Foundations

Real estate investing guides

Long-form, plain-English guides on the core concepts every investor needs before putting money into a deal.

Analysis

Understanding Rental Yield

How to calculate gross and net rental yield, how yield differs from cap rate, and why it's a fast screening tool rather than a complete property analysis.

Risk

Risk Management for Property Investors

The real risks in rental property investing, vacancy, interest rates, liability, market downturns, and concentration, and how cash reserves and insurance manage them.

Foundations

Rental Property Investing

A practical overview of buy-and-hold rental property investing in the US: what the work actually involves, how it differs from flipping, and the real time commitment.

Analysis

Real Estate ROI

Real estate ROI gets calculated several different ways. Learn the difference between cash-on-cash return, total ROI, and annualized ROI, and why the distinction matters.

Foundations

Real Estate Investing for Beginners

Where to start with real estate investing: the main strategies, how the math actually works, and the mistakes that sink most first deals.

Strategy

Property Investment Strategies

A comparison of the main real estate investing strategies, buy-and-hold, BRRRR, flipping, house hacking, short-term rentals, and multifamily, by capital and risk.

Due Diligence

Property Due Diligence

A practical, checklist-style guide to due diligence on a rental property purchase: inspection, title, rent verification, expense history, permits, and more.

Financing

Mortgage Fundamentals

How mortgage amortization works, what determines your monthly payment, what PITI and loan-to-value mean, and the difference between a rate and APR.

Financing

Investment Property Financing

A comparison of the main ways to finance a US investment property: conventional loans, DSCR loans, portfolio loans, hard money, and seller financing.

Expenses

Investment Property Expenses

A full breakdown of rental property operating expenses: property tax, insurance, HOA, maintenance vs capital reserves, management fees, vacancy cost, and utilities.

Foundations

How Cash-Flow Properties Work

A precise, no-hype explanation of what rental cash flow actually means, why gross rent is misleading, and how positive and negative cash flow fit into a real strategy.

Analysis

Evaluating Rental Properties

A practical framework for screening rental properties before you offer, covering location demand, condition, price-to-rent checks, and deal-breaking red flags.

Analysis

Cash-on-Cash Return

Learn how cash-on-cash return measures the yield on the actual cash you invest in a rental property, how it differs from cap rate, and how leverage changes it.

Analysis

Cap Rate Explained

A full breakdown of capitalization rate for US rental property: the NOI formula, why it excludes financing, and the most common mistakes investors make calculating it.

Strategy

Building a Property Investment Plan

Why defining your criteria before browsing listings prevents emotional buying, and how to write a simple one-page real estate investment plan.

Foundations

How to Analyze a Rental Deal in 15 Minutes

A step-by-step walkthrough for underwriting a rental property: what each number means, which ones sellers fudge, and the three benchmarks a deal has to clear.