Save more, spend smarter, and make your money go further
Moving into your first apartment = a major adulting achievement.
But before applying for your future spot, you’ll need to get a few things in order. And no, we don’t mean going down the Pinterest rabbit hole of new home décor.
Get together the three key numbers that matter to your financial health, so you can know how lenders may view you, and which apartments you can qualify for. Most Americans move between May and September, meaning it’s a pretty competitive space for renters. Turbo Tip: landlords predominately favor detailed, lease applications that showcase a complete picture of your financial health so they are confident in choosing the best applicant.
So in order to stay ahead of the competition (and set realistic apartment goals), here are the 3 key numbers you need to know.
Credit Score
Your credit score is a BIG factor landlords look at when considering your application. Your credit score is more than just a number—it represents how financially reliable you are and how well (or poorly) you manage your debt. Depending on where your score falls on the credit score scale (which runs between 300 and 850), this might be a make-or-break for your dream apartment. Not sure what your credit score is? It’s easy to get a free credit score report from Turbo!
If you’re working on improving your score or building credit for the first time, the good news is that many landlords accept co-signers. A co-signer is a person who is obligated to pay your rent if you can’t. If you plan on using a co-signer, make sure you know his/her credit score and have the #RealMoneyTalk on financial responsibilities before signing a lease.
Verified Income
With rent prices on the rise, landlords need proof to ensure you’re able to make the allocated payments each month. You can show proof of your verified income through bank statements, pay stubs, or job offer letters. Pro Tip: on average, housing often eats up 25-33% of your yearly net income. So before you set your rent pricing parameters on Zillow or Craigslist, be sure to do the math.
Debt-To-Income Ratio (DTI)
While not all landlords may ask for your DTI ratio, it is a key financial health indicator that shows if you’re living within your means. What is a good debt-to-income ratio? Lenders typically like to see 36% or less, but your landlord may have differing standards. You might be tempted, especially if you’re starting a new job, to upgrade your living arrangements and lifestyle to be in line with your increased income, but try to avoid this temptation at all costs!
Find a roommate to split the costs of housing, rent a cheaper apartment, or live in a less affluent area. If you can save even a hundred dollars a month on rent, that’s more money you can put towards paying off your debt.
Additionally, when submitting your application for a new apartment, renters may also ask for your ID (either your license or passport), Social Security Number, past rental history, a reference, and a check for the deposit (typically last month’s rent).
Now that you’re ready to rent, get your numbers with Turbo today so you can see where you truly stand financially. The Target household items section is waiting!
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As it happened, Thompson had just been passed over for the vacated manager’s job at a Whitehall Jewellers store at the Arbor Place shopping mall in Douglasville, Ga., even though he had served as assistant manager. “At the time, I was young and very driven,” Hayes said. “I had a problem that I had been … [Read more…]
With few homeowners willing to give up their low mortgage rates, Mike Roberts has shifted his focus to targeting first-time homebuyers.
He’s been watching the spring homebuying season slowly pick up and buying leads through Zillow and Realtor.com. It’s a lot of work, and there’s no guarantee that they will pay off.
“A first-time homebuyer requires a tremendous amount of nurturing,” said Roberts, the president and founder of City Creek Mortgage. “We have a system where we follow up with them 19 times over a three week period, until we actually connect with them.”
Roberts and thousands of other loan officers across the country continue to be hampered by a serious inventory shortage, which results in heavy competition for fewer deals. To achieve deal flow, loan officers have been forced to come up with creative ways to persuade buyers they can make the deal work, half a dozen of mortgage professionals interviewed by HousingWire said.
“This is honestly where good loan officers can really separate themselves,” Josh Burruss, executive vice president and chief lending officer of Intercoastal Mortgage, said.
“What we’re seeing is just increased competition over every deal. There’s a lot of lenders that are running really lean on everything,” Burruss said.
Strategies to differentiate themselves include buying leads, providing niche loans and getting on builders’ preferred lender list. Another tactic is to capitalize on newly built homes – a silver lining in the inventory-lacking market – which now account for a third of available inventory, double than normal levels, according to Redfin.
LOs do something new
In an environment where every deal counts, some go niche.
Brian Parkinson, a loan originator at Alerus Mortgage, says that niche loans – including bridge loans, construction loans, doctor loans and professional series loans for CPAs and attorneys – are a great way to grab an agent’s attention in a market where referrals are critical.
Bridge loans are popular among his clients since they allow homeowners to tap into their equity when buying a home, as well as a professional mortgage where buyers in a specific industry can make a 10% down payment without mortgage insurance, Parkinson explained.
Niche loans consist of about 5% of Parkinson’s business.
“It’s a small amount but it’s nice to have products where you can get a real estate agent’s attention with a product that another lender doesn’t have. It could open up the door for more business,” he said.
There are also advantages to working with buyers in a less competitive marketplace.
Buyers want the 30-year fixed mortgage rates to drop to the low- and mid-5% range but with that decline will come home price increases and increased bidding wars, Daniel Arias, loan officer at We Fund LA, a division of New American Funding, explained.
“Although rates are high, we have to educate our clients and walk them through why there’s a unique opportunity (…) sell for the higher rate and refinance down the road, that’s the conversation we’re having with most of our clients,” Arias said.
“There’s just more buyers than there are sellers,” added Steven Grossman, chief strategic officer at NJ Lenders. “Waiting for rates to go down is just a foolish bet. When rates go down, prices are gonna go up and you will see more bidding wars.”
