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By Marie Villeza

Moving can be a stressful experience for anyone, but it can be even more challenging when you have pets to consider. Whether you’re relocating for work or personal reasons, taking your pets along with you requires careful planning and consideration. Here are some tips to help make the process go smoothly.

Need to relocate quickly? BuySellInvestUSA.com can buy your home as is. Contact us for a cash offer!

Find a Pet-friendly Home

One of the first things you’ll need to do when moving with pets is finding a new home that allows them. This may require some extra effort on your part, as not all landlords or property managers are open to having animals on their premises. Start by doing research online and looking for rental listings that explicitly mention being pet-friendly. You can also reach out to local animal shelters or rescue groups for recommendations.

Hire Pet-Friendly Movers

The next step is finding movers who are comfortable working around animals. Not all moving companies allow pets on their trucks, so it’s important to ask about this before booking their services. Look for companies with experience handling animal transport and who have positive reviews from other pet owners.

Invest In Top-Rated Gear and Accessories

For the most innovative gear and accessories, invest in top-rated products that are personally vetted by experienced professionals. Product reviews from vets can provide valuable insight into potential investments and help you make a savvy decision when it comes to accessorizing your lifestyle. Making sure that your gear and accessories are high quality ensures you have products that are built to last.

Learn How to Safely Transport Your Pet

Transporting your pet safely requires some basic knowledge of animal behavior and physiology. Dogs should always wear seat belts or be secured inside carriers while riding in cars, anc cats should be confined inside carriers at all times. If you’re flying with your pets, look into airlines’ specific policies regarding animal travel beforehand. Some airlines only allow certain breeds or sizes of dogs onboard; others require health certificates or proof of vaccinations before allowing animals on flights.

Update Your Pet’s ID Tags and Microchips

Before moving day arrives, make sure your pets’ identification tags are up-to-date with accurate contact information. If they don’t already have microchips implanted, now is a good time to get this done as well. Microchips provide an additional layer of protection in case they get lost by allowing vets and shelters to scan them for identifying data if they become separated from their families.

Find a Veterinarian

Once you’ve settled into your new home, one of the first things you should do is find a local veterinarian who can provide routine checkups and medical care as needed. Ask your current vet for referrals or research online to find nearby clinics. You may even want to consider visiting a few options before deciding on one so you can get a feel for the staff and atmosphere of each place.

Commit to High-Quality Dog Food

Finally, remember that maintaining good health starts with proper nutrition. A high-quality dog food that’s air fried provides essential proteins without adding unnecessary fat content. Air-dried dog food has many benefits, including a longer shelf life, fewer additives and preservatives, and a more natural flavor that dogs are likely to enjoy. The air drying process also produces a crunchier texture and retains more of the nutrients found in fresh ingredients. Give this a view to learn about different options.

Moving across state lines is never easy – especially when you have four-legged companions coming along for the ride. But with careful planning ahead of time (and some helpful tips), it doesn’t have to be overwhelming either. By finding a new home where both you and your pet will feel welcome, investing in quality food and gear, and finding a trustworthy veterinarian, you and your pets can enjoy a smooth transition.

By Stacey Curiel

If you’re looking for a passive income stream, you might consider an investment property. You can rent it out to long-term tenants or short-term vacation-goers. This can be a great way to collect regular revenue without too much effort. That said, when you’re first getting an investment property off the ground, a lot of work is required. Here, Buy Sell Invest USA provides some insights into acquiring and managing a successful investment property.

Pick the Right Location for Your Investment Property
Location is a key factor when investing in property. If you’re planning to rent to vacation-goers, for example, you want to get the property in a place that has tourist attractions. If you want to rent long-term to families, other factors like school districts matter. Stessa has a roundup of the best U.S. cities for rental property investments, from Ocala, Florida, to Las Vegas, Nevada.

Understand What Makes for a Profitable Investment Property
Location is just one factor that makes an investment property a good bet. Other considerations include growth potential, the property’s condition and monetary value, and current market trends. If you’re having trouble finding the perfect investment property, a realtor can help. A real estate agent will know what neighborhoods are up-and-coming and will be able to negotiate a good deal for you.

If you want to learn from the professionals, check out Real Estate Pros Radio featuring Dawn M. Adams from Buy Sell Invest USA. She and Chad and Larry Jordan address all sorts of topics relating to being successful in real estate investing.

