Araceli Hernandez

Wealthy Women and Real Estate Blog

Click the picture to read the entire blog article!

Why Real Estate is an Excellent Career Opportunity for Women

I always get asked why real estate is a good investment and career move for women. Apart from the sound fiscal reasons, which I will mention later in this blog, there are some behavioural and biological reasons. Women live longer than men, smoke less, and are regarded by insurance companies as risk-averse. read on.....

The Secret of Becoming a Successful Investor

We are all looking for the secret, the knowledge on how to become a successful real estate investor. There is no silver bullet answer as everybody has their recipe for success. Still, in today's blog, I would like to give some anecdotal narratives about a successful career in real estate investment. I would like to share these stories with you to picture the different scenarios linked to real estate investment.  read on.....

Four Key Elements of Real Estate Investing

today, I will give some advice on navigating the real estate maze. It sounds challenging, but following these four steps will help focus your mind and make things clearer. I started investing in real estate after my divorce. With very little savings and lots of debt, I needed a career that would provide me with financial security.read on.....

Potential Risks Involved with Real Estate Investing

As with everything in life, there is risk involved. When you invest capital into any project, you can lose or profit from it. However, the biggest risk a person can take is to do nothing and to run with it makes you feel alive. The way I have always looked upon risk is that If you win, you will be happy; if you lose, you will be wiser. There are ways to minimize risk and invest in safer options, and I firmly believe that real estate offers the best outcome for a positive return.  read on.....

Why Become a Real Estate Investor

One of the main reasons people invest in real estate is to achieve financial freedom. So what does it mean to achieve financial independence? Simply put, financial independence means that all your sources of passive income will be equal to or higher than your lifestyle costs. Check out my Youtube video, outlining how to calculate these costs and include them when estimating expenses. read on.....

Superpowers of Real Estate Investors 

So what are your superpowers? I like the word. I watched a movie where Spider-Man, asks Batman, what is your superpower? And he answers, “I am rich”. That is the superpower I would like to have. Superpowers are another name for skills. So what types of skills do you need to become a successful real estate investor? There are two types of skills in life, hard skills and soft skills. Hard skills are the ones you have to acquire by learning or doing an amount of work to achieve like carpentry, construction, typing or languages.
read on.....

Real Estate Investor Mindset

In today's blog, I would like to talk about the mindsets you will require for real estate investment. There are two primary types of mindsets, fixed and positive. One leads to growth while the other is risk-averse and more conservative in outlook. I had a traditional upbringing where my family encouraged me to find a safe, reliable job that was secure and paid a good pension. It was not about work-life balance or doing something you enjoy. It was all about job security and getting paid a weekly wage. 
read on.....

Is Real Estate Investing a Business?

We spoke about mindsets in our last blog, and you must retain a business mind when trading in real estate as it saves you a lot of hassle, time and money, and let's face it, we are all investing for financial gain. In today's blog, I would like to talk about the business end of real estate investment and how to set it up professionally. 
read on.....

How Important is your Financial Health?

In my opinion, when it comes to real estate investing, financial Heath is directly linked to physical health. Many people don't like to talk about their financial health, but it's essential to consider when investing in real estate. Take some time to review your financial health, diagnose it and put it under stress testing so that you know your limits. We go to a doctor when we are physically or mentally sick; the same applies to financial health. It's vital to see professional help and advice to help you make prudent decisions and save you a lot of time and money.

The Importance of a Good Credit Score in Real Estate

On today’s blog I would like to talk about the importance of a good credit rating or score when investing in Real Estate. 
The importance of a good credit rating will have an impact on real estate investing portfolios. There are two terms, your credit score and your credit report and many people think they are the same thing, but they are not. The one you need to focus on is your credit score as this is the one that really matters as it is not only to buy real estate investments but for your own personal life. The higher your credit rating score the better it is for your financial wealth. read on.....


