Category: Next Level

Are you looking to buy a home without spending your life’s savings? Housing news in 2025 alludes to expensive and outpriced markets — but some of America’s lowest-cost cities are located in value hotspots with low-cost housing fees, ample supply, and modest price-income ratios. From Midwestern towns to Southern cities, they’re among the cheapest states…

If you’re investing in a rental property, knowing how to calculate NOI (net operating income) is one of the most important skills you can pick up. NOI tells you how much revenue a property generates after covering operating expenses, but before paying the mortgage, taxes, or big-ticket upgrades. Lenders use it. Buyers rely on it….

Whether you’re a landlord, investor, or agent, knowing how to determine the vacancy rate is key to understanding a rental property’s health. It is the percentage of all rentable units in a property that are unoccupied and not generating income at a given time, which gives you an idea how much of the investment portfolio…

The best home warranty companies aren’t just affordable, they actually deliver when things break. You want fast claims, solid coverage, and a team that doesn’t leave you hanging when your heating system dies, as proven by previous customer feedback. For real estate pros and homeowners, that kind of reliability matters a lot.  That said, I…

Key takeaways Tariffs are taxes on imported goods to make foreign products more expensive and encourage people to buy locally. The new tariffs begin at 10% on all imports, with additional rates applied to specific countries and construction materials, including steel and lumber. As construction costs rise due to tariffs, home prices could go up,…

A great mortgage lender provides you with plenty of options, including different types of mortgage loans and products. The right lender should also give you plenty of support throughout the process, have an easy application process, strong reviews, and competitive rates.  Based on these factors, we’ve selected six of the best mortgage lenders for homebuyers:…

When you’re browsing real estate and rental listings, both Zillow and Trulia are great resources. Both platforms will give you listing images, a listing description, the ability to contact the listing agent, and some details about the property’s school zones and neighborhood.  Since Zillow owns Trulia, many people assume the two platforms are exactly the…

Real estate accounting isn’t why you got into this business. But if you want to keep your business running (and profitable), the numbers matter. Real estate accounting is all about tracking your income, expenses, and assets so you’re not guessing when tax season hits or when it’s time to scale. Whether you’re an agent, investor,…