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As a landlord, you have certain responsibilities. One of the most important is to provide safety for your tenants. Not only do you have certain legal obligations, but safe tenants are also more likely to continue renting the property for much longer, providing you with a dependable, long-term source of income.

In the pursuit of safety, you may want to upgrade your properties with the following four items:

External Security Cameras
While installing internal security cameras can be invasive and problematic, installing external cameras is a great way to keep your tenants safe. Give your tenants access to the feed so they can see what’s going on outside their rental unit and identify problems without having to open doors. These cameras are also great for collecting evidence if your property is robbed or if someone tries to get into the building.

Security Doors
Security doors are a simple way to keep intruders out of a property, but they’re still very effective. Heavier and harder to break than standard doors, they’re a low-tech method of ensuring the safety of your tenants. The best thing about security doors is that they last a long time, so choosing to install them now will help you protect tenants for many years to come.

Outdoor Lighting
Much of home security comes down not to actual safety measures, but rather, to the illusion of protection. The average home robbery is a crime of opportunity instead of one of serious planning, and most robbers are scared off by anything that could make them more vulnerable. Adequate outdoor lighting is great for pointing out that a particular property is not a viable target, and it’s also helpful for keeping your tenants safe when they come home at night. Outdoor lighting is an inexpensive way to bring a bit of extra safety to your property.

Change Locks Between Tenants
Make sure you change a rental propertys locks and keys between tenants. While most tenants are unlikely to return to an old home or apartment, you never know how many keys and copies are actually floating around. If you change out your locks, you’ll be out a few dollars, but you’ll provide your tenants with an extra layer of security.

Providing your tenants with more security is a great way to make them feel like you care, while keeping them safer at the same time. Try a mix of high-tech and proven solutions to ensure that both your tenants and your property remain safe. In time, your propertys reputation for safety will help to ensure that you always have tenants waiting to fill vacancies.

Source: Meghan Belnap/RISMedias Housecall

Published with permission from RISMedia.

A VA home loan comes with many benefits, the biggest being no requirement for a down payment. Veterans and service members also dont have to pay monthly mortgage insurance premiums, and interest rates on VA loans are usually lower than other loan types.

The first step in getting a home loan from a lender approved by the Department of Veterans Affairs is the most important one because without it, your VA home loan cant close. Borrowers must get a VA Certificate of Eligibility, or COE, to prove to a lender that they meet the military service or surviving spouse requirements.

Once you have that document, you can start shopping for VA loans.

A COE is fairly easy to get. You can ask a VA-approved lender to obtain it for you. This is probably the quickest method because most VA lenders have access to an internet-based application that can issue the certificate on the spot if theres enough information in the systems database.

You can also request the certificate through the VAs eBenefits portal. You can even complete a request for Certificate of Eligibility form and mail it to a regional loan center.

Surviving spouses can download a request for determination of loan guarantee eligibility form and give it to a lender for processing. If you cant print the form, you can call 1-877-827-2702 to request one.

A certificate of eligibility can usually be obtained by a lender entering the borrowers personal information through the VA database. Sometimes a veterans discharge or separation papers are needed for verification, and the lender could send the required documents to the VA to process the request.

Here are the forms the VA website says borrowers will need, depending on their military status:

Veteran: DD Form 214 (discharge or separation papers).
Service member: Statement of service signed by your commander, adjutant or personnel officer.
Current or former activated National Guard or Reserve member: DD Form 214.
Current National Guard or Reserve member who has never been activated: Statement of service signed by commander, adjutant or personnel officer.

VA loans have lenient credit requirements, though youll still need decent credit and sufficient income to get approved.

The VA doesnt set a minimum credit score to qualify for a loan, but it must review the entire loan profile to make a lending decision, according to the VA. That could allow each lender to have its own FICO credit score requirement.

Lenders can also add requirements to the VA qualifications. These can include a range of the number of credit accounts you can have to the number of reported late payments in a specified timeframe. Some lenders may require higher credit scores than others. As with any type of home loan, it can be worthwhile to shop around.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

Many individuals are beginning to identify with minimalism, as rising costs in real estate have generated a need for creativityat least when it comes to living space. According to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates, it costs 32 cents per month to maintain any given square foot. That means that an additional 54% of your mortgage payment goes toward maintenance. Sounds a little extreme, doesn’t it?

Fortunately, there are several ways to tackle this problem, and they have everything to do with purchasing smaller spaces and being smart about their set-up. Author and real estate professional Matt Parker shares that, “Living smaller is not only going to become mandatory (increased building costs, increased real estate values); it is emotionally freeing, and socially conscious. The recommendation is not to stop buying real estate; it’s to create spaces that supplement your health, loving relationships, financial future and your only precious resource: your time.”