What is the Difference Between Revolving and Fixed Debt

I would like to chat about debt in today's blog, both fixed and revolving debt. This issue is an essential factor in real estate investment due to the amount of debt in the market. Financial institutions are keen to lend, especially to students and young people, with easy access to credit cards and student loans. In my opinion, taking on debt at such a young age is a mistake as it allows people access to money that they cannot repay as they are not earning money. read on.....


8 Steps to Evaluate your Financial Health

In today's blog, I would like to talk to you about the importance of checking your financial health when investing in real estate. Like a health check with your doctor, a financial health check alert you to any potential problems or issues that could seriously damage your life. As a real estate investor myself, I strongly advise the benefits than can be obtained from checking your financial health. I have met many real estate owners in my career, and many were asset rich and cash poor due to financial health issues. read on.....


How can Young People afford to Purchase a Home?

To help parents who are concerned that their children won't have enough money to buy a home, we'll address an issue I've been asked at least a dozen times in the last year. Now, let's get down to the business at hand.

Hello, I am pleased to see you again. There are many of my friends and clients who are concerned about how their children will be able to purchase a home in today's market. As for me, I'm stumped as to what to do about it, too. My engineering mind, on the other hand, is asking, "Well, if there is a problem, there is a solution, and so I will explain it to you in a more simplified form so that we know what's going on.
read on.....



How Much is Enough?


Knowing how much money would be enough to live a great life and also invest to secure your future is extremely important. But the truth is that no one really knows all this information, at least not right off the bat. It takes lots of trial and error to narrow down just how much money would be ok for you and how much you need to have a proper life without limitations.
 It’s very important to see just how much money you spend every week and month, and also you have to see if your child’s needs are met with these expenses. Plus, you also want to set some money aside, so your family is able to rely on something even after you’re not here for them.
read on.....




How to Invest in Real Estate with OPM (Other People’s Money)

How can you really invest in property with other people's money? It sounds like a gimmick, but it's quite real, and from my many years of experience within the real estate sector, I will tell you how it is done. This blog will examine the methods required to buy investment properties, how they can be purchased with other people's money, and why you may want to use this method.   

Let's start by understanding how the process of buying real estate works. When purchasing an investment property that is not your principal residence, you will require a deposit or down payment of 20%. read on.....


Should I Invest in RRSP or Real Estate?

Today's blog will examine the difference between RRSPs and Real Estate and which one is better. We will also explain asset classes, investment growth and the investment possibilities.
RRSP stands for Registered Retirement Savings Plan. In the US, they are known as the IRA. They hold investments that help reduce taxable income and grow tax-deferred. Real estate is a fixed asset that can be traded.

To start, let us look at the definition of asset allocation. There are different parts, cash, bonds, stocks, equities, and real estate or alternative asset allocations.
read on.....


Where can you find Funds to start buying Real Estate?

Hello, readers. Today are exploring the options available to find a source of finance to secure a real estate investment property.  Finding that finance is the first step for many people, and today we will talk about some of the ways to locate it.

1.    Your personal funds and savings. Ways to raise personal finance include selling assets such as boats and cars or other items you don't use so much anymore. This is the safest and easiest way to start, as it cuts out interest rates and the work involved in meeting the requirements of borrowed finance. read on.....



How to Leverage Real Estate

Welcome to the blog. Today we focus on what is and how to use leverage in Real Estate. When I was small, my Dad, a mechanic, showed me how to change a punctured tire on a car. I could not do it myself as I was not strong enough, so to ensure I would always be able to fix problems, he showed me how to use leverage to change the tire. Using a more extensive tool attached to the wrench, I was unsuccessfully trying to remove the wheel nut; it gave the extra power or "leverage" to turn the nut and remove the wheel. This is an example of leverage, and I will explain how it is used in real estate. read on.....





How to Project Organize in Real Estate

Today, we will talk about project management when repairing and working with real estate. As a project manager myself, I understand the importance of organization, and I will share the tips I picked up on-site with you. If you are a novice to project management, I would suggest you pay close attention to this advice as it will save you lots of time and expense. The first and most important decision you will make when employing the services of a general contractor or individual contractors is that you are the boss and responsible for the entire project.
read on.....


