The early part of this decade saw a sellers’ market like none previously. As tends to happen, things have swung back towards buyers. Does that mean you can’t sell your home? Nope. It just means you need to focus on the details.

The question you must ask yourself is what makes your home stick out from comparable properties in the neighborhood? You may have undertaken an improvement that results in an obvious answer. An improved bathroom, kitchen and so forth.

If you don’t have a major upgrade, then you need to focus on the small details. You would be surprised how often a small change can make an impression on a buyer. Here are a few tweaks you can make that could result in an offer.

If you have a rectangle concrete path to your front door, it is time to break out the sledge hammer. Such paths are blah and boring. Try to use brick, stones or something else to create a unique impression.

Once your potential buyer makes it to the front door, you want them to have a feeling of balance. This means you need to frame the door correctly. A flower pot on each side of the door should do it and provide a friendly fragrance.

Windows are another area where a little work can make a big difference. First off, cut away any plants blocking views unless the room is a bathroom. If the windows are unique, consider painting the frames a color that contrasts with the walls.

Trash is a fact of life, but should be seen as little as possible. Make your house stand out by installing vine trellis around where you keep your trash cans. Grow vines that flower on them to block any nasty trash smell.

A trellis is also great for breaking up a long, boring wall. The side of many homes is just where you can find such walls. Try using a trellis to create angles and grow different plants. It breaks up the walls and makes your home stick out.

Light it up at night. Buyers are fully aware that you are trying to spice things up for them when they come by during the day. Many will also drive by at night to see how things look and sound then. Use lights to highlight your landscaping and make an impression.

A unique home sticks out from comparable properties and gets offers from buyers in any market. Make the above changes and yours will be such a home.

Old French buildings are very beautiful, finding the finest example is a wonderful way of getting the perfect house. However many of these properties are not built with a number of the modern creature comforts that we all take for granted. Few people would want to live in these houses unless they are first renovated. There are lots of old stone houses for sale in france, although these are beautiful they require renovations because many of them have been neglected.

It?s quite easy to find Period French Properties; the trouble comes when you try to find a good one. You should consider the activities you do each day, would these properties suit you? Sure they are perfectly livable, however you will almost certainly need them modernized. You should get the property checked over by an expert before you embark on any renovation projects. This expert will be able to tell you about the property, also checking the building itself. The electrical wiring will almost certainly need to be upgraded. This expert will be able to suggest what you should concentrate on changing or improving first.

Before starting your French Property renovation you should ideally work out a budget. Work out how much everything will cost, after all there is no point starting the windows replacement project if you cannot afford to finish it. You should also allow extra money for a contingency fund, just in case anything costs more than expected. When planning your renovation it is a good idea to hire a professional architect in order to look over all of the tasks. Your architect will be a god send as they will be able to advice you in terms of building regulations.

How to hire a builder or an Architect

Before you are allowed to make renovations on a French property you may first need to acquire a building permit. This is the case if your house is protected by a preservation order, or it is in the list of historic monuments. Your architect should be able to advise you whether or not you need a permit, and even get it for you should you need one. When you hire a builder or architect always make sure that they are officially registered in France. It is possible to check this out, ask for important information such as his Siret number, this is issued by the chamber of commerce. Also ask for insurance details. It is absolutely vital that you hire someone that knows exactly what they are doing you don?t want someone that will make the building worse.

As anyone who has done it knows, moving is no simple task. It’s costly, time-consuming, exhausting, and all around not fun. Moving can easily turn into a disaster, but there are ways to avoid it. Here are some tips to prevent common moving pitfalls and make your transition into a new home as painless as possible.

Lack of money.

Whether or not you hire movers, you will spend money when you move. There are things such as truck rentals, shipping costs, tape and moving boxes, time off from work, gas expenses and sometimes even plane tickets. Begin planning well in advance, and budget extra money for emergency expenses. You never know what problems might sneak up on you. Be prepared. You also might want to check your homeowners or renters insurance to see if your belongings are covered while in transit. If you are hiring movers, get several quotes so you know you’re getting a good price.

Lack of time. Certain times of the year are busy moving times. Professional moving companies can get booked up, so book in advance to be sure that your moving needs will be accommodated. Before moving day comes, plan your time out and know how long you will spend doing particular tasks. If you’re counting on moving everything in one day, be sure that it is a realistic timeframe. Some professional movers will pack your stuff into moving boxes for an additional fee if you’re particularly rushed.

