Chicago Real Estate Investing Blog

By Mark Ainley

BRRRR Chicago Strategy

BRRRR is an acronym that stands for: Buy, Rehab, Rent, Refinance, Repeat. This strategy of real estate investing has become popular among investors who may not have the 20-25% down payment to invest in a long term deal or for seasoned investors who want to do more dea...

By Mark Ainley

Three Of The Best Methods Of Real Estate Investment For Beginners

I get asked this question frequently: “What would you do if you were starting over?” I answer: It depends. It depends on the circumstances in my life. It depends on how much money I have at the time. It depends on how much time I would have.What I’m going to do ...

By Mark Ainley

What Do Chicago Investors Pay in Closing Costs?

Are you aware of the different subset of fees that exist on the settlement statement? Are you able to accurately estimate your closing costs on your next purchase? If you are not confident in your answers to the above two questions, then this will be a helpful line-by-line walk t...

By Mark Ainley

Five tips for getting the most out of your REO property investments

Investors looking to purchase foreclosed properties may not be aware of the wealth of opportunities available through bank-owned homes. Savvy investors who take the time to learn about the REO process can uncover a huge opportunity for themselves in the form of great bargains. &n...

By Mark Ainley

Five ways to help you keep accurate records

Keeping records does not have to be a nightmare. You can use simple and practical solutions to ensure that you are keeping good records. This article will explain why you should be recording your transactions so that you can follow the five best practices for making sure your rec...

By Mark Ainley

Prepare Rental Property Financials For Taxes Like A Pro

In the last article I wrote about bookkeeping, I encouraged you to keep good records throughout the year so you could properly file your taxes. Now that the time has come to prepare your return, below are some steps you can take to organize your records. This article will detail...

By Mark Ainley

6 Things You Need To Know About Paying Taxes While House Hacking

We have talked about house hacking on the podcast multiple times, from both a financial and emotional perspective, and why it may make sense for people to rent out their primary residence in order to generate additional income (and make sure to check out the Househacking Calculat...

By Mark Ainley

6 Ways To Avoid (Most Of) The Risks In Turnkey Investing

Real estate investing is not for everyone. Patience, consistency, and persistence are required to be successful in this business. Before you make the leap, it's important to understand the challenges you'll face.A lot of new investors are interested in investing in turnke...

By Mark Ainley

What You Need to Know About IRAs

There are two main types of IRAs: traditional and Roth. Each has its own pros and cons, which makes choosing one over the other more difficult than it seems at first glance. This article will discuss the differences between them and help you to choose which one is right for you b...

By Mark Ainley

How To Screen For A Bad Chicago General Contractor

Hiring a bad contractor to lead your Chicago rehab can be a costly learning curve. Below are a few tips on what you need to know to avoid some of the pitfalls when hiring a general contractor to complete a rehab for you in Chicago.Hire a contractor that has a general contra...

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