What to Do If You Have a Bad Landlord

Bad landlords give the rest of us a bad rap. Here’s an app to keep them in line.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/10/15/us-usa-tenants-tech-idUSKCN0I415W20141015

REIT portfolio update ...

Here is the latest update on the e-financial REIT portfolio: 

Best wishes, 

George

How NOT to Overpay for Long-Term Care Insurance

Here is a good article by the American Association for Long-Term Care that gives you a tip on how to shop for a long-term care insurance policy. 

You can find more money-saving ideas in A Boomer’s Guide to Long-Term Care. Order your copy right here.

Best wishes,

George

www.e-financialwriter.com

Study Shows Top Safe Havens for Rental Investing

A recent study by RealtyTrac claims that if you are considering becoming a landlord with single-family homes you should forget California.

Ohio, Oklahoma, Florida could offer much better investments.

RealtyTrac analyzed median sales prices and average fair market rents for three-bedroom properties in 586 U.S. counties.

Rental returns were calculated using annual gross rental yields: The average fair market rent of three-bedroom homes in each county, annualized, and divided by the median sales price of residential properties in the third quarter.

Markets with home prices that have shot up can be difficult to get enough rent to cover the mortgage. For instance, the study found that New York City and San Francisco have gross rental yields below 4%.

On the other hand, parts of Florida and Georgia where home prices are still recovering from the 2008-2009 crash have yields of 20% and higher.

As an investor in single-family homes in my area, I’ve never paid much attention to national or regional studies. That’s because in my experience each county has cities, and neighborhoods within those cities, that can hold great investments … regardless of what broad-based studies may show.

Furthermore, gross rental yields are only a starting point in your search for a rental property. They don’t mean squat if they’re getting eaten up by taxes, repairs, and deadbeat tenants.

You can find the complete RealtyTrac study here.  

Best wishes,

George 
www.e-financialwriter.com

Ventas Expanding With $3.5 Billion Deal

I first wrote about Ventas, Inc. (VTR) back in December 2010. And I’ve been tracking it ever since.

Yesterday the company announced that it was buying ARC Healthcare for $3.5 billion. That’s a big number in anyone’s book as Ventas expands its ownership of medical offices and housing for the elderly.

You can read more about the acquisition right here.

Best wishes,

George

One Thing You Can Count on with Obamacare

The Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare, got off to a rocky start last week. But it will be years before we know whether the law can achieve its long-term goal of getting more Americans insured while slowing the growth of medical costs.

Proponents say that more Americans will have access to medical care, certainly a plus in a country as prosperous as ours.

However, many of us could end up paying higher premiums to supplement those who will pay little or nothing at all.

I’ve spoken to experts in the healthcare and insurance professions. Most are pessimistic with this move towards socialized medicine. One concern is that the wait time to receive that care could soar as more doctors refuse to accept insurance and Medicare. Thus delaying critical treatments.

With that consensus, one thing is almost for certain: More people piling into doctors’ offices seeking treatment means longer waiting times for you.

For example, if you normally estimate a visit with a specialist will take two hours, better figure on four once Obamacare takes hold.

Best wishes,

George