NJ Lenders does a presentation for their clients of what they would be paying for a monthly mortgage payment at the current mortgage rate versus a future payment with lower rates and an appreciated home price.
“It’s an interesting exercise (…) A lot of the clients view it as an opportunity to get an aggressive price because if rates come down a full percent, it adds another significant amount,” Burruss explained.
Capitalizing on the two-story market
New builds represent another silver lining.
The past year’s pullback in the price of lumber and other materials has helped builders maintain margins even with price cuts. That’s why builders are utilizing closing cost incentives and temporary rate buydowns often funded by lenders.
“If I were a builder right now, I’d build as many houses as I could, because there is a lack of inventory, they’re pretty much the only sellers,” Roberts said.
Some markets like New Jersey don’t have land to build new homes. But in areas where new construction is strong – including Northern Virginia where Burruss is based – loan officers are taking advantage of being on builders’ preferred lender list.
If a builder’s clients chooses to get a mortgage through a company that is on the builder’s preferred lender list, buyers are able to waive the closing cost. Being on multiple builders’ lists is a way to rack up more deals for loan officers.
“A lot of builders have preferred lenders, some of the builders own their mortgage companies. Other ones will have preferred lender lists where if you work with one of four lenders, you can get a closing cost incentive,” Burruss said.
“I do a bunch of new builder business, just by being in that second category of earning it as a preferred lender on different builders accounts. I’ve got a reputation for doing that business for a long time. So I get to dip my toe into both worlds,” Burruss added.
Fighting an information battle
With inventory trends still looking gloomy, some mortgage professionals believe lower rates are the only real difference maker.
When rates get closer to the 5%-range, existing homeowners who need to move into bigger homes will feel comfortable giving up their low mortgage rates and locking in a higher one, Donny Kirby, president of ClearPath Home Loans, noted.
“I think if we get down close to the 5% range, that will definitely open up a lot of buyers from an affordability standpoint. Homeowners are more likely to move up from 3% to 5% mortgages when the perfect home hits the market,” Kirby said.
Between the Federal Reserve‘s inflation-fighting battle and volatility in mortgage rates, loan officers are fighting an information battle right now.
“So the good loan officers are spending a lot of time being a really good reliable source of information and explaining what’s going on to the clients in real-time so they understand what’s hype and what’s not hype,” Burruss said.
It’s taking people a lot longer to buy a home, so staying in touch with clients and adding value to their buying experience is crucial, Grossman added.
“The man with the most friends wins (…) because somebody has got to get the offer accepted. So you just hope that it’s your client,” Grossman said.
“Succession” fans, take note: Another wildly out-of-reach piece of property showcased on the HBO series has come up for sale.
If you were wondering whether Kendall Roy’s luxurious Manhattan penthouse in the opening scene of the latest episode actually exists, we’ve got the scoop.
Those aspirational scenes were shot in a very real and very fabulous Upper East Side luxury condo tower at 180 East 88th Street, in a unit that’s currently listed at $29 million.
Would you expect a Roy heir to live in anything less?
Luxe living room
(Photo by Sean Hemmerle)
This particular unit is noted for being the tallest private residence north of 72nd Street on the Upper East Side, which is really saying something for what’s become an ultraswanky neighborhood.
It’s tall on the inside, too, with ceilings that soar over 13 feet, ideal for accommodating even the most oversized artwork (and egos).
Dining room with a high ceiling
(Photo by Sean Hemmerle)
The triplex home features 5,508 square feet of interior living space and 3,500 square feet of exterior terrace space. That includes a lush, rooftop terrace with a gas fireplace, dining area, and extraordinary views of Central Park.
Rooftop terrace
(Photo by Sean Hemmerle)
A gorgeous, spiral staircase connects all three levels—and it’s a gorgeous piece of sculpture.
Architectural spiral staircase
(Photo by Sean Hemmerle)
There are five bedrooms and six baths in the home, where you can host the siblings you’re on good terms with.
Bedroom
(Photo by Sean Hemmerle)
Dibs for the luxe primary suite, which features a gas fireplace and a loggia terrace overlooking Central Park. There’s also a generous dressing room and a bath with heated flooring, silver travertine slabs, mosaic tile accents, and oak cabinetry with marble countertops.
Now, if your family is feuding, you can still do a respectable job of separating them, because there are two living room spaces, one with a gas fireplace and wet bar.
Living area
(Photo by Sean Hemmerle)
The building, designed by Joe McMillan’s DDG, comes with eight floors of amenities, which include a fitness studio, basketball court, soccer pitch, playroom, game room, and lounge with a catering kitchen and large dining area. These perks are covered by a $12,452 monthly association fee.
“Succession” is HBO’s award-winning satirical drama series about the Roy family, owners of a global media and entertainment conglomerate, and the fight for control of the company.
Last April, Robie Lynn Morrison blew out the candles on her 50th birthday and decided to pursue her dream of opening a boutique focused on women and the home.
By November, she had opened Burlap and Daisies, a budding home décor and gift shop in Manassas.
“Everything goes back to women and being supportive of them because if they’re not healthy, the family then falls apart,” she says. “Everybody’s home should be a soft place to land.”