Figure Out Your Financials for Buying Property
When buying a property, odds are you’ll need a mortgage. Getting pre-approved for a home loan can help make you look like a serious buyer and improve your odds of quickly getting the house you want. When applying for a mortgage, get a head start by gathering the documents you need. Experian has a roundup of paperwork to collect, including recent pay stubs, W-2 forms, bank statements, and investment account statements.

Address the Administrative Side of Your Property Business
Treat your investment property like a business. First, educate yourself about the tax obligations that come with renting out property. Next, set up a limited liability company, LLC, to manage your rental income. An LLC helps to protect your liability, safeguarding you and your assets against potential litigation. You can avoid costly lawyer fees and use a formation service to set up an LLC.

Spruce Up Your Property to Make it More Marketable
The property you buy probably won’t be immediately rental-ready after you buy it. For example, it may require some basic repairs before you can market it to potential tenants. Beyond essential fixes, there are also additional steps you can take to spruce up the property and make it more appealing. Examples include adding a fresh coat of paint and updating the lighting.

Start Marketing Your Property to Get Your First Tenants
Once your property is rental-ready, it’s time to find your first tenants. Marketing is essential. RentPrep provides a guide to marketing rental properties, like partnering with local realtors. Also, make sure you’re appealing to your target audience. For example, if you’re trying to attract long-term renters like families, you probably want to highlight assets like a big backyard for kids to play in and a great school district.

Develop a Plan for Managing Daily Operations
An investment property doesn’t run itself. You’ll need to take care of basic maintenance, for example, and find tenants. If you opt for short-term vacation rentals, you also have to handle turnover between guests, which could include cleaning and repairs. If you don’t want to manage all these details yourself, enlist the services of a property management company to help stay on top of things.

You should also protect your investment by getting a home warranty quote. You may think that the homeowner’s insurance you have is enough, but it won’t cover repairs on or replacement of larger appliances and systems, like your HVAC unit or plumbing. A warranty can protect you from large, unexpected expenses, especially if you own an older property. Look for a policy that covers the specific items that are most likely to go out in your building.

Do Your Research and then Get Started
An investment property can be a great way to earn extra money, but it requires effort to set up. Taking care of essentials, like establishing an LLC and investing in a home warranty, can help you avoid stress down the line. But be mindful of the overall financial investment, and make sure that you are adequately prepared to invest. Once you have everything laid out, then enjoy the excitement of managing your first property!

Photo credit Pixabay at pexels

By Marie Villeza

Education can be incredibly expensive, and borrowing money to pay for college is not always the best option. As Investopedia can confirm, student debt is a national-level crisis that you want to steer clear of, if at all possible. Debt can be stressful, requires many sacrifices, and pushes back major life milestones.
What, then, should you do if you’re an adult hoping to go back to college? You could save up to pay for your degree in cash. And to make said cash, you could potentially flip houses. House-flipping can be incredibly profitable – a 22-year-old managed to rake in $300,000 with house-flipping recently – and typically has a high ROI. While you may or may not be able to make a six-figure income, you could at least save enough to pay for a degree.
Below, Buy Sell Invest USA explains house flipping in detail below:

Are you equipped to be a house flipper?
House-flipping sounds simple – you find a fixer-upper, fix it up, and sell it for a profit. It’s much more involved than that, though. First, it requires serious technical skills. For instance, you need to be good at construction (or know suitable contractors) to renovate a house. Second, it can be risky. You need to find the right house in the right location, while navigating challenges like bad weather or truant contractors, to turn a profit.

Last, it’s running a business. You have to work hard and wear many hats, from product development (remodeling the house) to sales (marketing it to potential customers). You don’t necessarily need to know everything from the get-go, but a background in construction or business administration can help. In all cases, a willingness to learn is essential.

Market conditions are everything
When it comes to house flipping, location is king. You should aim to flip a house in a popular neighborhood as opposed to a remote destination. Market conditions will affect your eventual profit. For instance, is the property market hot? Are contractors readily available and willing to work with you on your house-flipping project? Research the market thoroughly and run the numbers before buying a place.

Paying for flipping: Mortgage or cash?
House flippers aim to follow the 70 percent rule to turn a profit. That means you shouldn’t buy a home for more than 70 percent of its after-repair value (ARV), which Bob Vila can explain further. This doesn’t always make purchasing a fixer-upper via mortgage feasible, especially as you pay many expenses (like closing costs) out of your own pocket. There are a few other ways to house flip without cash that you could look into.

Improvements to attract buyers
To make your house sell faster, and for more, it’s crucial you make improvements buyers would want. This could be functional as well as cosmetic upgrades. For instance, outdoor seating areas that allow homeowners to be close to nature are all the rage recently. Modular kitchens are a classic, popular option. Aim to make just enough improvements to make the property extra attractive, without investing too much time (or money).

