Derek Guyer's (landchasers) Blog

Insurance is one of those things investors don’t seem to think about very much. It’s easy to let an insurance agent set everything for you on your properties and to miss out on gaining the necessary knowledge in the meantime. That can be a big mistake.Most of us have heard stories of people who h...

I've recently been doing some work with an investor who has negotiated tons of short sales over the years and who works with home-owners in pre-foreclosure. Having done some of the negotiations myself, I know how challenging they can be and so, I have a pretty deep respect for someone who is good...

While I’ve never read the book, I was sent a great little excerpt from Michael Michalko’s book, Thinkertoys: A Handbook of Creative-Thinking Techniques. I thought this was a more appropriate time than ever to share this, given the nature of the current real estate market. We have more struggling ...

USA Today had a column in the paper today entitled ”Paying for a roof over your head- but not much else.” The article explains that “37% of U.S. home owners are spending 30% or more of their before-tax income on housing- the threshold of where the government says a home becomes uncomfortable- acc...

It’s easy as a new investor to get excited and let your emotions dictate your decisions. I spend a lot of time trying to get investors focused on the details and then the big picture, but end up spending a lot of that time on calming them down before they make emotional decisions. It's easy to se...

Turn on the news at six or pick up Sunday’s paper. Read Drudge Report or any type of news format out there, and you’re likely to find one thing for sure: tons of bad news about our national real estate economy. People are actually surprised about the current status of the real estate market, wher...

I can’t tell you how often I hear nightmare stories from investors around the country about the major issues they’re experiencing with property managers. These poor investors put their trust, their credit, their properties, and their money in the hands of individuals they just simply can’t trust....

As an investor, it’s absolutely essential that you prepare for the different scenarios that will come your way as you are looking at investment properties and investing for your future. As a real estate investor, getting rehab estimates, good market comparables, running and analyzing numbers, and...

One simple question can change everything. It’s a question that many young, would-be entrepreneurs ask as they’re dreaming of building their own business. It’s also the same one that their skeptics, who are living the “safe life”, are asking. Real estate investors, mothers, attorneys, children, p...

Land Chasers has had the distinct privilege and opportunity to bring in Nathan Whittlesey, of Midwest Environmental Solutions, over the past month for some great educational articles on mold and how we, as real estate investors, should respond to it. Today concludes Nathan’s series for us and we’...