Having too much stuff. You might be attached to your cinderblock collection, but do you really need it? As a rule, try to sell or give away things you haven’t used in the previous 12 months. The less things you have, the easier and more streamlined your move will be. If you need to put things in storage, make sure they are in stackable, sealed boxes to keep dust and rodents away.

Measurement Issues. Uh oh. The fridge is too big to fit in the front door. Measure any large object or appliance, and be absolutely sure it will fit through doorways and into its final resting place. It would be a shame to haul your brand new Frigidaire from Tallahassee to Walla Walla, only to find it doesn’t fit in your new kitchen.

Get Good Directions. If you’re moving to a new, unfamiliar location, meticulously map everything out and have multiple copies of your directions. Driving an over-sized rental truck is stressful enough on its own, and doing it in an unfamiliar city is sure to add even more stress. Driving the truck in an unfamiliar city with bad directions be akin to a disaster. Check and double-check your directions. If you use an online navigational tool such as Mapquest, check the directions against a map, and keep an atlas with you at all times.

Make Sure You Eat. It sounds obvious, but people often forget to take care of their needs when they move. You won’t have access to a refrigerator full of food while you move, so plan ahead and pack sandwiches or budget money for restaurant food. After full days of hauling your belongings, you’ll be ravenous.

Moves can be very emotional, unforgettable experiences. If you have children, have fun by taking pictures and videos of the move. They’ll feel like a part of the experience, and you’ll have great memories for years to come.

Make sure you have all things sorted out before you start remodeling your basement. One of which is the type of window to use. In the old days, windows in basements are made of metal or wooden frames. This has caused problems because they are prone to rust and rot. Therefore your windows get damaged sooner than expected. If you have this concern, then it’s time to get a replacement basement window.

You want it quick and you want it to look good. Today there are companies that specialize on replacement basement windows. But of course it’s also important to know a bit about basement windows before you buy. This article should guide you in what type you should use.

1. Frames made from Vinyl. Windows are the major source of good ventilation and proper air circulation in a closed and buried room such as a basement. Choose a replacement basement window that is made of vinyl. It’s rust-free and will not rot from its damp environment. It is also modular so you won’t have any trouble installing it.

2. Let there be light. Since you are at it, your basement window must be energy efficient. This attributes to the amount of light that your window can allow to come in to your basement. Use the right frame size and glass thickness. Especially with daylight, the amount of heat could help balance your basement room temperature. Basements are prone to moisture because of its damp surroundings.

3. Must have access functionality. Aside from the things mentioned above, another use of your basement window for passing objects. Most often, it is difficult to have ladders, boards, or poles to pass through the basement entrance. Doors and stairs are narrow and the latter are steep too. A perfect replacement basement window must include other functions such as good ventilation and accessibility for long objects.

4. Aesthetic Appeal. Of course, this is a must. Basement windows contribute greatly to the interior motif and concept of your den. Beautiful basement windows must not only look good from the inside but from the outside as well. This can be planned out properly. There are so many innovative basement window types that are available in the market today. Some are designed with sliding panes. Others are double glass panels. Choose the one fit best to your basement’s interior design. But don’t forget to consider the above mentioned.

You can begin looking for a supplier once you have all these things figured out. Take your time in choosing the right replacement basement window for you. Look for the one that you think is most reasonable. That means beauty, functionality, durability must be present.

There are several great window designs out there to choose from. Some may cost more but have really good quality. If you do find the type that is beautiful but expensive, the considerations mentioned above should help you decide which ones to buy.

Even though there are many reasons to purchase travel insurance, many people do not feel they need it when traveling in their country or origin or when traveling overseas. But if an emergency does occur, your medical insurance may not cover all of your expenses. This means you will have to pay the remainder, which could be thousands of dollars. If you can afford to make these types of payments, then you may not need additional insurance, but if you are on a fixed budget, you may need to purchase insurance for business and vacation travel and buy propery in costa blanca.

Travel insurance can be purchased through companies that specialize in providing travelers with the insurance they need. Before signing a policy, read over it carefully and research the company to make sure they have a good reputation. If the coverage is not enough, you may be able to upgrade to another plan. You can opt for long term or short term insurance plans that allow you to be covered for a certain amount of time. For those who travel abroad often, long term plans may be more cost effective.

After finding a plan that meets your needs, make sure you pack all contact information and have it readily available in case of an emergency. Even if you need to cancel your trip or postpone it, you can use the insurance to avoid paying additional fees. When planning an expensive cruise or vacation, having this insurance will allow you to retrieve your deposit and help you cover any other costs.

