high, you can calculate the square footage to see if your number matches the assessors. You can dispute the assessment and save money on property taxes if your number is lower. Renovations: If you’re renovating your home or a rental property, you need to calculate the square footage of the areas you’re rehabbing. This calculation will let you know how much material to buy and ensure your new furniture and appliances will fit and function properly.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices