Investing in real estate is one of the wisest moves you can make. Without too much experience, it’s possible to flip a property and sell it for a nice profit. Or, you can rent it and keep it as a nest egg for retirement. Either way, with enough startup capital, some elbow grease and a buyer/tenant, there is likely to be a healthy ROI. That’s not to say it’s a guaranteed win by any means, but property is more accessible than stock and shares.

One downside is the time element. Anyone with a real estate portfolio knows it sucks up a lot of energy. There are calls to make, repairs to fix, and contracts to negotiate and renegotiate. Considering you have a full-time job, there is no reason to add another one on top. It doesn’t matter how much money it brings in because a balance between work and life is essential too.

Does that mean real estate investment is off the table? Should you walk away and enjoy time with the family instead? Not necessarily as there are hacks which can ensure the project remains a hobby. Yes, this pastime is demanding, but the following tips should stop it from escalating out of control.

Hire A Property Manager

By far the easiest option is to hire a third-party service to take care of the responsibilities. Investors do this all the time as property management experts can answer questions and solve problems. Thanks to their experience, it’s quite straightforward for them to find a compromise. Or, the owner can tell the management company what they want and they will follow the simple instructions. When done right, it’s the most basic way to save time and energy.

The appropriate word to remember is “right.” Because they will be in control, it’s essential to hire a partner that will earn their money. After all, they’re going to get a cut of your profits and you don’t want to hand it out willy-nilly. As always, recommendations are pretty reliable as long as they come from a reputable source. Do you know someone that recently bought and used an agency? Who do they recommend?

Other than that, use the internet to research companies with an excellent reputation in your area. What do previous customers say? Are there any negatives? If so, what are they and do they apply to your investment? Check and double check before signing on the dotted line.

Take A Backseat

There is no reason to be the face of the operation. In fact, real money men and women are wise enough to understand that their money does the talking. So, they don’t have to be front and center as long as they are pumping money into the project. All they have to do is sit back and take a cut, a lot like an executive producer in Hollywood.

Some people don’t like this idea because they want to be in control. Okay, there is an element of delegation when you partner-up, but you’ll still on your hand on the throttle. The key is to become a limited partner in the company to make sure your opinion is heard and you’re influencing the strategy. Otherwise, you’re a silent investor whose ideas are ignored. That means you’re at the mercy of the people running the show.

From a time perspective, you’ll receive an overview of the investment and can analyze the data. Although this is time-consuming if you do it correctly, it uses less energy than creating and managing the plan. Always consider the investment because a bad project will lose money and negate the purpose.

Jot Down Notes

“Notes” is a fancy way of saying mortgages. Almost everyone reading this post will be a note investor in some form. The only difference is that you’re on the opposite end. On the borrower side is where you’ll find the traditional investment of paying for a property over a long-term period. Investing in notes is when an individual secures existing real estate mortgages. Are you following?

Don’t worry if you aren’t because the thing to keep in mind is the profitability. According to the experts, the ROI can range from 12% to 18% depending on the market and the type of note. Rehab it and there is the potential to make more money. Of course, mortgages are directly linked with properties so it’s a roundabout way of investing. Unlike the classic property market, the competition isn’t as fierce and that adds to the profitability stakes.

Like pretty much every stock, share or bond, it’s important to be patient and let them mature. That means going about your life while keeping an eye on the fluctuations.

Schedule Like A Pro

There are only so many hours in a day and the majority is spent on working and sleeping. As a result, there isn’t a lot of room to take meetings or deal with tenants and their issues. Sometimes, landlords find themselves working into the small hours to complete everything on their to-do list.

The answer is basic: allot a certain amount of time to the project. Think of it like surgery hours for a doctor. After work, set yourself a deadline which allows you to go home and do other things, even if it’s relaxing and watching TV.

Too many investors feel guilty and that’s when they work too hard. Use scheduling to release the tension.

Add Years To The Investment

What a terrible idea. This is only going to create more work. Sure, the job will be there for the long haul and it won’t go away until you sell the property. But, the majority of the responsibility is when you try and flip it quickly. There is a lot to do and not enough time to juggle a full-time position.

Landlords that rent find they can spread the work over a longer period and break the stress into manageable chunks.

Don’t you want an easy life as opposed to a hectic one full of pressure and tension?

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