Investing in travel insurance is a smart idea if you plan on staying in another country for an extended period of time. Students studying abroad, those traveling for business, or those who have family in another country, can purchase annual insurance policies that cover them for a longer period of time. In case of an emergency, they can provide proof of health coverage and be treated quickly.

Real Estate Agents Can Be Good Partners

When the family is anticipating the move to a new home, it would be unfortunate if minor glitches in the process put that experience off too long or dampened the enthusiasm of family members. A real estate agent can be one of the best partners the family will have when buying real estate, but only if that agent answers all the questions honestly and provides more than enough information.

The vast majority of real estate agents are trustworthy professionals who know they will benefit from helping someone purchasing real estate. But they are human and may leave out important details during one of the several conversations that take place in the buying process. Certain items should never be left to chance when a family is making a large decision such as buying the home.

Keep in mind that although real estate agents can be good partners they are still sales people. They have an ultimate goal ? sell the house. In many cases, this means the agent will emphasize the positive features of the house and the purchase program, while leaving out some of the less positive items. It then becomes necessary to ask questions and clear up any doubts. Some preparation by family members will help. Knowing what to look for in a home, even the basic items, can go a long way toward eliminating problems.

If the agent seems reluctant to explain some of the details, it would best to ask about those items specifically. Remember that the buyer can always look elsewhere if the agent does not provide enough information or seems to be avoiding some negative details about the house. A quality, reputable agent should be willing to prove that there are no ant/termite problems, for example. In addition, the agent must provide information about the condition of such items as plumbing and electrical service, or about heating and cooling equipment.

Be careful when accepting the inspection/opinion of a home inspector whose name was provided by the agent. While, in most cases, this will not be a major problem, the two may be working closely so that they both benefit financially. If there are doubts, make sure that someone you trust inspects the house.

As with most agent/buyer relationships, an honest exchange of information will benefit both parties. Sometimes, an agent may avoid showing a home that will provide less commission for the agent than comparable homes. So it may be wise not to make the family choice from the few homes suggested and shown by the agent. Keep in mind that the home will be a long-term residence. A few extra days of shopping and inspecting can certainly pay off in the long run.

Working with an agent in the house-buying process is a choice, not a necessity. There are plenty of fine, reputable agents around. With proper research and knowledge, a buyer can purchase a home on their own. A careful choice among real estate agents can make the process go even more smoothly.

Buy Your Home Online

If there has been one major change in the real estate investment industry over the past 20 years, it has been in the way you can now buy your home. It is possible to purchase nearly anything online, from the smallest trinkets and jewelry to a massive business property located miles from where you live.

The term many apply to this method of home buying and real estate investing is “ecommerce.” Property owners, managers and agents are now using auctions and real estate listings on the World Wide Web to move property from one person to another. But this path comes with some risks not found in the more traditional face to face, hometown sale of real estate. As most successful online investors state, the new investor must become knowledgeable about the methods and details before committing any money.

One of the limiting factors with property for sale online is the ability to inspect the property in person. Pictures may be worth a thousand words, but with home buying, photographs are generally not worth the thousands of dollars that can be lost by relying only on the picture. In fact, some unscrupulous sellers have taken advantage of new methods to change their photos, so that the home or building looks much better than it actually is. The seller will almost always concentrate on the positive aspects of the home or property and may not mention the negatives at all. If a photo can be changed to hide the negatives, it is better for the seller, not the buyer!

With online purchase of land or building lots, it may be necessary to ask about the utilities (water, sewer, natural gas, electricity). If these items are not mentioned in the description, it would be wise to make sure that they are included. Some properties come with utilities in place. Others have limited utilities or none at all. Tip: Make sure you know what is included, especially if you are not able to see details in print.

Ask anyone about real estate and, of course, they will tell you that the three most important things are location, location, location. This is of particular interest to those attempting to buy or invest in real estate online. Wise and successful buyers and investors devote plenty of time to learning about the neighborhood and general location of any home or other real estate they are interested in.

A couple of other details to keep in mind when considering a home purchase online. Take a few minutes to learn about binding and non-binding contracts. While these terms are generally not as restrictive as those made on paper in the banker’s office or attorney’s office, they do have some meaning for you. If you make a binding bid and back out, this can have negative impact on you for future transactions with the online auction process. Pay attention to the details and use some good, old common sense when attempting an online home purchase.

Although not all methods for termite elimination can be safely and effectively conducted on your own, there are options for do it yourself termite protection. If you really do not want to be bothered by termite problems, then you should try to prevent the problem. Do it yourself termite protection is your first line of defense.