Photo courtesy Jessica Kronzer
Building and Keeping Relationships
Her store at 13480 Dumfries Road is located in the Woodbine Shopping Center, right next to a Food Lion. Morrison says she wanted to occupy the vacant spot because she’s been shopping in that mall for 30 years.
“I had my 7th grade teacher walk through the door one day,” she says. “That’s what it’s about. It’s the connections, it’s the relationships because we have gotten away from that.”
Those relationships extend to strangers who become customers, sometimes even friends, she says.
Photo by Jessica Kronzer
Morrison started work in the real estate industry when she was 19 years old as a new home specialist.
“Even though every house is the same in a community, it’s always so neat to see people make it their own and create the memories,” Morrison says. “I’ve always loved seeing dirt become a house and so all of that spills into here, and this is why I wanted to do this, this is literally my dream.”
It was a career that Morrison says she loved. In fact, she says one of her biggest obstacles in starting her business was telling her former boss, whom she’s known since she was a teenager, that she was quitting and leaving her job and stable income in the dust.
Photo by Jessica Kronzer
Opening a Business During the Pandemic
“Everything that we have, we’ve poured into this purely on faith,” she says, adding that her husband has had her back in the business venture.
Several of her family members been a source of support, too.
“Our house became a warehouse for quite a while as I was starting to purchase,” she says.
Morrison’s parents helped prepare the store for opening by doing tasks such as painting. Her daughter also helps out with customers in the store, with her baby on her hip, and she runs errands.
Photo by Jessica Kronzer
Starting Burlap and Daisies while emerging from a global pandemic and while entering a recession wasn’t easy; offers from the bank vanished as the economic outlook worsened last spring.
“It’s one of those [things where] you’ve got to put your blinders on and go with the heart,” she says. “I thought if I have wanted this for this long, God is going to see a way.”
Coming out of pandemic isolation, she says she particularly wants to cater to mothers and other women who are trying to break away from the craziness of life for a few minutes. Those customers often turn into friends who offer hugs and words of support.
Photo by Jessica Kronzer
“They feel at peace here, they feel inspired, and that really is my whole goal, just for them to want to linger and feel that they can because it’s a safe space,” she says. “The whole pandemic, we would walk into places and you felt like you were rushed out.”
What’s to Come
Burlap and Daisies continues to develop. In addition to its home décor merchandise, it has added offerings such as weekly drops of fresh cut flowers on Fridays.
The store recently began hosting Sip, Shop and Craft classes, led by Carolyn English, who taught in Prince William County Public Schools for 31 years.
“A lot of friendships are being formed from this store,” Morrison says. “My mom refers to it like … [a] hardware store where all of the guys would get together, and that’s kind of how it feels in here.”
Photo by Jessica Kronzer
Next up, Morrison is planning to offer at-home design consultations.
“Let people shop in their own home,” Morrison says. “A lot of times, people already have what they need, they just need a fresh eye.”
Feature image by Jessica Kronzer
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Miami has it all. Sunshine, pristine beaches and apartment spas that will make you wonder why anyone would ever leave.
Known internationally as one of the most scenic and exciting cities in the world, Miami is an iconic beachside metropolis filled with iconic people. With all that prestige comes some of the most over-the-top apartment amenities you’re ever going to find. From nail salons to steam rooms to serene bathrooms, these apartments have the spa style many Miami locals are looking for.
Listed below are 10 apartments with some of the best spa-style amenities in The Magic City. Whether you’re looking for personal pampering or the opportunity to unplug, unwind and let the stress melt away, there’s an apartment on this list that has the amenities you need to properly decompress.
Source: Rent. / Flamingo Point
Good luck finding a spa and nail salon with a better view than the one at Flamingo Point. Located in Central City, Miami Beach, this 614-unit complex sets the standard for spa-style apartment amenities and is the envy of renters all throughout South Beach and the rest of southern Florida.
With an in-house nail salon that looks like something out of a magazine and a massage room with muted colors and designer lighting, there really is no comparison to what Flamingo Point can offer in terms of relaxation-focused amenities. From a deep tissue massage to trying out that new nail style taking over TikTok, the spa facilities at Flamingo Point are the perfect place to get the job done.
Source: Rent. / Blue Lagoon 7
The spa facilities at Blue Lagoon 7 go well beyond its beautiful lakeside jacuzzi. The team behind Blue Lagoon 7 designed the complex with overall health, wellness and relaxation as their guiding principles. Boasting a steam room and a sauna, dry and wet heat preferences are both respected equally at this stellar apartment spa setup.
This Flagami apartment complex also provides residents with other relaxing amenities, like outdoor hammocks right on the lakeshore, and a yoga room that is separate from the gym so you can enjoy some peace and quiet while you get a good stretch in and meditate on the events of the day.
Source: Rent. / Gables Columbus Center
When your apartment bathroom is as luxurious as the picture above, it almost eliminates the desire to go to the spa entirely. With large soaking tubs, custom cabinetry and plenty of privacy and space to do what you please without self-consciousness stepping in the way, total relaxation is always only steps away from your bed when you call Gables Columbus Center home.
The spa-like qualities at Gables Columbus Center don’t stop at the apartment restrooms, either. This Coral Gables complex also boasts a resort-style pool and multiple luxuriously adorned communal lounge areas. These places are ideal as an end-of-the-day retreat to escape the stresses of the day before you retire to your apartment for the night.
