Anyone can see that a house sold for $500,000. That’s data. But knowing why it sold and if the house next door will sell for more is Insight. Having served on the Georgia Board of Real Estate Commission, Brenda McLean uses “insider knowledge” to help investors avoid expensive mistakes.

1. Look for the “Path of Progress.”

Smart investors don’t buy where it’s already busy; they buy where it’s going to be busy.

• New Roads & Infrastructure: Is the city building a new highway exit? Is a new hospital coming? That’s where you want to be.
• Jobs, Jobs, Jobs: If a big company like Amazon or Microsoft opens a warehouse, the land around it becomes 10x more valuable.

2. The “Boring” Stuff Matters

Before you buy a property, you have to look at the things most people ignore:

• Zoning: Can you actually build what you want there?
• Environment: Is the ground contaminated from an old gas station? If you don’t check, you could be stuck with a million-dollar cleanup bill.
• Tenants: Are the people renting the building actually going to stay, or are they struggling?

3. Don’t Buy With Your Heart

The biggest mistake investors make is “falling in love” with a building.

• Be Objective: If the numbers don’t work, walk away. There is always another deal.
• Stress Test: Ask yourself, “What if the rent drops by 10%? Can I still pay the mortgage?” If the answer is no, don’t buy it.

Looking for a Second Opinion?

The most expensive mistake you can make is acting on bad information. Before you sign your next contract, Dive Deeper Into the Data with us. We’ll help you look past the “pretty pictures” and see if the deal is actually a winner.