Spencer's Blog

Is the buyer the winner in today's real estate market?   Visit any website, pick up any newspaper or magazine, and the news about real estate is negative. But let me suggest something positive: right now may be a great time to get into the real estate market. Whether you want to buy your first ho...

I am a firm believer in mixed asset class portfolio, An asset allocation like the one below is what I prescribe for my clients: 35%-50% Real Estate -real property, REITS, TICs, tax leins et al. 0%-10% Commodities - gold, silver, coal, corn, timber 35%-50% Equities - stocks, mutual funds , etf, pr...

Pat Curry at Bankrate.com has a great article on the 10 lethal mistakes real estate investors make. My favorite is #4 -Paying to Much. I cannot express how important getting a good buy price is . "You make your money when you buy" should be everyone's investing mantra, in real estate and other in...

This is an old story, but one that will probably reemerge now that Obama will get the Democratic nomination. Back in 2005, Obama purchased a $1.6 million South Side Chicago home. Tony Rezko, a Chicago developer and franchiser, help Obama get the house for $300k less than market while Rezko's wife...

For many business owners the real estate their business occupies is as valuable as the business. With proper foresight and planning that very real estate could greatly add to their retirement income. Inc.com has a great article on this by Josh Patrick showing the virtues of owning your business p...

Should you buy a piece of real estate for your undergrad to live in? Rent out parts to their friends so to offset their room and  board costs? Maybe even sell the property later to offset the cost of tuition? Theresa Morrow at Zillow Blog answers these questions from experience and insight

The rules for an IRC 1031 property to property exchange are complex. As all things that involve the IRS - it always is a matter of semantics. So who is a related party in a 1031 exchange by  Stephan A. Warner, Esq. at Blog1031. It is always best to use a qualified intermediary (QI) who can answer...

The hot area of the real estate for last two years has been rural land. Given the demand for corn, whether for ethanol or food, has greatly contributed to this phenomenon. An interesting take on investing in rural real estate in this interview with Allen Shannon, CEO of LandsofAmerica.com via Rea...

With urban residential prices in a slump, it may make sense to have your second small home near work and your big luxury living in playland. Isn't it about how you live versus where you live. Here is a great  post about small second homes in the city via Zillow Blog  

Real estate is a fundamental asset class in a diversified investment portfolio. The benefits it provides are capital growth and investment income. Also given that it has a correlation coefficient of 0.59 to U.S. equities it provides great diversification.  The correlation coefficient suggests it ...