Peter Bubel+ by | Dec 6, 2016 | Blog, Peter Bubel, Property, Property Management, Real Estate
For those looking to increase their wealth through investment, there are two basic investment types to make: investing in stock or investing in real estate. While each method has been proven effective, real estate investment is a highly lucrative game that could end up making you rich in the long run — of the 1,810 billionaires living today, 163 of them, or 9%, got their start in real estate, making the industry the third-largest source of wealth. However, real estate investment isn’t for everyone. Take a look at the pros and cons of investing in real estate before deciding if it’s the right investment method for you.
Pros:
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The investment is physical.
Believe it or not, this is actually a huge deciding factor for many people when choosing how to invest their money. While investing in the stock market is also a great way to make money, for many people the main turn off is the way you can have money one minute and lose it the next. With real estate, this isn’t a concern. Your piece of land, your investment, is one you can reach out, touch, and even stand on. While money can come and go, your property investment will always remain.
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You are in control of your investment.
With each new property that you purchase, you essentially become the owner and CEO of your own small company for which you’re in charge of hiring (renting), maintenance (general upkeep), and growth (additions and renovations). By making renovations to improve the house, like a bathroom or kitchen remodel, you’re increasing the value of your investment, something you can’t do with stock investments.
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Real estate is a relatively stable investment.
When you invest in real estate, there is very little — if any — fluctuation that occurs in terms of value. While stock prices can double and halve in mere hours, real estate offers a stable alternative for investment for those who aren’t looking for the stressful ups and downs of stock market investment.
Cons:
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The investment is illiquid.
One of the major cons that deters people from investing in real estate is how illiquid — or how difficult to convert from asset to cash — the investment is. Where buying and selling stocks can be completed in a matter of seconds, selling a piece of property can take weeks or even months for proper paperwork to be signed, payments to go through, and sales to be finalized. So while real estate is a far more stable investment,
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It requires a lot of work.
Where stocks are easy in that, once you invest in them, your work is primarily done, real estate investments require a lot of work to be put into them for you to see substantial returns. Often times, people choose to hire property managers who act as the middleman and take the burden of maintenance off of the shoulders of the landlord, but if you don’t then you’re looking at fixing minor repairs as they arise, maintaining the property, finding your own tenants, and enforcing the lease on your own.
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If you can’t find tenants, you’re paying for your investment.
Another huge con of real estate investment is that you need other people to make your investment profitable. If you’ve purchased a rental property, you’ll need tenants to occupy the building or else you’ll end up losing money each month as you pay for mortgage, utilities, and general upkeep.
Peter Bubel+ by | Dec 6, 2016 | Blog, Peter Bubel, Property, Real Estate, Travel
In the dead of winter, it’s tempting to sell off everything you own to move to a tropical, exotic location whose atmosphere is a complete 180 from where you are now. Unfortunately, with exotic travel destinations often comes exorbitant price tags, and unless selling everything you own is a viable option, you’re going to need to find an alternative. Skip on the international plane fare and take a trip to an exotic land right in your own backyard; visit these hidden travel gems you can find right here in America.
This scenic, glacial California valley is home to a number beautiful sites. Measuring 8 miles long, the valley is chock full of trails for hikers and explorers, and is a hotspot for photographers as well; when the sunlight hits just right, some falls refract the light into beautiful rainbows that will take your breath away.
Founded way back in 1565, this beautiful holds claim to being the oldest city in the United States. It was founded by Spanish admiral Pedro Menéndez Avilés, and remains heavily influenced by Spanish culture today. Walk along the historic streets, and bask under buildings that existed long before this country did.
While it’s not in the continental U.S., Hawaii offers many beautiful sites for visitors to take in, and it’s least developed island is no exception. Also referred to as “the Garden Isle,” this beautiful island is a popular place to visit for those looking to get away from society and experience raw, beautiful nature. The lush, tropical rainforest that covers most of the island gives the feel of being in the Amazon without ever leaving the country.
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Joshua Tree National Park, Ca.
If you’re looking for an otherworldly travel destination with the price tag of a local vacation, then look no further than California. The park sees two different types of desert ecosystem converge where the Mojave desert meets the Colorado desert, with a landscape that could be from another planet; large rock formation, vast desert scapes, and strange, barren plant life render this desert an alien planet. When you’re ready to head back to civilization, stop by the village of Joshua Tree and experience first hand the wide range of inhabitants and food the area has to offer.
If you’re dreaming of the wineries of Italy but know the Mediterranean is out of your price range, your next best bet is to visit the lush vineyards and rolling hills of Napa Valley. Colloquially known as “wine country,” this area was originally settled during the silver rush of California and is now renowned as the wine capital of California.
Peter Bubel+ by | Jul 21, 2016 | Blog, Peter Bubel, Uncategorized
Peter Bubel+ by | Apr 27, 2016 | Blog, PA, Pennsylvania, Peter Bubel, Reading
As the fifth largest city in Pennsylvania with a population of almost 88,000, Reading is a city thriving with art, culture, delicious food and lots to do. But sometimes you just need to escape for a day. Reading is conveniently located just a short drive from many amazing destinations that are perfect for a day trip.
Philadelphia
Travel time: 1 hour 25 minutes
Just a short drive from Reading, Pennsylvania is one of the most beautiful, fun and historical cities in America. There are so many things to do in Philadelphia that you might want to extend your day trip to become a weekend trip! From Independence Hall to the Liberty Bell to the Philadelphia Museum of Art and LOVE Park, you will never be bored in Philadelphia. Whether you want to explore the history of the city, spend the entire day in museums or even go shopping, Philadelphia has something to offer for everyone.