Clear Your Area of Debris

What you can do is to clear the area of debris. Debris made of cardboard, wood, paper or any other wood based items should not be stored underneath or near your house. Wooden ladders and wood piles should also not touch the sides of your house. These items may absorb or collect moisture and come into contact with other parts of your house. These wood based products are ideal initial food sources for termites from which the insects may eventually move on to your property.

Check Wooden Parts

To prevent termite infestation, keep wooden structures a few inches above ground. This is a simple do it yourself termite protection pre construction tip. You simply have to eliminate wood to earth contact to reduce your chances of attracting termites. If you really want to have a wooden fence or trellis that touches the soil fully, then make sure that they are erected far from your house’s foundation or main structure. You should also regularly check trellises and fences for signs of termite infestation.

Eliminate Moisture

Subterranean termites need moisture to survive. You can help reduce the moisture in your soil and on the wood of your house by regularly checking the sources of moisture. Defective gutters; leaking faucets, pipes, air conditioning units; and sprinklers that are too near your house may moisturize the soil and wood enough to promote the survival of termite colonies.

Aside from checking for defects, make sure too that everything that has water and moisture drains away from your house and surrounding soil. This may include water from air conditioning units, sinks, dish or clothes washers and driers.

Keep Plants and Trees Away

Termite protection plan should not only be limited to the house but to shrubberies and to the garden as well. Plants and trees may offer both moisture and food to termites. If you should have plants around your house, then make sure that they are located at a distance from your house and that no branches touch the wooden areas of your house.

Choose Treated Wood

You can prevent termite infestation by choosing treated wood for your home. Borate treated wood for example can help keep termites from eating up the wood.

Have Inspections

Have your home regularly checked by experts in order to make sure that your termite protection method is working and effective. Remember that even if you have been very cautious, termites are particularly stubborn and they may still get around your do it yourself termite protection methods. Actual infestations are also not easy to detect because you may not see actual termites until damage has been done. Let the experts take a look at your house from time to time.

Although not all methods for termite elimination can be safely and effectively conducted on your own, there are options for do it yourself termite protection. If you really do not want to be bothered by termite problems, then you should try to prevent the problem. Do it yourself termite protection is your first line of defense.

Clear Your Area of Debris

For one, you don’t need to be an expert on termite to be able to keep your area clean and free from debris. Debris made of cardboard, wood, paper or any other wood based items should not be stored underneath or near your house. Wooden ladders and wood piles should also not touch the sides of your house. These items may absorb or collect moisture and come into contact with other parts of your house. These wood based products are ideal initial food sources for termites from which the insects may eventually move on to your property.

Check Wooden Parts

To prevent termite infestation, keep wooden structures a few inches above ground. This is a simple do it yourself termite protection pre construction tip. You simply have to eliminate wood to earth contact to reduce your chances of attracting termites. If you really want to have a wooden fence or trellis that touches the soil fully, then make sure that they are erected far from your house’s foundation or main structure. You should also regularly check trellises and fences for signs of termite infestation.

Eliminate Moisture

In order to survive, subterranean termites need a moist environment. You can help reduce the moisture in your soil and on the wood of your house by regularly checking the sources of moisture. Defective gutters; leaking faucets, pipes, air conditioning units; and sprinklers that are too near your house may moisturize the soil and wood enough to promote the survival of termite colonies.

Make sure that water and moisture is drained from water containers surrounding your house or from the soil surrounding your house. This may include water from air conditioning units, sinks, dish or clothes washers and driers.

Keep Plants and Trees Away

Your do it yourself termite protection plan should always include your garden and shrubbery. Plants and trees may offer both moisture and food to termites. If you should have plants around your house, then make sure that they are located at a distance from your house and that no branches touch the wooden areas of your house.

Choose Treated Wood

Use treated wood for the wooden parts of your home in order prevent termite infestation. Borate treated wood for example can help keep termites from eating up the wood.

Have Inspections

Have your home regularly checked by experts in order to make sure that your termite protection method is working and effective. Remember that even if you have been very cautious, termites are particularly stubborn and they may still get around your do it yourself termite protection methods. Actual infestations are also not easy to detect because you may not see actual termites until damage has been done. Let the experts take a look at your house from time to time.

Something that investing in real estate full-time gives you is flexibility. It gives you the flexibility to choose when to work, where to work, and who you want to work with. You can literally choose the people with whom you do business, the people with whom you will spend the majority of the time.

In fact, if conditions are right, you may even decide to work with your spouse.