Source: Rent. / Watermarc at Biscayne Bay
In the heart of Edgewater, 28 floors up, sits the stunning spa-like pool area of Watermarc at Biscayne Bay. High enough off the street to eliminate the noise pollution that comes with city living, this elevated oasis undoubtedly puts many of the nearby upscale spas and resorts to shame.
Shaded cabanas line the crystal-clear water and provide the type of unencumbered views you often have to pay a premium to enjoy. The spa-style doesn’t stop at the pool in this apartment complex, either. The apartment bathrooms at Watermarc at Biscayne Bay are truly second to none. A serene space for residents to start and end their day, these restrooms emphasize the “rest” half of the word and provide a relaxing respite from daily stress for the people lucky enough to call this gorgeous upscale apartment complex home.
Source: Rent. / Sanctuary at Doral
Sanctuary at Doral boasts a large steam room that sets the standard for apartments. A rare amenity already, the designers of these upscale Doral apartments went all out and super-sized the steam room so residents never have to wait to maintain their overall wellness.
Renowned for their ability to improve circulation, increase immune response and ease muscle pain, the benefits of hitting the steam room regularly go far beyond sweating out the demons the previous week. Not to mention the professional massage room right next to the steam room is always there for you. This is the perfect place to work out any knots that the steam isn’t able to melt away.
Source: Rent. / Gables Ponce
Gables Ponce is a great place for relaxation-minded people to call home. Packed with the type of luxurious amenities that make a busy life easier to deal with, Gables Ponce is not just an apartment complex, it’s a community that prioritizes mental and physical well-being above all else. With a fully-equipped massage room on-site, relief is never more than a few steps away from your front door.
In addition to the well-equipped massage room, this Coral Gables apartment complex also boasts a dry sauna, steam room and a cabana-lined heated saltwater pool. This shallow pool has submerged lounge chairs and is an ideal spot to kick back and catch some rays or enjoy a book without all the wayward splashing that often comes with a communal pool.
Source: Rent. / Brickell 1st Apartments
The outdoor spa area at Brickell 1st Apartments is a serene sunkissed area that encourages unplugging and facilitates relaxation of all kinds. Whether you’re soaking away the soreness of an especially tough workout in the large hot tub, kicking back under a sunshade with a good book, or anything in between, opportunities for relaxation abound at this beautiful apartment complex.
Brickell 1st Apartments also boasts a separate stretching, bodyweight workout and meditation area complete with stability balls, designer lighting, leather loungers and hanging bubble chairs to choose from. Whether you’re stretching out the tightness that often accompanies long days behind a desk or taking a moment to clear your mind after a long week, good luck finding a better place in Brickell to unwind.
Source: Rent. / Waterways Village Apartments
One of the difficult things about living in an apartment can be the lack of a backyard. Residents of Waterways Village Apartments are lucky enough to not face that issue thanks to its stunning communal courtyard. Situated under long strands of string lights and shaded by mature palm trees, this is the perfect place to decompress at the end of a long day while soaking in the warm Aventura air.
Waterways Village Apartments also boasts a large resort-style pool, waterfront views and lounge chairs peppered throughout the property to provide all of the residents of this 180-unit property enough room to relax in peace and quiet on their own.
Source: Rent. / Avalon Bonterra
Fountains, luxurious caban-style loungers and fully grown palm trees all line the pristine pool at Avalon Bonterra, one of Hialeah’s most highly sought-after apartment complexes. Just off the pool, there’s also an outdoor lounge, complete with comfortable couches and a gas grill. Sound like a good place to unwind on a Saturday?
Beyond all that, Avalon Bonterra also boasts a private beach area complete with rope hammocks and concrete tables shaded by large traditional palapas. With all these options for relaxation right outside your door, the amenities here render the need for a spa completely obsolete.
Source: Rent. / The Atlantic Doral
Situated right next to Merlin Lake, The Atlantic Doral looks a whole lot more like a luxury resort than it does an apartment complex. The main attraction of these spa-style amenities is the jacuzzi that looks like it was imported from an Italian villa or a Spanish royal’s palace.
This Doral area apartment complex is also complete with a resort-style pool surrounded by lounge chairs and shaded by palm trees. With so many opportunities to soak up the sun and let the stress slip away, it’s easy to see that life is good when you call The Atlantic Doral home.
Kick back and relax in Miami
People don’t move to Miami to live a more stressful life. Miami is all about living life to the fullest, working hard when you have to, and enjoying the good life when you have the chance.
The apartments mentioned on this list are the best of the best when it comes to giving residents the opportunity to get a massage, enjoy a steam session or soak their problems away without leaving the apartment complex. That sounds like the Miami way if you ask us.
Gov. Brian P. Kemp has announced that Creative Home Ideas, a YMF Company and design-house focused on home fashion, will create 70 new jobs and invest more than $15 million in a new distribution and light manufacturing facility in Liberty County.
“Last year, 85% of jobs created through economic development projects were located outside metro Atlanta, and we’re proud to welcome even more opportunity to rural areas like Liberty County,” Gov. Kemp said. “Through our reliable infrastructure, growing broadband connections, and world-class workforce development programs, the Peach State is attracting unprecedented levels of job creation. This is just the latest example of that success, and we’re thankful that Creative Home Ideas had Georgia on their minds when they made this choice.”
Started in 1981, Creative Home Ideas is a family-owned business with expertise in designing, manufacturing, and distributing fresh and innovative home decor. The company’s collections include bedding, bath, kitchen, window treatments, decorative pillows, throw blankets, and rugs.
