Whether you’re a first-time homebuyer, investor, or looking for your forever home – choosing a real estate agent is an extremely important step in the home buying process. Having a personable, communicative, patient agent can make or break your experience. Interviewing agents can help you narrow down who will be the best fit for you.

Real Estate Agent Interview Questions

“How Long Have You Been in Real Estate?”

Although tenure isn’t the end-all-be-all of choosing an excellent agent, this question can be helpful. You can gauge how you feel about their answer. But, take note – sometimes newer agents can be a great choice! Their motivation and dedication can give them the upper hand.

“How will you communicate with me?”

Lack of communication is the #1 complaint that clients have about their agents. Knowing their schedule and preferred method of contact will help prevent any frustrating communication breakdowns. Make sure you set an...

Are you struggling to make ends meet? Are you already behind on some bills and creditors are harassing you? Are you facing foreclosure or car repossession?

You are not alone. Many people just like you have fallen on hard times because of divorce, medical catastrophe, job loss, or simply not having enough income to meet current expenses. Active-duty servicemembers and veterans are not immune to these problems--a recent study showed that 1 in 10 military families file bankruptcy.

There are pros and cons to filing bankruptcy for anyone, but there are special considerations for those who served or are serving in the military. Read on to find out your options and decide what is best for you and your family.

Why are You Considering Bankruptcy?

What Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Can Do for You

If you simply have too much unsecured debt--such as credit card debt or medical debt--filing under Chapter 7 is for you. Chapter 7 bankruptcy is a four-to-six month process during which you disclose...

Understanding the VA Construction Loan

Are you frustrated with the inventory of homes currently available on the market? Are you wishing you could put your custom touch instead of buying someone else’s style? This is where the VA Construction Loan can help!

The VA Construction Loan gives borrowers the option to build their ideal home to their specifications—rather than buying one available for resale. In certain situations, new construction may be a comparable price or cheaper than purchasing an already-built home.

Types of VA Construction Loans

Two-Close Construction Loan

Previously, the VA has used what’s called “two-close” construction loans. This type of loan has a loan application for both phases, two closing dates, etc. But this became overly complicated, so another option was created for borrowers: the “one-close VA Construction Loan”

One- Close Construction Loan

As the name suggests, this loan type only requires one mortgage...

I am thrilled to have received an invite to share my story. The desire to help, inspire, and empower others is in my blood and my ultimate life goal. So, read on to learn how I went from having $1000 in my pocket to earning half a million dollars through real estate investing.

My story

In a small country town in Brazil, I dreamed so many dreams as a little girl. The reality is that my family went from being high-middle class during my early childhood-- to the struggles of lower classes in my teen years. I remember being about 9 or 10 on a trip to the bookstore, my grandfather said I could pick any book, comic, or magazine as my gift. I looked around and had no doubt – I quickly grabbed an Architecture and Real Estate magazine as my eyes sparkled with excitement. He, of course, was quite surprised; not knowing I had been an avid newspaper reader--with high focus on all the ads for new development design plans for sale. It was a beautiful world to me and I fantasized about...

How to Apply for a Mortgage

Are you feeling overwhelmed at the prospect of applying for a mortgage? Have no idea how to begin with the loan application process? Don’t worry, anyone who’s bought a home has been there. We understand that it can feel like information overload, but we’re here to make it easier for you! ADPI has your back every step of the way, so let us help you get started and into your first home!

In this article, we’ll walk you through how to apply for a mortgage. The preparation behind applying for a mortgage is the actual work you will need to do to obtain a mortgage. Unfortunately, gathering all the necessary information may take about a week, but once you have it all together, the actual mortgage application process becomes much easier. 

Steps to Get Organized & Mortgage Ready

1. Obtain a credit report and confirm that it is error-free

It’s relatively simple to get a credit report. Fortunately, you are...

My Real Estate Investing Success Story

Small Town Beginnings

In 2011, my wife and I relocated from Fort Belvoir, VA to Fort Benning, GA. We were both majors and she came from Georgia. We were visiting my in-laws when my father-in-law took me on a ride-along to check on his properties. At the time, he had about 10 single-family homes and I did not pry into how much he was charging for rent. But I thought, "he must be banking". However, I did ask him how he acquired the properties. He explained that in his small town, he is well known and respected, so when someone wanted to sell their home, he got first dibs. He was purchasing properties for $10,000 to $15,000. Right then, I decided that we can do it too. In the beginning, my wife was not on board, but I told her we could purchase in her hometown. 

Financing the Deal

At this time, we had a summer home we had purchased in the same town in 2007, but due to the house market collapse in 2008, it didn’t have any equity. We also...

What is Passive Real Estate Investing?

What’s the difference between being efficient and just being busy? Why is this difference so important and how can you maximize efficiency? You must be currently swamped so that you are overwhelmed by it all. After all, most busy professionals who want to tap into the world of real estate "just don’t have the time."

These individuals are well aware that this market is very lucrative and offers a chance for great wealth. Nevertheless, they are unable to balance both work life and creating the time to seek an alternative investment. However, to be successful, you must not lose your ability to handle your business with grace, poise, and a firm iron fist.

To continue your seemingly arduous journey into real estate investing, what kind of daily, life-changing decisions do you have to start following when you are far too busy?

Investing in Turnkey Properties

Turnkey real estate investing is a loosely defined investment strategy in which...

While there’s no denying that the demand for real estate properties is on the rise, your business as a real estate investor will not flourish unless you know how to set yourself apart in this overcrowded market. In fact, as the need increases, so does the necessity for optimizing your marketing strategy that will ultimately help you boost your business relevance, brand awareness, and bring more clients your way. As an investor, your role is a multifaceted one, including that of negotiating over prices, looking for the most appropriate buyers later down the line, and finding the most lucrative real estate opportunities overall. 

To refine your marketing approach in 2020, you need to keep your target audience in mind, as well as the market itself. For example, according to the National Association of Realtors, 50% of buyers found their home online, which instantly puts more pressure on your website, your social media, and other digital factors to enhance your...

When it comes to VA financing, many veterans have heard about the popular fixed rate VA Loans. They are usually the standard when it comes to hearing about veteran finance options for real estate. But, did you know there's another option? It's called a VA Hybrid Loan and it could be a great choice for your home buying needs.

Everything You Need To Know About The VA Hybrid Loan

A VA Hybrid Loan is exactly like it sounds – it is a government-backed loan that includes a fixed-rate introductory period that transitions to an adjustable-rate mortgage after a certain amount of time. The initial period can be 3, 5, 7, or 10 years. After this time (on the anniversary date), the interest rate can change yearly as determined by index, margin, and caps.

What is a VA Hybrid Loan Cap?

VA Hybrid Loans are capped – which means that there is a limit on the interest rate and how much that rate can rise both annually and over the life of the loan. The annual adjustment cap is one percent...

So, someone has convinced you to self-manage your rental properties. Glad you found me. I will not try to persuade you that managing your properties is a bad idea, but I hope that after you read this article, you will fully grasp how much work it is getting started. Feel free to learn from my mistakes.

Rookie Landlord Tips

 1. Rookie Landlord Tip 1: Train your tenants 

 Pro-Tip: Train until you cannot get it wrong.

 One of the greatest football coaches of all time, Vince Lombardi, once said, “We are going to practice not until we get it right, but until we can not get it wrong.” Apply this principle to as much as possible in life but especially landlording. Do not go into property management with the expectation that it will be passive. Property management is very active but you can make your job easier if you properly train your tenants. Every time a unit turns over and you place new tenants, you begin the training cycle over again. Each new tenant...