Parker offers the following recommendations to increase wealth by cutting back on home expenses:

Minimize warehouse-sized shopping. Studies show we can’t tell if bigger packages are actually cheaper because we have no reference for them. Additionally, you will end up wasting or over-consuming large quantities (and enjoying them less).
If you can swing it, 15- to 20-year loan amortizations can save you hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Install motion-sensing light switches in your rooms to cut back on your electric bill.
Planting small trees in your yard has been proven to drop summer temperatures by approximately 15 degrees, and raise them similarly in the winter, especially once the vegetation is lush and sufficiently-sized.
Get a professional wardrobe assistant several times a year, buy great outfits, and use an app like Letgo or Listia to “off” old clothes. Stop buying random clothes you won’t wear and save money in the process.
Connect with real estate agents who have lots of listings. “In any given month, we have thousands of dollars of furniture and home dressings to give away for free,” says Parker.
Eat whatever you want, in exactly the amounts you need. Buy the right amount, and don’t engage in a stockpile method of storing food that requires refrigeration and storage containers.
Eliminate landline phones.
Establish a lifestyle budget that forces you to create cash accounts for: vacations, cars, investments and doctor’s bills. What would an extra $500 be worth in 30 years invested in a tech stock versus a refrigerator with glowing ice receptacles?

According to Parker, financial freedom isn’t about not buying and consuming the things you enjoy, but, rather, prioritizing them over things that appear to be necessities, but really aren’t.

Matt Parker is the author of “Real Estate Smart: The New Home Buying Guide and Real Estate Agent Talks.” Parker works entirely paperless and happily lives in a 560 square-foot home with his wife, where he prioritizes living, not clutter.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

Whether your kids have moved out or youre getting ready to retire, moving into a smaller home can significantly reduce your living expenses. If downsizing is in your foreseeable future, here are seven ways to help you pare down your possessions so you can fit comfortably into your smaller space:

1. Plan backwards from moving day. If you have a clear idea when youre planning to move, start downsizing three months prior. It sounds taxing, but tackling every room (and/or garage, basement or attic) in one fell swoop is more challenging, if not impossible”especially for homeowners whove stayed put for years. Sorting through one room at a time is best.

2. Stick to the OHIO rule. Only handle it once. Avoid placing items in maybe piles. Ask yourself if youd replace the item if it disappeared”this will make the process feel much less like a trashing of beloved possessions.

3. Remember more isnt always better. We all have items were saving just in case the original breaks. But do you really need multiple mixing bowls? Dont be afraid to purge duplicates. The same applies to clothing”avoid holding onto garments that no longer fit, but might one day.

4. Scale back collections. Cutting a collection can be upsetting for anyone, downsizing or not. Because you have likely spent years growing it, approach the process as gently”and practically”as possible. Ask yourself which items are favored more than others, or limit the amount based on display space. For example, a bookshelf can only hold so many books.

5. Get cash for your castoffs. Remember the three-month rule? If youre planning to sell an item, start early. Some things may not move as quickly as youd like, and you dont want to be stuck with items you no longer want come moving day.

6. Contact an auction house. If you have an assortment of valuable items, like antique furniture or artwork, consider enlisting an auction house. Compile a large lot so the appraiser can assess items in one visit. An estate sales group can help facilitate the sale or auction of high-end belongings, too.

7. Donate as much as you can. Donating items to charitable organizations can make parting with possessions much more manageable. You may feel much less overwhelmed knowing the items are going to those less fortunate. In many areas, the Salvation Army and Goodwill are available to transport big-ticket items like furniture or appliances. Other house items in good condition can be dropped off and donated to the charity of your choice.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

A 30- or 15-year, fixed-rate mortgage with the same payment amounts each month is one of the most common ways to buy a home”but not everyone can qualify for a traditional mortgage, or has the money set aside for a sizable down payment so they can get a low-interest loan and have affordable payments.

Here are four non-traditional ways to be able to afford to buy a home:

1. Borrow from your parents: If you don’t mind possibly changing your relationship with your parents, ask them for a loan to help you come up with a bigger down payment so you can qualify for a loan. Hire a lawyer to write up a contract, and make sure the loan doesn’t appear as a gift, which would require a gift tax to be paid.

2. Parental co-signers: If your parents won’t loan you money, ask them to co-sign your home loan. This can improve your debt-to-income ratio, making you a better risk to the lender”but your parents should be aware that if you don’t make loan payments, they’ll be liable for them.

3. Borrow from a retirement account: If you have enough money in your 401(k) or IRA, you can borrow money from yourself if you use the money for a down payment on a house, or, you could use the retirement funds to show a lender that you have a lot of money in savings to make loan payments if you lose your job.

The downside is that if you’re 59-1/2 years old or younger and withdraw any of your retirement savings, you’ll pay a 10 percent penalty and will pay taxes on it. The money will have to be repaid within 60 days if you lose your job.

A Roth IRA is after-tax money, so withdrawing from it to buy a home means you’ll only be taxed on the earnings, not the full amount.

4. Insurance policy with cash value: Some life insurance policies allow policyholders to borrow against the principal or cash value, and the money can be used for whatever they wish, including a home purchase. The loan won’t have to be repaid”although not repaying it will leave a lower death benefit.

Whichever non-traditional strategy you use to finance a home, talk to your financial advisor and tax preparer for details on how it will affect your finances.

Published with permission from RISMedia.