What is a VTB (Vendor Take Back)

Hello and welcome to the blog. Today, we will discuss an uncommon transaction type in real estate called a Vendor Take Back or VTB. It is an unusual way to raise funds, but if you find a seller willing to accept a VTB, it can work out very well in some instances. So what exactly is a VTB? It is a loan between the property seller directly to the buyer, eliminating the requirement for intermediaries or third parties. The seller will be acting as the Bank, and the buyer will be borrowing from them. We don't hear very much about VTBs because both the seller and buyer need to be aligned at the right time and meet particular criteria to be mutually beneficial to both parties concerned in the sale.read on.....


When to use Private Lenders

Hello, and welcome to the blog. Let's look at the three types of lenders in the market and define how they operate. We will discuss when to use private lenders, who they are, and why we need them in real estate investing.

An A Lender is your traditional bank. High street banks require your credit score to be a minimum of 650 or higher and that you have verifiable income from a job that meets strict debt service ratios. Your total debt payment cannot be more than 44%. The debt to service ratio is up to four to five times your income as a rule of thumb. In Ontario, that might be very difficult to do.  read on.....



Real Estate. one of the best ways to protect against Inflation

 In today's blog, we will talk about the advantages of owning real estate. One of the main benefits of real estate is that it keeps up with inflation at its highest rate in over 20 years. In 2000, it was at 1.99%; today, it has risen to 4.7%. Inflation impacts your purchasing power, and we see it reflected in the increasing price of services, fuel and food.  Real estate in the GTA has appreciated for the past 20 years. Since 2022, inflation in the Toronto real estate market has risen by 28.4%,  read on.....





Renting vs Owning

Today's blog will discuss the differences between renting and owning property. The rent payment and mortgage repayment costs can be similar depending on where you live and when you took out the mortgage. In the Greater Toronto Area, rents have been steadily increasing with property prices. When comparing the two, we must also consider individual circumstances, locations, and cultural and economic factors.

Renting a property suits individuals who may have a job which means they move around a lot. They do not want the responsibility of dealing with the property's maintenance, repair, and management.
read on.....


An Active or Passive Investor

Welcome to the blog. Today we will examine the difference between an active and passive real estate investor. Both are popular ways of investing, but each has its specific advantages—the deciding factor determining whether to be an active or passive investor is time and individual circumstances. An active investor will require much more time to be involved with the property's maintenance, management, and finance. In contrast, the passive investor will be less involved, subcontracting the management duties to a third party. So let us look at both options.read on.....


Types of Real Estate

Welcome to the blog. Today we will discuss the four types of real estate available on the investment market. Real estate investors can choose from four properties: residential, commercial, industrial and land. So let's take a look at each one.

1.    Residential. This sector is made of single and multi-family homes. These homes can cover a wide range of types, including, duplex, triplex, fourplex, and five plex, all the way up to a multi-floor residential complex. Also classified as residential properties are condominiums, mobile homes, and townhouses. In the case of townhouses and complex homes, rules may apply to what you can and can't do with them, so be sure to check out their details before you invest. read on.....



Steps on How to Flip a Property

On todays blog we will talk about what a fix and flip property is and the step you need to take to achieve this. A fix and flip is to identify the property, purchase it, perform all the renovations or repairs, and then resell it for a profit. On today’s blog we will talk about what a fix and flip property is and the step you need to take to achieve this. Now, let us look at the seven steps you need to take to complete a repair and rehabilitation on a property, a particular favorite process of mine.
  read on.....





How Energy Affects your Real Estate Business

Hello, and happy Friday. It is Friday where I am here on this side of the world. Today is all about how energy affects your real estate investing. Not only your business but your life in general. If you're starting a real estate investing business, your energy needs to be positive. It needs to change; what I mean by that is how I was introduced to energy. It was a very unusual way. In the last few months, I've shared plenty of technical tips about how to find a property, how you can set up goals, and all about how to manage this business.
read on.....