In this article we will discuss working with the person who may you most important business partner, your spouse. We will focus on the following: 1. Deciding to work together 2. Setting ground rules and expectations 3. Pitfalls to avoid 4. Lessons Learned 5. Division of Labor 6. Pros and Cons 7. What about the children?

Deciding to Work Together

Deciding to go into business for yourself is never a decision that should be made lightly. Deciding to go into business with your spouse is one that should be considerable thought as well.Deciding to go into business for yourself is never a decision that should be made lightly. Deciding to go into business with your spouse is one that should be considerable thought as well.

There are several reasons why we say this. Any new business ventures will be full of the unknown. You may be figuring things out as you go, or things may not be going the way that you had originally planned. When both you and your spouse are in the business together, any tension from the business may seep over into your married life as well. Because it is a very personal decision to go into business for yourself, you may take it personally if there are challenges. Too often, frustration can also be taken out on your spouse.

Of course, there are some very compelling reasons to go into real estate investing with your spouse. First, the reason that most people decide to get started investing in real estate is because they want to make a change in their lives. They may want more money, more free time, and/or to improve their quality of life. Those are very powerful reasons, and they create a very powerful image in the mind and heart. Imagine how powerful that vision is when it is shared by two people whose very futures are intertwined. Everything that they do will impact their future, their home and their family. They both see where they are going, and are willing to make the sacrifices to get there. Two people who share a common goal can make a lot happen. We know this from experience.

As you know, things will not always go as planned, but two working together can weather anything. This is not to say that real estate investors who have their own business cannot make it work. Rather, it is to say that, when spouses work together, they can help to lift each other up; to encourage each other not to give up the vision. There is a support structure built into the business.

Finally, it makes it a lot easier when both of you are on the same page. We have talked to countless people who are investing in real estate and want to get their spouse involved. Their spouse might not have any interest in real estate, they might have misconceptions about the market and what it takes, or they just might not be interested. To those people, we recommend that they help their spouse to get educated. Take them to a seminar or workshop, listen to CD’s together. Even late night infomercials are a great way to expose a spouse to what real estate investing.

Setting Ground Rules and Expectations

Once you and your spouse decide to work on and in your business together, it is very important that you sit down together to discuss your expectations, and lay down some ground rules. Whether you are doing the business full-time, part-time or a variation of the two, it is important that you treat your real estate investing as a business. This starts with the two of you sitting down and writing out your goals, expectations and ground rules.

In most cases, one of you guys will know more about real estate investing than the other. You will find yourself in a position of “authority,” simply because of your knowledge base. This was the case with us when we got started. Charles had begun researching real estate investing while still in law school and had begun to build an educational foundation. Kim, on the other hand, had no real knowledge of or interest in investing in real estate. It was up to Charles to convey the vision – all of the things that real estate investing had to offer, all of the life changing things in store.

Things would have gone a lot more smoothly for us if we had set our ground rules from the beginning. But, we didn’t. That is why we know it is so important to do. You need to have a plan of who will handle each part of the business. Think about the job that you may hold right now, or a job that you have left. In either case, you have known what was expected of you each day. You had measurements and goals, and you knew what you needed to do to be successful. Investing in real estate is no different. When spouses work together, this is even more important. We tend to have assumptions when it comes to our mates. We may think that we know what they can do, or what they want to do. But everything should be explicitly spelled out, by both of you. Try not to limit each other, or put yourselves in a box. You would be surprised at the ideas that you come up with when you give each other the freedom to grow, think of new ideas and try things out. In fact, we got involved in wholesaling because of a suggestion that Kim made. We decided to try it out, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Lastly, you have problem heard the saying that you can’t have more than one boss. In answer to this, we would just like to say, that how you divide your labor is up to the two of you. One of you may feel more comfortable taking on the majority of the responsibility, and the other may want to give that responsibility away. Or, you may decide that one of you will be the boss. Or, you may even decide to divide your business in two parts, and each of you is the boss of that area. The key is to discuss it, write it down and make it happen.

Pitfalls to Avoid

Being aware of the following potential pitfalls will help make your real estate investing a lot more profitable and enjoyable.

Don’t give anyone the majority of the dirty work. In business, as in life, there will always be some things that are not pleasant to do. Be sure that these types of tasks are divided between the two of you. No one person should be stuck doing the junk. Of course, what is considered junk can vary by couple, so you need to decide this for yourselves. But remember, you should be having fun. As you change your life, you want to both be happy doing it. It doesn’t matter if one of you is working the business full-time, and the other is part-time, neither of you should have the majority of the undesirable work. Do your best to divide it as equally as possible.