New York City
Travel time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Not much needs to be said about New York City. It is one of the centers of the world. Being slightly removed yet close enough to enjoy a day in NYC is one of the things that makes Reading, PA so great. Maybe you just want to go into the city for dinner and a show. Maybe you want to go in and do all of the touristy things like visit the Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty. Maybe you want to go shopping. Maybe you have friends visiting and you want to show them around. Or maybe you just want to go in and discover all of the things that the city has to offer. There are countless reasons for wanting to take a day trip to New York City. And being just a short 2 and a half hour drive away from it makes it very easy for those living in Reading.
Hershey
Travel time: 1 hour
When most people hear the name Hershey they think of Hersheypark. The amusement park filled with fun rides and delicious chocolate treats. One of the best amusement parks in the Northeast, Hersheypark is home to all of the typical things you’d find in a park: games, roller coasters, water rides, family rides and rides for children of all ages. However, Hersheypark has the added bonus of being Hershey themed. Everywhere you turn you can find delicious candy, chocolate and treats! While Hershey, PA is home to Hersheypark there are other fun things to do in the city as well. The Indian Echo Caverns are cool caves that you can explore and there is an arena for concerts. For those without children there are resorts with golf and spas that you can relax in on your day trip escape.
Peter Bubel+ by | Mar 14, 2016 | Blog, Peter Bubel, Property, Property Management, Real Estate, Travel
For those who aren’t real estate professionals, understanding real estate terms can be very confusing and overwhelming. The terminology can make someone unfamiliar with the real estate industry have a very difficult time dealing with the process of selling, buying or renting a house. In order to help deal with this, check out this list of some of the most commonly used real estate terms and their definitions.
Adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM): A mortgage where the interest periodically changes based on corresponding fluctuations in an index.
Appraiser: An experienced person who has been educated and trained to estimate the value of property.
Assessor: A public official who established the value of a property for taxation purposes.
Contingency: A condition that must be met before a contract can be legally binding. A typical contingency on a contract is when homeowners specify that that contract isn’t binding until the purchaser obtains a satisfactory home inspection report from a qualified home inspector.
Credit: An agreement where a borrower receives something of value in exchange for the promise that they will repay the lender at a later date.
Default: The failure to make the mortgage payment within a specified period of time.
Equity: A homeowner’s financial interest in a property. Equity is the difference between the fair market value of the property and the amount still owed on its mortgage and other possessions.
Escrow: An item of value, money, or documents deposited with a third party that is to be delivered upon the fulfillment of a condition.
Lease: A written contract between the property owner and a tenant. This stipulates the payment and conditions under which the tenant may possess the real estate for a specified period of time.
Lock-in: An agreement where the lender guarantees a specified interest rate for a certain amount of time at a certain cost.
Mortgage: A legal document that pledges a property to the lender as security for payment of a debt.
Realtor: A real estate agent, broker or an associate who holds active membership in a local real estate board that is affiliated with the National Association of Realtors.
Security: The property that will be pledged as collateral for a loan.
Title: A legal document evidencing a person’s right to or ownership of a property.
Peter Bubel+ by | Feb 4, 2016 | Blog, Pennsylvania, Peter Bubel, Reading, Restaurants
Reading, Pennsylvania is a booming city filled with many delicious restaurants that aren’t to be missed while in town. But there are a few that just go far beyond the others in terms of quality and taste of food, decor and service. The restaurants below are the best of the best in Reading. Make your reservations now!
Frank & Diannah’s Arbor Inn
A German-American restaurant, Frank & Diannah’s Arbor Inn is always packed so make a reservation. The atmosphere is serene and warm with very friendly and professional staff who go above and beyond to make sure that you enjoy your visit. And the food, well it’s just top notch. Everything that you order is always delicious and cooked to perfection. Head over on Thursday nights for burger night!
Coastal Grille
This restaurant serves seafood with an American flare. There is a beautiful aquarium in the middle of the restaurant that ties everything together and adds a great ambiance. No matter what you order you will enjoy it. Everything here is spectacular. All of the seafood is fresh and of the utmost quality. It is prepared perfectly in interesting combinations such as Baja Fish Tacos. They also serve classic seafood dishes such as lobster rolls. No matter what you order, it will be delicious!
Judy’s On Cherry
This small restaurant is a hidden gem in Reading, PA. With extremely friendly and helpful staff your meal starts off well. And then the food comes out. Everything looks and smells mouthwateringly delicious. Judy’s never disappoints. A meal at Judy’s is never complete, though, unless you get one of their famous homemade desserts.
Dans Restaurant
This quaint little restaurant serves the most beautiful, fresh, and delicious food. Everything is plated, and cooked, to perfection. When the weather is nice they have a lovely outdoor patio so that you can enjoy the beautiful surroundings while you dine. All of the servers are very knowledgeable about the items on the menu and are happy to help you with whatever you need to ensure that you enjoy your time at Dans.
The Ugly Oyster
This pub serves American Seafood. The Ugly Oyster is pub food at its best and takes it up a notch. With an Irish pub atmosphere, this is a fun place to come for a drink and enjoy delicious food. Just be warned that the restaurant is small so you may not always have luck getting a table!