Other Real Estate Strategies

Today we'll discuss other strategies besides fix and flip that you will run into as you progress in your real estate investing career. So, let's chat about a few of them and see how they may fit into your strategies. Today, I want to talk to you about three strategies that may suit your plans. As you advance in your real estate career, you'll see that some might work at certain times. So, the three things that I wanted to talk to you about and the three strategies that are very closely related to the fix and flip is the micro flip, also known as wholesale. Number two would be buying and holding, and number three would be lease-to-own. .read on.....


What is the Rule of 1%

Today we'll be talking about the rule of 1% and how to use it.
We use the rule of 1% mostly to do a quick analysis for a rental property to determine if it will be for a buy and hold. I conduct this analysis for all the properties I consider buying as it always indicates that you're buying a suitable property. So, let's provide an example of the rule of 1% using rentals. There are two quick formulas that I always employ when I am analyzing deals; it doesn't matter if I'm going to do a fix and flip or a rental. The reason is that I want to be prepared if there is a sudden change in the market; I want to be able to convert my flip into a rental and know that it's going to work out well.read on.....



Free Money for Real Estate Investors

Today, we discuss free money for real estate investors. Yes, I'm not kidding. Yes, friends, you heard it, right. Free money, free money for real estate investors. And so, how can we do that? Well, let me tell you how. I will show you the government grants you can avail of as a real estate investor. Let me show you how you can access free money through government grants. If you're a real estate investor, there is funding available for down payments on houses, money to invest in multifamily buildings and upgrade existing properties. Also, grants are available to help your tenants pay for their rent which will allow you to pay for your mortgages, plus many other programs. This sounds too good to be true, but it is available if you know how.
  read on.....





How to Calculate Maximum Allowable Offer (MAO) for Fix And Flips

Today I'm going to show you how to calculate the maximum amount to pay when you're doing a flip to be safe and make a healthy profit. Once you have identified a suitable property to fix and flip, there are a few things that you will need to know. Is it priced correctly, in the right area, how much will it cost to renovate, and what to offer? I will show you examples of calculating these costs and what to expect. 
Firstly, this formula is best employed as a quick rule of thumb to calculate your figures. It is not exact, but it allows you to have a ballpark figure in your head when you go to negotiate a sale with the property owner.
read on.....


Your Dream Real Estate Investing Team

Today's blog will discuss the people and skills required to make up your real estate investment team. A dream team can make or break a real estate investment from corporate to trade, so you must select the right people. With many years of experience dealing with people in the trade, I will share my thoughts on my ideal dream real estate team, whether for a fix and flip project or a long-term rental investment. I have selected six members that every real estate dream team should consist of. read on.....


How to find Properties Remotely 

In today's blog, we will discuss the pros and cons of purchasing properties online. There are many sales opportunities online, and real estate is one of them. The popularity of online real estate and buying a property remotely is growing. Clients can now complete signings and contracts remotely, and a great resource of research information is free to access online. The research analysis is critical to undertake if you are thinking of purchasing a property remotely. I have put together a presentation on my Youtube Channel so you can look at what is involved with a remote sale.read on.....



Finding the Right Realtor 

In today's blog, we will discuss one of the professionals you need in your team. One of the most important, as you will be interacting with them most the realtor. As a real estate investor, one of the best allies and friends that you can have is a realtor. When I started my career as a real estate investor, I quickly discovered that a good realtor needs to possess certain qualities that will help you find the cash-flowing properties and the ones that will be the right flips. Check out my Youtube channel for a presentation on questions. I suggest that you should ask a realtor.  
  read on.....





Micro-Flipping is not for Beginners

Today we're going to discuss real estate wholesaling, also known as micro-flipping and who this strategy best suits. Let's get started. So today, we'll talk about wholesaling, also called micro flipping. Let's define the concept, as I feel it's sometimes misunderstood. Many call it micro-flipping because you need to find a discounted property under market value. Then you have to associate an investor that wants to take on this property, refurbish and repair it and then flip it on for a quick profit. They will be buying the contract you have with the original seller. There are a couple of things that you need to understand for you to be able to be successful at wholesaling.
read on.....


