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7 Ways to Take Control of Your Legacy

Planning your estate might not sound like the most exciting thing on your to-do list, but trust us, it’s worth it. And with The Investor’s Guide to Estate Planning, preparing isn’t as daunting as it may seem.

Inside, you’ll find {straightforward advice} on tackling key documents to clearly spell out your wishes.

Plus, there’s help for having those all-important family conversations about your financial legacy to make sure everyone’s on the same page (and avoid negative future surprises).

Why leave things to chance when you can take control? Explore ways to start, review or refine your estate plan today with The Investor’s Guide to Estate Planning.

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A Smarter Way to Confirm Rental Rates

Nothing derails a rental deal faster than bad math. And nothing produces bad math faster than “gut feeling” rental rates. I’ve seen investors confidently proclaim, “This will easily rent for $2,200,” with the same certainty a teenager uses to assert that yes, they’ll be home by 9.

Spoiler: both are almost always wrong.

Before you ever drive across town or schedule a showing, you need to confirm whether your rental assumptions live in the real world or in Narnia. Fortunately, it takes about five minutes to get a reality check—no spreadsheets, no field trips, no daydreams.

Here’s the 5-minute rental sanity test.

1. Zillow, Apartments.com, and Craigslist — The Price Triangulation (2 minutes)

Yes, I know Zillow’s Zestimate is about as reliable as a politician’s promise. But rental listings on Zillow Rentals, Apartments.com, and even Craigslist offer something far more valuable: market behavior.

Look for:

• Similar beds/baths

• Similar age

• Similar square footage

• Same school district (critical)

• Similar condition

You are not looking for perfection—you’re looking for pattern recognition.

If everything like your subject property is renting between $1,700–$1,900, your deal isn’t a $2,300 unicorn. It’s a $1,700–$1,900 mortal.

2. Rentometer or RentCast — The “Sanity Overlay” (1 minute)

Rentometer and RentCast aren’t gospel, but they’re terrific for a quick second opinion.

Think of them as the friend who taps you on the shoulder and whispers, “Are you sure about that?”

These tools give:

• Median rents

• Comps within a radius

• Trends

• Zip-level ranges

If your number is wildly out of sync with theirs, trust the data—not your optimism.

3. MLS or Redfin Map Scan — Find the Outliers (1 minute)

Look for anything currently pending or just leased.

Current listings can be deceiving because landlords often ask for fantasy numbers—but pending/leased tells you the truth.

If three acceptable properties leased for $1,850, that’s the universe you’re living in.

Don’t argue with reality. It wins every time.

4. Google Street View — Condition & Context (30 seconds)

One click tells you:

• Curb appeal

• Neighborhood vibe

• General upkeep

• Whether the street feels like a place families want to live

• Whether that “beautiful corner lot” is actually next to a tire shop

This matters more than people admit.

5. School Ratings — The Hidden Rent Driver (30 seconds)

You don’t have to love the school system.

Your tenant does.

Check:

• GreatSchools

• Niche

• Local district site

Better schools = better tenants = higher rents = lower vacancy.

Simple. Predictable. Often ignored.

6. The “Small-Town Google Trick” (30 seconds)

This one is wildly helpful in smaller markets where formal data is thin.

Just Google this phrase:

“I want to rent a ___ bedroom house in ___ (town)”

The results will be all over the map, but the outliers are easy to spot:

• The wildly overpriced one has professional staging and delusions of grandeur.

• The bargain-basement one looks like a set piece from a horror flick.

• The middle one is usually your target.

Pick the listings that most closely resemble your subject property—not the ones that spark your imagination.

It's fast, primitive, surprisingly effective… and it works because you're essentially letting Google dredge the river for you.

If All Six Data Points Align, You Have a Real Number

Not a hope.

Not a dream.

Not an optimistic projection blessed by the gods of delusion.

A real, defensible rental rate.

Five minutes of verification beats five months of regret.

Stop guessing.

Start confirming.

Your portfolio will thank you.

I’ve read the negotiation books.

Some made me smarter. Some made me dizzy.

Most taught 57 techniques — I can’t remember 56½ of them when I need them.

So I built a short, honest mini-course with the stuff that actually works.

Not exhaustive, but complete enough to change your next conversation.

👉 Take the Negotiation for Busy People mini-course — $19

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