“YMF Carpets is very excited to be expanding our operations into the South,” said Yaron Shemesh, CEO of YMF Carpets, Inc. “The facility we are planning will include light manufacturing which will allow us to grow our business and reach company goals while taking advantage of the proximity to the port of Savannah. We have enjoyed working with Liberty County and are looking forward to establishing a long relationship with the Georgia Ports Authority as well as the Midway community.”
Operations are expected to begin in 2024. The company will be hiring for light manufacturing, warehouse, shipping, customer service, and back office personnel. Interested individuals can learn more about working at Creative Home Ideas at Creative_ Home Ideas_Sunsbury_ [email protected].
“We are pleased and excited that Creative Home Ideas, a company with a reputation for innovation and growth, has selected Tradeport East Business Center as the best location to make a substantial investment for its future growth,” said Liberty County Development Authority Chairman Allen Brown. “Like the other corporations that have preceded them in selecting and investing in Tradeport East, we are confident that Creative Home Ideas will also find that Liberty County is a prime location to Come Grow Globally.”
Creative Home Ideas’ new facility will be located at 1962 Sunbury Road.
“We’re happy to welcome New Jersey-based Creative Home Ideas to Coastal Georgia,” said Executive Director of the Georgia Ports Authority Griff Lynch. “Its new distribution center will not only boost the local economy, it will set the company at the center of a logistics hub that puts global and domestic markets within easy reach.”
Senior Project Manager Adela Kelley represented the Georgia Department of Economic Development’s (GDEcD) Global Commerce team on this competitive project in partnership with Liberty County Development Authority, the Georgia Ports Authority, and Georgia Power.
“Creative Home Ideas is a great addition to Georgia’s community of home-improvement companies, bringing with it many iconic brands,” said GDEcD Commissioner Pat Wilson. “By working with Georgia Ports Authority, Liberty County has created a successful environment for companies to grow by connecting them to domestic and international markets. Port activity supports one in nine jobs across the state, and that impact continues to grow as Georgia solidifies its position as a global business and logistics hub. We’re thankful for the dedication of partners like Liberty County and the ports, and congratulations to Creative Home Ideas.
You can make a lot of money as a real estate agent but it takes some time to become on. You must take classes, pass a test, and hang your license with a broker. Having a real estate license can also help your real estate investing if you do a lot of deals. Real Estate Express is a real estate school that provides online classes in many states. Multiple agents in my office have taken online classes from Real Estate Express and have some great feedback on the program. I also took my real estate classes online back in 2001, but I did not use Real Estate Express. I used Vaned to get my license and that was so long ago, I barely remember anything about the classes except they were very boring!
Visit Real Estate Express
There are many other online companies that offer real estate licenses. You will find that many of those companies have very bad reviews and people tend to have bad experiences with them. Why is that? Because taking a real estate class online is one of the most boring things you can ever do. It is hours and hours of staring at a computer screen trying to comprehend information that you will most likely never need after you pass the test.
Many people think the courses are bad because of the material, but that is what the companies have to teach. They don’t decide what to teach, the real estate commissions for each state do that. You have your choice of taking classes online or in person in most states. I think you might learn more by taking classes in person, but the classes can be taken much faster online.
Why should you take real estate classes online?
Potential agents need to ask themselves if an online environment is right for them when getting their real estate license. If you are an investor who only wants to use your license on your own deals, online is a great choice. If you want to make a career out of being a real estate agent, and you have a lot of free time, you may want to think about getting your license in an actual classroom. Being in a classroom is a better learning environment because you have an actual teacher, guest speakers, and can network with other people in the business. The downside is that it takes a lot of hours to get your license in a classroom.
In Colorado, you need 168 hours of education before you can take the test to get your license. The amount of hours you need does not change whether you take the class online or in person, but some people can work faster online than others. You may be able to get through the material much faster online than you can in person. You are also able to work on the classes whenever you want when you take the online version. I have to take continuing education to keep my license every year. I prefer to take my classes online because I can get them done a little faster.
Some people also learn better with different teaching techniques. Reading is a great way for some to learn, while others need an instructor. The online classes have videos and different types of teaching, but there is still a lot of reading. There is a lot of reading when you take in-person classes as well, but the instructor can help supplement that more than an online course.
Is it hard to learn on a computer?
Before I get into the pros and cons of Real Estate Express, I want to talk about online classes in general. If you decide to take online classes, be prepared to be in front of a computer a lot! Most states have much fewer hours required than Colorado, but wherever you get your license it takes a lot of hours staring at a computer.
When you take classes online it can be very hard to motivate yourself and you have to set your own schedule. I know it was tough for me to go through the real estate material and I had been around real estate most of my life (my dad was an agent). The real estate classes are not meant to teach agents how to sell houses and make money, they are meant to teach you the laws and regulations. The laws and regulations are very important, but also very boring.
If you are taking real estate license classes to learn how to sell houses or how to invest in real estate, look somewhere else. You will need a supplemental training program to learn the ins and outs of investing or selling real estate.
I have seen a lot of complaints about Real Estate Express and most of those stem from the material. Real Estate Express does not choose the material they teach, the state licensing board does. It is important to remember the classes are meant to help you stay out of jail, not teach you how to sell houses.
What are the real estate licensing requirements in all 50 states?