DIY or Outsourcing 

In today's blog, we will discuss the options for real estate investors regarding outsourcing and DIY repair work. To reduce costs and increase profits, it is always advisable that you do as much work as you can, but that would all depend on your personal skills, experience and expertise. Other factors influencing a decision to outsource are time and money. I have put together a presentation on my Youtube channel, so if you want to check it out, head over there. So there is a delicate balance between time, money and skills. read on.....


Working with Lawyers

In Today's blog, we will talk about lawyers and their role in real estate. This person will be a key part of your real estate dream team, so you must choose the right one for you. They are vital to the smooth transaction of sales from the opening to the closing of property contracts. I have a video presentation on this subject on my Youtube channel, so feel free to take a look. As real estate investors, you will have to navigate the maze of documents, laws and contracts that are part of the process, and you will need a lawyer that represents your best interests and protects you from any legal issues. read on.....



Working with Contractors

The subject of today's blog is an essential part of your real estate investing business, your contractor. You are doomed without a good, professional contractor on your team; this is how important they are to your business, especially when working on fix and flip projects. Any fix and flip success depend on the speed at which you can turn around the property. The longer it lies idle, the more it will cost you, so a professional contractor is worth their weight in gold. I have a video presentation on my Youtube Channel if you would like to view it.  
  read on.....





Find where to Invest

Hello, today is all about finding the right location where you're going to invest. If you're a new investor, this is for you as I believe that one of the most significant decisions a real estate investor needs to consider is to select the right location to invest in. You can change many things, like decoration and the aesthetics of a property, but you can't change its location. It's important to conduct plenty of due diligence before you decide where you're going to invest. In this blog, we will examine what you need to consider when selecting a location.
read on.....


How to find the right Property Manager

In today's blog, we will discuss the important role of a property manager and how they can benefit your real estate investment business. On this blog, we tend to focus on fix and flip properties or buy and hold properties which can be rented over time. Depending on your investment strategy, location and time requirements, the level at which you employ the services of a property manager varies. Property managers come in many shapes and sizes, from collecting rent to doing repairs and maintenance on the property; it all depends on what you need them to be responsible for. read on.....


Why it is vital to have an Account in Real Estate

In today's blog, we will be talking about accountants and how important they are in your real estate investing business. In my role as a wealth advisor, I have seen many people who are successful real estate investors but fail to take care of the administration and accounts that go along with it. Many people shy away from the day-to-day administration work that goes into managing and running properties, but it is an essential aspect of your real estate investment business.read on.....



Factors that determine Neighborhood-Class 

This blog will discuss the factors determining a particular area's class rating. You will see that the regions are classified from A to D. and A doesn't necessarily mean it's better, or D doesn't mean it's worse. When I started buying property, people asked me if I would buy in A, B or C categories, and I had no idea what they were referring to. Basically, there are certain factors that you need to consider, in order to rate the area that you are looking at. So what are the factors that determine these ratings? 
  read on.....





13 Things to consider when selecting a Location 

In today's blog, we will examine thirteen things you should consider when choosing a location to invest in. We will discuss seven today and in the next blog we will cover the remaining six. If you are living in an expensive area, you will have higher costs to consider along with cashflow issues. However, if you travel outside of that area you will find properties that will suit any budget. You can change many things with a property except its location. So here are my tips for evaluating the right investment property
1. Distance. This is an important factor to consider. How far are you willing to travel to manage property investment?

Real Estate and Entrepreneurship

Welcome to the blog. Today we will talk about real estate and its link to Entrepreneurship. Being an entrepreneur takes a specific type of person with a particular mindset and set of skills. It takes time, personal development, and training to become good at it; just like any other skill, it takes practice. The skills of entrepreneurship include business management, communication, financial, critical, and strategic management alongside problem-solving, all skill sets required for real estate investment. For many years I worked in the corporate sector, which is built on a hierarchy management structure that supports a team mentality rather than an individual one.  read on.....


