Wisdom of Rich Dad

Renting a home is cheaper than buying in just three of Britain’s 50 biggest towns and cities, according to a new study.
The findings highlight the stark injustice and worsening situation for millions of people priced out of the property market.

A year ago, it was only cheaper to buy in 40 out of 50 towns.

As the banking industry, rocked by the financial crisis, has tightened lending criteria on mortgages and demanded bigger deposits, it has left many more would-be first-time buyers stuck on the sidelines.

This has forced many more people to rent rather than buy, and spurred landlords to cash in on the rising demand and charge tenants more.

Average rents have been on the rise for most of 2010 and 2011.

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Andrew Carnegie once said “Ninety percent of all millionaires become so through owning real estate.”

I am not sure how accurate that statistic is, but there does appear to be some truth in that statement and it does capture my attention, as I am sure it has many others looking to enter the real estate game as a means of wealth creation.

Perhaps you’re considering buying your first rental property as an investment. You’ve read books by Donald Trump and Robert Kiyosaki, attended a few seminars, and are now ready to take the plunge. Or perhaps you’re the seasoned investor looking to diversify your portfolio or leverage the equity on an existing home. Either way here are a few things to consider.

Eligible properties:

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Russ Whitney is one of the big names in the real estate business nowadays. Being the chairman and CEO of Whitney Information Network, Inc., and Whitney Educational Group, Inc., and being the founder of The Whitney Foundation, Inc.—Russ Whitney really is something!

Russ’ story is one amazing success story—from working in a slaughter house, earning $5 an hour; he successfully became one of America’s youngest millionaires. By the age of twenty seven, he already owned millions worth of properties. But how did Russ Whitney become one of the youngest American millionaires? Here’s his story.

Russ Whitney was born on November 18, 1955, in a small town in Long Island. He was raised by his dad and aunt. They moved to Queens, New York when Russ was still very young and he grew up there. Russ dropped out of high school. He got married and to earn a living, he worked at a slaughterhouse. But Russ wanted more from the life he was living. He strived to learn more ways to earn money.

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~ Robert Kiyosaki ~

The other day a friend of mine approached me excitedly, saying, “I found the house of my dreams. It’s in foreclosure and the bank will sell it to me for a great price.”

“How good is the price?” I asked.

“Just before the real estate market crashed, the seller was asking $780,000 for the property. Today, I can buy it from the bank for $215,000. What do you think?” she asked.

“How would I know?” I replied. “All you’ve given me is the price.”

“Yes!” she squealed. “Now my husband and I can afford it.”

“Only cheap people buy on price,” I replied. “Just because something is cheap doesn’t mean it’s worth the cost.”

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I know the foreclosure crisis has been super-bad, but now it’s even badder, given that it’s knocking on the door of the baddest, most ridiculously funky musician to ever emerge from the frozen north: the Minnesota Landowner Currently Known as Prince. Or MLCKP, if you prefer.

The Carver County Sheriff’s Office reports that the multitalented, multiplatinum Rock and Roll Hall of Famer has fallen behind $368,382 on the mortgage to his 20-acre former manse in Chanhassen, the Minneapolis suburb that he’s called home since 1980. A sheriff’s auction is set for May 13.

Has Prince been paying property tax like it’s 1999?

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The competition for rental homes is heating up as more Americans choose to rent instead of buy. And that increase in demand is driving up rent prices in some markets.

Below are six tips for getting the best deals.

1. Work rental websites. Looking for an apartment in a large rental community? Start with Rent.com, says Allison Atsiknoudas, CEO of Rentometer.com, a site where you can analyze and compare rent prices. But if you’re looking for a unit owned by a smaller apartment company or a condo unit being leased by the owner, start out on Craigslist.org, she says.

HotPads.com features rental and for-sale home listings from 400 partners, including multiple-listing services and brokerage companies. Cazoodle.com pulls listings from nearly 10,000 websites, including newspaper classifieds, online forums and individual property management sites.

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