Don’t let issues in the business affect your marriage. When you are working closely together day after day, this can be easier said than done. And, of course, when things are running smoothly, this is not an issue at all. But when things are a little bumpy, this can be a totally different story. You have heard the expression “Don’t bring your work home with you.” This is so true when you are working with your spouse, even if work is the office you created in the guest room.

Your marriage is a very sacred entity. You want to protect it at all costs. This does not mean that you will never argue or disagree. But, try not to do so about your real estate investing business. Not only will it make your off-work hours stressful, it will also make your working hours less enjoyable. You don’t want to get so upset with each other that you lose appreciation of the opportunity in front of you.

Lessons Learned

One of the biggest lessons that we learned is to give each other the freedom to make mistakes. Again, nothing happens perfectly. In fact, some things flop. But, we love each other, we know our commitment to each other and the business and we do our best to support each other at all time. Again, this freedom that we give each other allows us to try new things. Sometimes, we just brainstorm about new things that we could do, new ways we can help people, exciting ways to grow our business. We are able to do this in a non-judgmental atmosphere and we have seen some tremendous fruit because of it.

Of course, you have to have good communication. This is very important in your marriage anyway, and you definitely want to carry this over into your business relationship. Don’t come down hard on each other. Watch your tone of voice (or your tone of e-mail). This person is your spouse; they deserve the same amount of respect that you would give your co-worker or employee in any other situation.

You should also structure your business so that you are each utilizing your strengths. Whether or not the business consists of just the two of you, or if you decide to hire staff, you still need to play to your strengths. Each of you should do what you do best. If that happens to be the exact same thing, you probably want to look into hiring someone else to do the other stuff.

Division of Labor

We have touched on this briefly in the previous sections. In order to maintain a strong relationship and to have a fun, profitable business, you both need to enjoy what you are doing. The best way to do this is to decide what your strengths are and divide the jobs up within your company along those same lines.

For instance, Charles loves to look at houses. He can look at a “fixer upper” and see it as it will be after repairs. Kim, on the other hand, doesn’t particularly care for rehab houses. She sees them as they are, and smells them as they are too. So, it makes sense that Charles is the one who evaluates properties.

Kim is more of a detail person. Charles is the visionary, who looks at the big picture. Even though she doesn’t work in the main office, Kim oversees the employees, pay roll, book keeping and the nuts and bolts that keep the business running. We are both very creative, in different ways, and are involved in the marketing. Even here, we have different strengths and enjoy different things, and we divide our responsibilities accordingly.

Remember, we grew to this point. It wasn’t crystal clear to us the way it is today. That is one of the reasons that we wanted to bring you this message. If you are thinking about working with your spouse, or you have started it, and things are kind of bumpy, we want you to be able to use our experiences to make it work for you.

Pros and Cons

As you can see, there are pros and cons to working together. Some people cannot see how we can spend so much time together, every day. We know that this is a challenge for some people. We feel very blessed that this is not the case for us.

Some people would consider the fact that you are both doing the business full-time to be a con. You might not want to be together that much. At the same time, you could consider that fact that you can both take vacation together, without having to ask anyone’s permission to be a pro. Again, some of these things are going to depend on you, your relationship and your goals.

What about the children?

Whether you have children or are thinking about them, being in business for yourself provides you with a wonderful opportunity to open up new worlds. Charles’s parents own their own business. Even though he has both his JD and his MBA, he has always wanted to run his own business. He saw his parents doing it, and he wanted to do the same thing.

We have three young children (ages 2, 4 and 6) with a fourth on the way. Investing in real estate has given us the freedom not only to have these wonderful children, but to spend time with them. They have all been on airplanes and they have been places that we did not visit until we were much older. They see how much is out there in the world, and they know that it is theirs for the taking.

Family and church are very important to us. Investing in real estate, together, as partners has allowed us to nurture both of these. We can go on fieldtrips, attend Bible study and just spend time together, because we work together and we make our own rules. We set our goals and we are responsible for making things happen. We love each other and the challenges and rewards of working together. When Kim was pregnant with Hannah, our first child, we decided that she was not going to go back to corporate America. That same December, Charles decided that he no longer wanted to work in the law firm. He knew that, if we invested in real estate full time, we could make some significant changes in our life.

It was an exciting time. It was a fun time. It was a scary time. But every day, we are so glad that we did it, together. No matter what has happened, or what will come, we know that we are working our real estate business – together.