Time Management 

Hello, and welcome to the blog. Today we will discuss time management when refurbishing a real estate investment property. I come from a background of working for many years in project management in the corporate sector. During that time, I learned how important time management is for any project. When I started my real estate investment career, that experience helped me to manage properties on the ground. When I brought those skills across to my real estate business, I identified three main steps that ensured a smoother and more effective process when repairing properties to rent or buy.read on.....



Class A Neighborhoods 

What are class A neighborhoods, and how do we define them? In today's blog, we will look at the characteristics of Class A neighborhoods and the type of properties you can expect to find in them. We will also discuss the pros and cons of these neighborhoods and what to expect from them.
Class A neighborhoods are ones at a higher level of comfort and luxury. They are well-maintained, large properties with a minimum of four bedrooms full of high-spec appliances, fixtures and fittings. 
  read on.....





Class B Neighborhoods

Welcome back to the blog. Last time we looked at Class A neighborhoods and their specific characteristics. Today we are going to define Class B neighborhoods and outline the pros and cons associated with real estate investment within this classification. Class B neighborhoods, are typically known as areas that can easily transition to class A. Properties in class B are considered well built, a little older, but well cared for, they don't have the same high spec as Class A but they'll contain a few depending on the homeowner. 

Class C Neighborhoods

In our previous blogs, we discussed the definitions of class A and B neighborhoods today, we will focus on class C. Next time we will look at class D. What defines a class C property? This classification is one of the most popular due to its flexibility and varying characteristics. Class C real estate is typically older than 40 years old but does not contain the finishes that class A or B might have.  read on.....


Class D Neighborhoods 

Today is the final blog in our series, looking at neighborhood classifications. In previous blogs, we looked at A, B and C; today, we will examine class D. Many investors tend to avoid Class D neighborhoods for a good reason. This class has many issues and few positive aspects, making it a financial risk compared to the other three categories. They are in poor condition, old and in areas with higher crime rates.read on.....



Things to do to ensure your project is a success

One of the first things you find out about taking on a real estate project is that things only sometimes go to plan because you will meet unforeseen problems and challenges along the way. Every project is different, with its own challenges to solve and diverse people to manage as you progress. There are no specific rules to follow to ensure a successful project is completed on time and within budget. Still, if you do them correctly, there are three things that will significantly increase your chances of success.
  read on.....





What determines the level of repair in a property

Welcome to the blog. Today we will talk about repairs to your real estate flip projects. How do you identify them and determine their cost and the category of work they belong to? I identify and list repair projects into three categories, small, medium and large. This helps me to determine costs and what to expect. This is important to know when dealing with a contractor and negotiating a price for repair projects. As each property is different, you need to have a general idea of costs or a ballpark figure of what each repair job entails, both from a labor and materials view

How to streamline your Real Estate business 

In today's blog, we will discuss the administration aspect of your real estate business. Some of you will be up and running and understand how much time is required to stay on top of all the invoices, receipts, payments, and costs associated with managing a real estate project. This side of the business is not very enjoyable; it's my least favorite job. I prefer hands-on practical work such as refurbishing and dealing with properties. However, it can be much easier if you have a system to organize the administration process.  read on.....


How to develop a template to estimate repairs

Today we'll discuss templates that may help make your life easier as you go along and determine the work you need to do in your project. One of the things that I'm going to encourage you to do along the way as you start to manage different projects; is that you start generating a template. Templates, you can do it on a piece of paper, you can do it on your computer, a tablet, an iPad, or on your phone; that might be the easiest thing if that's what you like. So it depends; everybody is different. There are programs out there as well that have ready-to-use templates..read on.....



*




*

© 2022 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | Privacy Policy | Home

Powered By ClickFunnels.com