It’s not a secret that there is a lot of money to earn when investing in a real estate business. But that involves a lot of hard work of course. Here are some tips how to invest successfully in real estate:

1. Know your market.

The success of your purchase largely depends on the specific real estate market of your choice and its activities. The first thing you need to remember is to avoid overly hot markets because the risk is just too high and you may end up losing money.

Real estate markets have different phases and cycles. Invest in a market that is in the phase of expansion—where there is balance in the rising of sales and prices versus affordability, construction is low and capital investment is high.

You should also focus on the location of the property and invest more in areas with dense population, accessibility to basic amenities, family and child friendly community, and development is apparent.

2. Spend wisely.

The return on investment is what matters most especially when you invest in affordable real estate properties. Low income neighborhoods tend to not get affected much by economic downturns compared to others which somehow provides you a guarantee to some sort of stability when you invest in low-cost properties. Moreover, tenants in these types of rentals are unlikely to move frequently because of high fees. So once they find something that they can afford, they tend to stay for longer contributing to the stability of low rental properties.

But you also need to consider the safety of the neighborhood like the crime rate, types of tenants, and other factors that will affect your return on investments.

3. Foresee the costs.

When investing in a real estate property, it is important that you foresee the costs upfront, not just the costs of the property and commissions but also the costs of repairs. Unless you are capable of doing DIY repairs, do not try fixing things, messing it up, and result in losing money instead. Also do not make unnecessary renovations that do not appeal to the type of community your property is located.

4. Manage the risks.

It is not wise to go deeply into debt. Before buying a house or any investment property, make sure to have a large cash reserve. You should be able to at least pay a down payment of 10% or much better make it 20%, because it will lead to lower interest rates on the loan and it cancels the private mortgage insurance. In the long run, if you have a huge cash reserve, you reduce the risk of selling your property fast to an unfavorable deal because of cash loss.

While relying on a hard money lender for a fast cash loan to fix last property repairs is helpful, they tend to have high interest rates and end up eating your supposed profit margin.

5. Don’t fall in love with the property.

Wanting your investment property in a working-class location to be the best and end up turning it into a luxury property won’t guarantee it to be sold in the same pricing with those in the upscale area. Do not fall in love with it too much, because you are not going to live there. You will only end up losing money in overbuilding.

Fix what is broken and decorate practically—not expensively.

6. Go extra!

Maximize your investment property and make income generating additions. For example, letting a bank rent and install an ATM in a corner or an extra space in the lobby for a small convenient store which rent fees add to the business cash flow.

You can also hire a caretaker, or a security guard, which adds value to your property and makes it more attractive. With that, you can ask for higher rent and the tenants will be fine with it.

The other thing you can do is fill the property with a tenant instead of house flipping. Once the tenant has moved in, you can then start looking for buyers—that’s called turnkey rental property which usually sells easily to new investors.

7. Familiarize with the local rules.

Before you start doing anything in your investment property, make sure it is within local rules and regulations. You have to be aware which works require getting a permit or not.

8. Explore!

Real estate investment is not limited to single-family homes or apartment rental buildings. You can explore and invest in other types of properties like office spaces, storage units, industrial, and warehouse buildings.

Take it from the CEO of Candid Property Solutions, Cristina Ortega. She runs a successful “cash for houses Los Angeles” investing company. She believes that the key to become a successful investor in real estate business is finding a good investment opportunity and taking advantage of it. Call them for a fast cash offer for your house, if you need help with it.

87% of employees want their employer to offer healthier workspace options, including ergonomic workstations and sit-stand desks.

If your business is full of uncomfortable, old office chairs and rickety desks, your employees might start looking for a new job. An outdated office can also deter prospective employees from accepting a job. Investing in your office furniture is a way to invest in your business and show your employees that you care.

Keep reading to find out what you should do with old office furniture from your business.

Sell the Furniture to a Start-Up

If you’re wondering what to do with old office furniture, you should first try to recoup some money by selling it.

Just because the furniture is outdated and not working well for your office anymore, that doesn’t mean the furniture is unusable. There are many start-ups out there that are trying to save money and start a successful business. Offer these businesses your old office furniture at a discounted price.

Not only will you give the new business an affordable furniture solution, but you’ll now have extra money to spend on your office’s new furniture.

Donate It to a Non-Profit 

Another option to get rid of your used office furniture is to donate it to a local non-profit.

Many non-profits would gladly accept your furniture for their own offices. These non-profits use their money to help others and often don’t have an ideal office set-up. Or, you can find a non-profit that accepts furniture donations as a part of their mission.

A few non-profits to consider include:

• Habitat for Humanity
• Goodwill
• Domestic violence shelter
• Homeless Shetler

While you won’t make any money off your furniture going this route, you will give back to your community.

Hire a Trash Removal Company

If you’ve avoided upgrading your office furniture for too many years, it may no longer be in a good enough condition to sell or donate. At this point, it’s best just to put these items in the trash.

