March 2017

Whether you're experienced in the world of commercial real estate investment or just getting your feet wet, you probably already know that success means you must be aware of current trends and capitalize on them.

Doing things "the way they've always been done" means more often than not that your experience will be less lucrative than you'd hope.

Technology Is the New Norm

Just as in other fields, technology plays an increasing role in real estate investing. However, it's the the way it affects your business dealings that is the important thing anymore. Connectivity has made business transactions cheaper, faster and easier, but technology is also changing the face of commercial real estate and the needs of those buyers, sellers and renters that

There are many ways to plan for retirement, but one of the best and most effective is to build a portfolio of real estate investments that will give you a constant passive income stream. Other investments can generate income, but buying real estate, either multi-family residential buildings and small commercial or retail buildings, is an avenue uniquely suited to the small investor. Because real estate appreciates over time, your initial investment grows as well, offering the investor additional growth in terms of net worth.

If "escaping the rat race" is your goal, whether you are currently making real plans or just dreaming, there are some concrete steps you can take. A recent article in Bigger Pockets suggests that it's entirely possible to quit

It's still a "landlord's market" in Minneapolis -- that's good news for investors, but how long will it continue?

The Continuing Apartment Boom

The apartment building boom that began in 2010 has not abated. With about 6,500 new units slated for completion by the end of 2017, and another 14,000 that are in various stages of planning and development across the Twin Cities, demand continues high and the vacancy rate remains low. For five years, the rate has been below three percent, and was at 2.7 percent for the second quarter of 2016. Although there has been some lag in the downtown area, which has been the city's hot spot for years, first and second ring suburbs continue to be active.

Outperforming Other Cities

Compared to other markets,