Marketing your property
Marketing could make or break your business. Good marketing is essential for raising your profile and helping you win trust. Furthermore, it can make your property more attractive. Some suggestions are creating listings with high-quality pictures, getting a business website, getting on social media, and running advertising campaigns (offline and online).

Building a team you can trust
Working with professionals will make house flipping easier – you can’t do everything alone. For instance, you could build up a team of contractors, handymen, cleaning crews, and other workers to work with you. Having a good realtor in your corner can help you find excellent properties, not to mention get up-to-date info on the market. You could find someone to help you run your business (if you’re flipping multiple properties). You can reach out to the experienced Buy Sell Invest USA team for tailored assistance with anything real-estate related.

Going back to school while house flipping is possible
If your business takes off, it’s possible for you to go back to school while still house flipping if you pursue an online program. Online programs allow you to study at your own pace, making it easier to run a business while still keeping up with your studies. Also, they are typically more affordable than in-person learning. If you pick a business degree, you could learn valuable skills in accounting, business, communications, or management that would stand you in good stead in your business (or help you find a different career). You can earn a business bachelor’s degree via an accredited online school.

Conclusions
The average profit for a house flip for a $250,000 house is $37,500, which is enough to cover the cost of an educational degree in many schools. Do your research, run the numbers, and have a good house-flip strategy in place that accounts for challenges to succeed with your budding house-flipping venture.
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Photo by Blue Bird via Pexels

Article By Marie Villeza
So, you’re thinking about renovating your home. Whether you want to update the finishes, reconfigure the layout, or add some more square footage, there’s a lot to consider before starting any type of home renovation. From finding experienced and reputable contractors to arranging your home office, here are some things you should think about before embarking on a home renovation project, courtesy of BuySellInvestUSA.com.

1. Learn the Different Types of Home Renovations
There are many different types of home renovations, from small projects like painting or installing new light fixtures to major additions or gut renovations. It’s important to do your research and understand the different types of renovations so that you can make sure you’re getting exactly what you want and need. Not sure where to start? This guide covers the different types of home renovations in detail.

2. Find Experienced and Dependable Contractors
One of the most important aspects of any successful renovation is finding experienced and dependable contractors who can do the job right. Once you’ve decided on the scope of your renovation, take the time to interview multiple contractors and get detailed estimates before choosing who you want to work with. Here’s a checklist for finding the best contractor for your home renovation project.

3. Organize a Schedule and Target Dates
No matter how big or small your renovation is, it’s important to create a schedule and target dates so that everyone involved knows what needs to be done and when it needs to be done. This will help keep your project on track and ensure that it is completed promptly.

4. Know How You’ll Finance Your Renovation
Before starting any kind of home renovation, it’s important to have a clear understanding of how you will finance the project. Will you take out a loan? Use savings? Or finance it with a credit card? There are pros and cons to each option, so be sure to do your research before making a decision.

5. Understand What Apps Your Contractor Might Use
Estimating apps are becoming increasingly popular among contractors as they provide an easy way to create accurate estimates for materials and labor costs. If your contractor is using one of these apps, be sure to ask them how it works so that you can understand the estimated costs for your project. Professionals such as electricians need to be able to estimate the job before they start it. Good estimating software can make this process much easier for professionals. If you’re planning on renovating your home, be sure to ask your electrician if they would like to use estimating software for electricians. While it may cost you a little bit extra upfront, it will certainly pay off in the end.

6. Arrange Your Home Office
If you’re planning on working from home during the renovation, it’s important to set up a dedicated space for yourself so that you can be productive (and stay out of the way of the contractors!). Here are some tips on how to set up a temporary home office during a renovation.

7. Explain Your Plans Carefully
Once you’ve made all the decisions about your renovation, it’s important to explain them clearly (and in writing!) to your contractor so that there is no confusion about what needs to be done. After all, even small miscommunications can lead to big problems down the road!

8. Secure a Home Warranty Upon Completion
A home warranty is an insurance policy that protects your home and its systems from defects or malfunctions for a certain period of time (usually one year). If something goes wrong after your renovation is complete, having a home warranty in place will give you peace of mind knowing that it will be covered by insurance.

With a little preparation and organization, you can have a stress-free home renovation. Follow our tips to design your home office space, and get familiar with the types of apps or software used by contractors. By taking these steps, you’ll be ready to tackle your next home renovation project head-on!