The proper way how to dispose of an office chair doesn’t mean you just set it outside with the weekly trash pick-up. Odds are, you have multiple large pieces of furniture that a normal trash pick-up won’t collect.

You’ll need to hire a trash removal service to properly get rid of your office furniture. This service involves a company hauling away and disposing of your trash. Browse this site to get a better idea of how the process works.

Upgrade Your Business from Old Office Furniture

Using these three methods, you can easily get rid of your old office furniture and update your business.

Start by trying to recoup your furniture costs by selling to a start-up. From there, you can consider donating your furniture to a local non-profit to give back to your community. And if all else fails, hire a trash removal company to get rid of the furniture.

Looking for other ways to improve your business? Browse the rest of this site for more great business advice.

House renovations generally increase the value of a property. Whenever you want to sell your house fast, there may be a lot of things that needed to be arranged or fixed. Though, it does not necessarily mean that you have to do a total overhaul. Because, to be honest, not everyone has the time or money to spend. Now, you just have to think like you are the buyer and plan accordingly to get it right.

1. Clean Up your Home

Keeping the house neat and organized will more likely to attract buyers. Stop and think about it. “How can I make the house more appealing and create a pleasing environment?  And where do I start?” You can start by clearing the items that are non-essential such as broken items or other junk. In case there are appliances that are part of the listing, you have to designate a good spot for them later on.

2. Go on and Fix Them

Carefully, look around the house. Do you see any holes? Any crack in the walls and ceilings? Those things are going to be an eyesore if not fixed right away. For one, repairing the holes and cracks comes easy in case you have common household tools. Otherwise, you won’t really have to spend much as simple tools and materials from your local home improvement store will have you on your way to a smooth wall and patch those walls.

While you are at it, you can also repair that leaky faucet and replace the broken windows and fix the roof if needed. Lastly, why not change any dated ceiling fans or light fixtures?

3. Apply Fresh Paint and Replace that Curtain

There is nothing fresh paint cannot do. When it comes to painting, it is essential that you choose the colors wisely. You can even do the painting yourself and consider the neutral colors. Primarily, you can begin a full paint job with the kitchen and the bathroom and pick the right shade for each.

Now, the right set of drapes or curtains can either make or break the home sale. Using curtains can help cover ugly paneling, block the noise from the outside, or simply helps the space to look bigger. When replacing the curtains or drapes, find for that perfect one which has an up to date style and sticks with the neutral color and avoid loud patterns.

4. Kitchen and Bathroom Upgrade

Many will agree that the most important parts of the house where buyers pay more attention to are the kitchen and the bathroom. If these two areas are appealing enough, then these can increase the sale value.

Major changes are not really required as you won’t get a large return on investment. Minimal improvements will do the trick.

• Countertops

New countertops with drawers can create a more functional space. If you already have one, then simply check if doors or handles need replacing.

• Cabinets

Check the cabinets if they are still in good condition as they should be free of water damage or rot. Now, if the cabinet boxes are broken or falling apart, your choice is to install new ones. And if those cabinets do not need any replacement, make sure that the paint isn’t chipped or peeling or better yet just paint them new.

• Faucets, Showers, and Sink

Water should run leak-free, and all drains should not be clogged. Showerheads need to be fully operational. The overflow drain that is preventing overfill in a bathtub should be in order as well.

5. Flooring

Good flooring completes the overall appearance of your home. You can change torn carpeting or replace any cracked or chipped floor tiles. Some of the low-cost options to select from including highly upgraded laminate flooring and wood plank tiles.

While all of these are things you have to consider before selling, know that you can simply do it yourself (DIY) which means you can cost-cut on materials and labor.

Just keep in mind that you do not have to go overboard when making these renovations. Avoid additions such as kitchen, bathroom, or even bedroom as it will not pay off. Minor improvements will give you more value in return.

Also, if you don’t want to go through the hassle of fixing your property and you’re having second thoughts about spending money even on minor repairs, there’s another option that you can choose. You can ask a “we buy houses fast Los Angeles” company. They are willing to buy your property as is. The best home buying company that you can find is Mrs. Property Solutions. Call them now for an honest and fast cash offer today!

Have you ever wanted to earn a little extra cash from your couch? Maybe you‘re a young professional working to pay off student debt or a stay at home parent who would love to bring in a little extra income. No matter your situation, there are plenty of ways to earn extra money from home. Let’s look at 15 examples.

1. Protect Your Existing Funds

First of all, while you are working to bring in extra income, save your future finances by making sure they’re protected. Income protection insurance will provide you with peace of mind if there is ever a time when you cannot work. Beyond sick pay or disability benefits, income protection insurance helps give you monthly benefits and eliminates the waiting period of unemployment applications. You can compare income protection insurance with iSelect and decide how this insurance policy can help guarantee you earn money no matter what life throws at you.