What real estate school did my agents choose?
When I got my license in 2001 there were very few choices for real estate schools. I choose Vaned.com because it was one of the few choices I had and somewhat affordable. It was a decent course and they are still around today. There are many more online schools now and prices have dropped as competition has increased.
The primary reason my agents choose Real Estate Express was they were the most affordable choice and they have a very high success rate for agents passing the test. My agents also had schedules or jobs that did not allow them to take their classes in a classroom environment. I think that most people find it is tough to take 168 hours of classes in a classroom when you have a job or a family. If you have to work around that schedule it can take forever to get through the classes.
Reviews from my agents
From Justin:
“I earned my real estate license while at a full-time job, so knew I needed to do it online. I shopped all of the top options and did demos of each. The delivery was fairly similar across the board, so I chose Real Estate Express due to its better price point.
Doing hours and hours of online education is never easy, but I got through the material fairly quickly.
Out of everything, the biggest value was the test prep portion. Once your educational hours are complete, you still need to take state and national licensing exams at testing centers. Real Estate Express had modules specifically to prepare me for these. I really enjoyed these modules and most importantly…I passed the test on my first try. Many people I know had to take the exams 2 or 3 times before passing.
Based on all of this, I have recommended Real Estate Express to several people.”
From David
“I was able to get through the material rapidly while working a full-time job. I needed the flexibility online courses offer. Real Estate Express was inexpensive and has all the features I wanted.
As I shopped options, I saw that Real Estate Express had chat and phone support for people to reach. The money-back guarantee was good to see too.
During exam prep, when I went through the test questions the system gave immediate feedback on the question. This is called a coaching module. It lets you know why you got a question right or wrong as you test, which has helped my learning tremendously.”
From Michael
“I quit my job in order to get my real estate license as quickly as possible. After looking at various options, it seemed I could get through fastest by using an online option. Real Estate Express had what I needed and it was recommended to me by two people.
I did have some technical issues with my computer, so I had to use their support several times. They responded quickly and resolved my issues. It was good to have nice human support throughout the process.
I also had questions with the licensing process, which they helped me with as well.”
Real Estate Express advantages
When I got my license many years ago, I did not pass the test on my first try. Most of this was my fault because I thought I knew everything about real estate and did not need to study very much. The real estate test is not easy to pass. I passed the next try after studying more and taking my time prepping for the test. I had to take the test again on very short notice a few years later to become a broker for my sister’s company for a short period of time. I passed the test with three days of studying on my first try thanks to a test prep course.
Test Preparation
One of the toughest parts of passing the real estate licensing tests is understanding the questions. The real estate licensing boards tend to use double and triple negatives to trip you up. The wording is very confusing and it is easy to fail even if you know the material well. I think the test prep is one of the most important features of any school because you need to get used to how the questions are asked on the test.
I have heard people complain about the poor wording of quizzes and questions in the real estate classes. It is true that they are worded poorly, but that is to prepare you for the state test. Here are some other advantages that I have seen from Real Estate Express:
Live support
I have heard from numerous people about the life support Real Estate Express offers and how helpful it can be. They are very quick to respond to questions online or on the phone.
A+ BBB rating
They have a great rating with the BBB and respond to any complaints with logic ad solutions.
Affordable
Real Estate Express is Cheaper than most other real estate schools. They are the largest online real estate school in the country and that allows them to be able to charge less than the other schools. Their low prices are also why they have become the largest real estate school in the country.
Courses in most states
Real Estate Express offers courses in 27 states. They are continually adding more states as they are approved to offer courses for real estate licenses. Some states require in-person classes while others do not.
Real Estate Express disadvantages
There are some cons to Real Estate Express, but they will come with almost any online school.
The online structure is boring
When you take classes online it is really boring going through the material and hard to motivate yourself.
Fewer networking opportunities
When you take classes in person you meet the instructor, other classmates, and guest speakers. You miss that with online classes.
Less support with online classes
Even though most schools offer some type of support, you don’t have a live teacher you can ask questions to immediately.
No time table to complete the course
When you take classes in person you know exactly when the classes are and when they will be completed. When you take classes online it is all up to you to complete the work. There is no schedule and you must be self-motivated.
Conclusion
If you are thinking of getting your license I recommend Real Estate Express if you go the online route. you can make a lot of money as a real estate agent, but remember the real estate classes will not teach you how to make money. The classes teach you the laws and regulations of being a real estate agent. If you want to learn to make money as an agent I would suggest choosing a broker who offers training and support for new agents.
By Peter Anderson6 Comments – The content of this website often contains affiliate links and I may be compensated if you buy through those links (at no cost to you!). Learn more about how we make money. Last edited January 21, 2019.
One thing that always amazes me is how people waste so much money every year, just through lack of caring or wanting to make the slightest effort in order to save.
They leave the low hanging fruit, for no other reason than they just don’t care, or they just aren’t aware of how easy it is to save.
If you do some due diligence before you buy something, you can save a ton of money.
In today’s post I thought I’d take a look at some extremely easy ways to find the best deals, and then to find additional savings on the things you buy.
Search For The Lowest Price On Things You’re Buying
When buying products, tickets or other items it’s important to do some research to make sure you’re getting the best deal. Here are some easy ways to do just that.
