Here is a question I want you to ponder.

What is the shortest and most reliable route that you or anyone can use to change their financial destiny and arrive at a place of financial freedom? Depending on whom you ask, you will get answers like work hard and smart, have a great business idea, invent something, or save and invest.

While all these are valid answers, they may not always bring you to a life that is free of financial worries. Each method’s ability to reach the desired goal depends on how well it meets that one requirement which is the most important factor when trying to achieve a life of financial freedom.

What is the critical factor that serves as the basic foundation for wealth-building?

You can separate how much money you earn from how much effort you invest in the thing that makes you that money. When your income-earning ability is no longer limited to your physical labor, you free yourself from the constraints of your limited time and energy.

If you are committed to your goal of building wealth, the most important thing you can do for yourself is to become adept at identifying, managing, and maximizing opportunities that make it possible to consistently earn a lot of money without necessarily having to do a lot of work.

This kind of income is known as passive income.

Non-passive income sources depend on your physical presence and direct effort to make money. They stop yielding income as soon as you stop contributing your physical presence or energy. Their income-earning ability is limited to how many man-hours you invest.

But how many hours do you think you would need to work to be able to earn up to one million dollars in a single year? The answer to that question will tell you why non-passive income sources are not the recommended path for pursuing wealth.

How can you get started with earning passive income?

Passive income through rental properties

Although there are several different ways to earn passive income, Keyrenter Hampton Roads advises the best one is putting your money into income-generating real estate, and rental properties. Why is owning rental properties a better source of passive income than investing in stock or bonds?

• Steady and substantial income

Both real estate and stocks can serve as sources of passive income. But rental properties are better because the income is more predictable than stocks. As a landlord, you often know how much rental income to expect and when to expect it.

• A hedge against inflation

Unlike stocks, income from a rental property keeps pace with the rate of inflation. This is because as inflation forces the prices of goods and services upward, so the rental rate for your property is also pushed higher.

• Tax advantages

Real estate offers tax incentives that are not available when investing in other asset classes. These tax deductions can be made from the everyday expenses of operating the property. They offer a way for landlords to increase their profits.

Strategies for earning passive income from rental properties

To make money from real estate, you must understand the following things about rental properties:

• Types of rental properties

There are two kinds of rental properties – commercial and residential – and within these two broad categories, there are several sub-categories. Before you buy any property, make sure you understand the different types of rental properties.

• Location

The most important factor in the performance of a property is its location. The neighborhood where a rental is located is a bigger factor than the physical qualities of the property. Learn how to evaluate the viability of different locations before you invest.

• Leverage

Your ability to get approved for a loan and negotiate the best terms is critical to your success. The cost of capital is a huge factor in how much passive income you earn from your property. If you don’t know much about this, hire a mortgage broker.

• Know your numbers

Before you buy a property, find out the potential income from the property (based on the rental rate) and your projected operational costs. Take the time to look at numbers like the vacancy rate for the property or similar properties in the area.

• Hire a property manager

Finally, you should know that real estate is not entirely a passive investment like stocks. Managing a rental property requires a lot of time and expertise. But there is a simple way to get around this problem and make the asset passive; you can hire a property manager.

Hiring a property manager to oversee your rental property is what transforms it from a non-passive form of investment into a source of passive income. A property manager takes on the responsibility of making the rental property work in exchange for a share of the profits.

Whether you’re looking for homes for sale in Lake of the Woods VA or Waterfront property in Virginia we are your Real Estate Advisors for Stafford, Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania, Locust Grove, Central Virginia, and Greater Virginia. Thinking of selling? In any market condition, “what is my home worth?” is the #1 question asked by homeowners. If you wish to sell your home, it needs to be sold for top dollar and in a timely manner. Pricing your home accurately, Pat will partner with you to make the selling process so much easier. Get started today by calling us at (540) 388-2541 or contact Pat Licata.

To see available Lake of the Woods properties, please visit our site.