2. Surveys

Several online organizations will pay you to take surveys and provide feedback for their products. Be careful that you are using reputable sources. If you are forced to pay an upfront fee, that is a red flag. Check out some sites like Survey Savvy or My Survey to earn up to $100 a week in cash and gift cards.

3. Content Writing                                             

Perhaps you have expertise in writing. Companies require strong writers to develop the content for their website. If you have a way with words, you can help spice up their websites and print literature.

4. Editing

Perhaps writing is not your strong suit, but you have an eye for detail and proofreading. You can also work for companies catching those small details. While people focus on the big picture ideas, you can make some extra cash catching their mistakes.

5. Blogging

Beyond writing for other people, you have opinions and expertise of your own. Write about it in your own blog! In this digital world, the blogging community is growing tremendously. You can get paid to share your thoughts and opinions while cultivating an online community where you share ideas and inspirations.

6. Search for Unclaimed Money

An easy way to earn more money is to simply search and see if you’re owed any. Maybe you have an old PayPal account you haven’t checked in years or you have security deposits that were never paid back to you. Sometimes even the federal government has kept some income from you. You can find unclaimed money through a simple web search. You may be surprised at the extra income that you are the rightful owner of that you can automatically drop into your bank account.

7. Tutoring

Another great way to make money at home is through online tutoring. This is especially great if you feel like you have expertise that you aren’t getting to utilize in your daily life. By tutoring online, you get to help others and exercise your brain in different creative ways.

8. Teaching Internationally

Speaking of teaching, there are many opportunities beyond your own borders. You can get paid to teach kids around the world how to speak English. The only qualification you need is to be an English speaker yourself. Due to time differences, a lot of these teaching times are in the early morning or the evening, so you can fit them into your already busy schedule.

9. Telemarketing

Another job for people with great communication skills is telemarketing. Many companies outsource their cold calls. So if you are outgoing and enjoy talking to different people throughout your day, maybe telemarketing is for you. These jobs typically pay by the hour, so the flexibility is great for people working from home.

10. Airbnb Host

Speaking of your home, have you ever thought about making money by actually using your home? There are plenty of ways to rent your space. Airbnb now allows you to rent rooms in your home and make a profit off of it. This is another great job for extroverts who jump at the chance to meet new people from around the world.

11. Gaming

There has been a boom in online gaming in the past years. If you have the skills and can find a following of dedicated gamers, you can get paid for streaming your online gameplay. How cool is that?

12. Sell Old Notes

In addition to selling your skills and expertise, you can sell other items that may be collecting dust. Have you ever looked back at your college notes? Chances are, if you still have digital copies, you may be able to sell them to current college students. You’re helping the next generation while also making some extra cash.

13. Sell Your Art

Old notes aren’t the only thing for sale—your creativity can be for sale, too. With the emergence of online sites like Etsy, selling art is easier than ever. You can even create custom pieces for people all over the world and charge money to make beautiful things.

14. Social Media Influencer

In today’s environment, some social media influencers are making six figures a year just by posting pictures on Instagram. You don’t have to have a million followers to make some income in this way. Check out Pay Per Tweet programs or YouTube collaborations. With so many social media platforms, there are just as many ways to make money.

15. Pet Sitter

Last, but certainly the cutest, you can make money pet sitting at your home. Allow a new furry friend into your house for a few hours or a few days. You make money by taking care of the animals, and you also get to spend time with a furry friend. It doesn’t get any better than that!

Overall, there are many ways to make extra income from your home. Stay alert and watch out for scams, but also enjoy the creativity and flexibility of making that extra income.

School is often considered the learning center, yet true education is done in one’s head. You don’t have to be inside a school building to learn something new or discover something unheard of. Knowledge shouldn’t be limited to a room when there are innumerous ways for learning to occur. Here are three ways one can learn anything they want.

Travel

While not everyone can afford to travel, it is one of the best ways to learn new things. Going to new places can show you things you never knew existed and teach you things you never thought possible. There is so much to learn when one can see it happening for themselves. Being an eyewitness will give you a better understanding and knowledge of foreign concepts and beliefs.

Read

No matter the age, books have stood the test of time. Accounts of events past have been recorded for all to read and learn from. Authors often speculate about the future giving reasoning and proof behind their words. One can pick up a book and learn about the Cosmology Revolution, a world that transports you to somewhere new. Every book has a story to tell, and every reader can learn something from it.

Watch

There is no shortage of access to learning new things at the click of a button or a tap from your fingertips. Several online sites offer one the chance to watch videos of things other people are doing and then try it for themselves. Whether it’s a song, game, dance, recipe, or do it yourself project you can almost always count on the internet to provide you a video that will show you what to do.

Those who hate school often categorize learning new things with it. They fail to realize that knowledge comes from their brain grasping at things unknown to it before.