Invisible Hand Browser Add-on: This tool has quickly become my go-to tool because it just saves me a ton of time, and almost always finds me the best possible price for an item. Basically the tool is a browser add-on (IE, Chrome, Safari, Firefox) that will show you the lowest prices on items when you’re on an e-commerce site. So if I’m on Amazon looking for a wi-fi router and find one I like, it will tell me if there is a lower price elsewhere on the same router. If it’s the lowest price, it will tell you that as well. If I could choose only one price compare tool, this would be it. This tool also allows you to find the best airfare deal as well, although I haven’t used that functionality yet.
Google Products Search: A quick place you can go and search for a product name, and then find listings of the price of that item at a variety of different stores.
Honey: Honey is an automated coupon plugin for your browser that will find the best coupon code for your purchase and apply it automatically for you. Find out more in our review.
Home Improvement Coupons: Looking for a coupon for a home improvement store like Home Depot or Lowe’s? Check out OneProjectCloser’s page.
PriceGrabber: Another price comparison site that will help you to track down the best deals on whatever item you’re looking for.
These are only a few of the useful sites you can use to find the best price on an item that you’re buying. At the very least I’d suggest installing the browser add-on tool because it really makes saving money a no-brainer.
Search Google For Discounts On The Things You’re Buying
Once you’ve found the best possible deal on something that you’re buying, the next step is to find additional discounts if you can. How do you do that? Simple, you search for them using Google.
As mentioned in the video, finding discounts online is as easy as this process:
Go to Google.com
Search for the store name or attraction plus the words “coupon code”, “discount”,”savings” or other words you can think of that denote additional savings.
Comb through the results to find the best possible discount or coupon. Best results aren’t always on the first page.
I’d say about half to 3/4 of the time you’ll find a coupon code you can use.
Savings In Action
The photo above shows an actual search that we used to find additional savings on our tickets to a local aquarium here in Minnesota, The Sea Life Aquarium at the Mall of America. The tickets were originally about $20 per adult, more than we wanted to pay.
A quick search on google for “sea life aquarium mn coupon code” brought up several sites with working coupon codes on the first page of the results. Those codes on the first page would have saved us about $5-6. Instead of stopping there we dug through a couple more pages of results and found a special discount code for a local trade group – that anyone could use – that ended up saving us $6 on each ticket – so $12 off. Just that extra 5 minutes saved us an additional $6.
Sites To Find Discount And Coupon Codes
If you’re not finding much in the Google search you tried above, often you can just find a coupon code or discount by checking out a coupon aggregator site, or coupon forum. Here are a couple of my favorite places to find coupons.
RetailMeNot.com: This site is by far my favorite because they always just seem to have a coupon code for just about everything. I was purchasing my hosting plan a while back, and ended up finding a coupon code here that saved my 20% on the life of my hosting plan! Just go to the site, and search for the online store or retailer you’re looking to purchase from, and a list of tickets will come up, in order of how effective they’ve been for other people.
Ebay.com: This one place you may not think of to find a coupon code, but often it’s a great place to find additional discounts. For example, when I was buying a laptop a while back I bought a coupon code for a dollar or two on Ebay that ended up saving me 15% off of the price of my laptop. While sometimes you can be a bit unsure if the code will work, the return for a dollar or two can be quite a bit.
Honey: Honey is an automated coupon plugin for your browser that will find the best coupon code for your purchase and apply it automatically for you. Find out more in our review.
When No Discounts Are To Be Found? Just Wait.
Sometimes no matter how hard you try you might not be able to find a discount or a good price on an item that you want. In those cases quite often your best option is to just wait. If something isn’t on sale now, it will be in a month or two. If there isn’t a coupon code now, they may be running a promotion a week from now. Save up your money in an interest bearing account and eventually you’ll find the deal you’re looking for.
In cases where you absolutely have to buy something that day, you may be out of luck. For example, if we hadn’t found a discount on our aquarium trip, we most likely would have gone anyway. The key is to just give it a shot. It hurts nothing to do a little bit of research because in the end it could end up saving you quite a bit of money.
What smart shopping tips can you give us that can help us to save on the things we buy? Tell us in the comments!
Every year, I write a post detailing my goals for the next year and reviewing how I did with the previous year’s goals. I have written articles over the last three years that included some huge goals. I achieved many of these goals, and many of them I did not. I actually am just fine not accomplishing all of my goals because that keeps me working hard throughout the year. The point of a goal is not to accomplish it but to get as much out of yourself as possible. If you make your goals too easy to accomplish, they do not do you much good. I made a goal to flip 30 houses in 2017, which I did not reach, but I came close. That does not mean I am going to make my goal smaller this year; in fact I will make it even bigger!
My goal articles for other years
Why are goals important to our success?
When I was younger, I thought I could do everything myself without any help and without any goals or direction. I was wrong, and I was not very successful for many years. As soon as I started to set goals, I started to see success, and I felt better about myself and my life. Goals give you a direction, a path to follow, and instructions on what success is. The most important part of setting goals is you tell yourself what you actually want in life. If you have no idea what you want, it will be impossible to get it.
When you set goals, you need to be as specific as possible. You have to set goals that can be measured as well. A goal to learn about real estate is not a real goal. A real goal would be: I will buy a rental property in 2018. An even better goal would be: I will buy a rental property that cash flows $300 per month by October 1st, 2018. The more specific, the better. For more information on setting goals, check out the article below.
One problem with setting goals or New Years’ resolutions is we forget about them about a month after we set them. One reason I love this blog is that it holds me accountable. Thousands of people read my goals and see how well I did. This keeps me on my toes and motivates me to review my goals often. If you are setting goals, make sure you have a way or a partner to keep you on track (this assumes you do not have a blog).
What were my goals in 2017?
In 2017, I made some really big goals. I accomplished some of these, others I did not, and some I will accomplish in the beginning of 2018. 2017 was a great year, but there is always room for improvement. Part of the fun in life and business is figuring out better ways to do things and seeing those new practices pay off. Here is what I wanted to accomplish in 2017:
I wanted to buy a 50,000-square-foot or larger commercial building.
I wanted to flip 30 houses, which would have been 12 more than what I flipped in 2016.
I wanted to sell 200 houses as a real estate team. This has been my goal for many years, but I keep coming up short.
I wanted to publish 2 new books from my blog and hire more help for the website.
I do not discuss all of my goals publicly, but I did mention the possibility of buying a Lamborghini Countach or Aston Martin in 2017. I did not make it a goal and really did a poor job with this last year!
How did I do with my 2017 goals?
On the surface, it may look like I failed at achieving many of my goals, but I am really happy with how the year went. You cannot get upset or mad when you do not accomplish goals. If you accomplish everything, your goals were not big enough.
I did not buy a 50,000-square-foot building. However, I had one under contract that fell apart due to circumstances beyond my control. I also have another 70,000-square-foot building that is under contract and set to close by the end of January.
I sold 26 flips and bought 27 flips. I was really close to 30 but did not quite get there. I thought I would sell 30 flips with a few months to go, but delays on multiple projects set me back, which always seems to happen.
We sold 96 houses as a real estate team. I was not close to selling 200, but our average price increased quite a bit. I have thought about re-wording my goals to dollar volume instead of a number of sales.
I did publish two new books and hired multiple new people to help with the blog. Most of those people did not work out, but I have found a couple of great resources.
I also accomplished some things this last year that I was not expecting and were not goals.
I bought a 1998 Lotus Esprit V8 twin-turbo. I was not planning to buy this car, but I have always loved the Esprit. One came up for sale on eBay that was a great deal and the perfect color.
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I bought four rental properties in 2017! I was not planning to buy any—except for one large property—but I found a niche I like in the area. I bought four commercial properties that are all rented out and cash flowing better than residential properties in the area.
I bought a small commercial shop to store materials for my flips and rentals as well as have a place to store a couple of cars.
I ended up buying 31 properties in 2017, which is an awesome accomplishment for me. I was hoping to buy 30 flips, but I am really excited that I was able to buy rentals as well. For 2018, I plan to change up my goals a little bit.
What are my goals for 2018 in real estate?
I have been thinking about and working on my goals for 2018. I try to spend quality time on them and not just throw them together. The better my goals are, the more successful and happier I will be. Here is what I have planned for this year:
I want to make $100,000 per month flipping houses. My goal last year was to flip 30 houses, but I could have done that and made no money at all…or even lost money. That is not a very good goal. I averaged about $32,000 in profit on each flip last year, which means if I flip 3 houses per month, I will come close to making $100,000 each month. With this goal, I have to think about profit margins and not just how many houses I am buying. I have three houses set to close in January of 2018 and many more listed or ready to list the start of the year. I also have 3 flips under contract to buy. You can see all the properties and numbers here: https://investfourmore.com/flips/
I want to add $6,000 per month in passive income. Instead of creating a number of properties I want to buy, I decided to create a passive-income number since I think that is more important. With the large building I am buying in January, I should create about half of that number. I figure I would need to buy about 6 smaller properties to get the total to $6,000 per month. This is not in line with my plan to buy 100 properties, but I do still have that major goal I want to accomplish.
I want to start my own real estate office. Part of my plan to buy a large building is to start a new office in that building. I never wanted to start an office before because many of my REO and HUD accounts were tied to my current office. There was no guarantee that those accounts would move with me if I moved. I have decided I like flipping much more than being an REO agent, which works out great since there are almost no foreclosures in Colorado. By starting my own office, I will save a ton of money on expenses and have my own space I can do whatever I want with. I will use this as my real estate team goal this year instead of setting a sales number goal.
I will buy an Aston Martin V8 or Lamborghini Countach this year. In fact, I am already working on this goal, and it is close to being accomplished.
I have more personal goals this year and goals for this blog as well. However, I am basing the blog goals around income so it is more measurable. I have decided not to disclose that goal publicly, but if you really want to know, you can email me. [email protected] If you think you have ideas for the blog, you are welcome to let me know as well. However, I get tons of emails from people who want to do guest blogs or help me with SEO. That is not what I am looking for.
These goals are more specific than they have been in the past, which should help me know exactly what I need to do. I can also break down these goals into smaller tasks to figure out exactly how to accomplish them. With the flipping goal, I know I need to sell three flips per month with a profit margin of $33,333.
Conclusion
I really like writing these posts because it makes me set goals and really think about what I want to do each year. It is also good to have both longer- and shorter-term goals. It might be smart for me to rethink my plan to buy 100 properties into a plan to create a certain amount of passive income. Buying the large commercial property will be like buying 6 really good residential rentals as far as the cash flow that will be generated. I also want to make sure I have these goals at the front of my mind and am constantly thinking of them. It does no good to set goals and never look at them again until December 31st.