First Considerations

Financing or cash?

Will you be financing your rental property, or paying cash? This is a great question for your financial advisor, as there are pros and cons to each approach.

Lenders require a larger percentage of down payment for investment properties than for primary residences. And, the interest rate is typically higher.

However, you’ll avoid tying up available cash in an investment that can take awhile to sell if things go south. And, you may have some tax advantages by financing.

Will you manage the property yourself?

Rental properties require some hands-on management. When the water heater bursts and floods the basement at 3 am on a Sunday morning, someone has to deal with it. That person might be you, or it might be a property management company. In between tenants, someone needs to oversee cleaning and repairs to the property, and show it to prospective tenants. And of course, someone needs to collect and deposit the rent every month.

Hands-On Management

If you are capable and willing to manage your own property, you’ll save money. But you’ll also need to be prepared to do a fair amount of work. If you have some handyman skills and can perform basic home repair tasks, this might be a good option. Your rental property will need the same maintenance as your primary residence, and will occasionally have larger issues such with plumbing, electrical, roof, sprinkling system and appliances. With the skill and time to take care of these issues, you’ll avoid paying a property management company, but don’t forget to factor in the value of your time. You’ll also want make sure that you purchase a property near your home if you want to avoid a long commute every time there’s a problem.

Property Management Services

Hiring a property management company allows you to be hands-off with your investment. These companies handle all aspects of the rental: Finding and vetting tenants, taking care of repairs and seasonal maintenance, collecting rent and depositing it in your account. For their services, property management companies typically charge a percentage of the rental amount for their fees. In addition, you’ll pay for repairs. Most companies allow you to set a dollar amount for repairs that can be made without your input ($250, for instance). For larger repairs, the company will call you and get feedback on what kind of action to take.

If you’re unwilling or unable to maintain your own rental property, a management company might be the way to go. You can also search for investment properties all over the country; there’s no need to live nearby, so you can capitalize on real estate markets in towns where prices are lower. However, you’ll need to factor in the cost of property management when figuring your ROI (Return on Investment).

Finding the Perfect Property

Before you start searching for rental properties, you’ll want to do some research. Several factors will affect both your ROI and the attractiveness of your property to potential renters:

1) Property Taxes. These vary tremendously from city to city, state to state, and even between different areas of cities. Obviously, property taxes affect your ROI, because they add to your annual costs.

2) Location. In addition to affecting your property taxes, location affects other costs. Check the crime rate of neighborhoods in which you’re interested; higher crime rates often mean higher homeowner’s insurance rates. Also check out nearby amenities that can be attractive to potential renters: public transportation availability, nearby jobs, libraries, good schools, shopping, etc.

3) Disaster-Prone Areas. While it’s never smart to buy a home on a flood plain or on a major fault line, it’s particularly dumb when you’re trying to make money on the venture. If you don’t want to fork out even more cash on insurance, avoid areas that cost more.

4) Rental market. Do some research in regards to the going rate for rental properties in specific neighborhoods. Are there a large number of vacancies? You’ll need to get a good idea of how much you can charge for rent, and how long your property will be vacant in between tenants.

5) Price. This is the most obvious factor for a good ROI. It’s crucial to get a good deal on the property you purchase for rental. Find a good real estate agent who specializes in rental properties and working with investors. Do your own homework, too. And then, keep emotion out of the purchase. Use an ROI calculator to help figure your potential profits. Successful property owners stick to the numbers and buy accordingly.

Finding Tenants

Rental properties have a cycle: advertise, show the property, review applications, create a lease, collect rent, receive notice, start advertising for new tenants. Ideally, you’ll do this as infrequently as possible. Not only is it a huge pain, but every day that your property sits vacant, you lose money.

Advertising

Finding good tenants can be difficult, even in the best of rental markets. The first order of business is to get your property noticed. Place For Rent signs on the property and on busy streets nearby. Place ads in local online classifieds and in online newspapers.

Signage

The design of your For Rent signage is important. Property owners often make the mistake of trying to put too much information on their signs. For most signs, the phone number is all you need. If you want a sign that has more information, put it in an area where prospective tenants can pull over to read it—otherwise, they’ll never be able to read all the text while driving by.

Professional, quality signage is well worth the minimal cost. Plastic corrugate yard signs will last for years if they’re stored properly in between tenants. And professional design ensures that your information can easily be seen—a hastily scrawled telephone number in ballpoint ink on a tiny store-bought sign isn’t very effective.

Choosing the Best Tenants

The quickest way to lose money on your rental property is by having tenants who don’t pay the rent. The eviction process doesn’t happen overnight, and two months worth of lost rental income makes a huge dent in your annual profits. Here are a few things to do when vetting prospective tenants.

Run a credit check. In particular, look for collection accounts from previous rentals. The overall credit score matters less, especially if the person can show that he’s been making timely payments on debts for awhile.

Call references. Most people will put friends and relatives on their applications, or at least people they know will provide positive feedback. But some people will put phony numbers, figuring that you won’t call. You can weed those folks out right away.

Get salary confirmation. Make sure that your prospective tenants can afford the rent. Ideally, it should be less than 30% of their take-home pay (combined, if you’ll be renting to more than one tenant). There may be a bit of room to fudge on that number, especially if the tenants don’t have a lot of other debt. But be wary of anyone who can’t verify their income, or has a very high debt-to-income ratio.

Look at job history. With young tenants, this is more difficult, but mostly you’re just looking to see if your tenants have a history of skipping out on jobs every 6 months. If so, it’s likely that they’re skipping out on other obligations, too. Like paying the rent.

It’s important to note that you can’t choose tenants based on their marital status, race, gender, color, national origin or disability. Doing so is illegal under the Fair Housing Act. Instead, stick to financial qualifications and previous rental history.

Learn More About Real Estate Investing

This guide covers just the basics about buying and maintaining rental property. For more information, visit the National Real Estate Investors Association. It’s a non-profit association with local chapters all over the country. In addition to hosting a semi-annual conference, the group features education, networking and other helpful resources.

Guide to Making Money on Rental Property

A career in real estate can be both rewarding and challenging. Some people earn six-figure salaries, others, just a few thousand per year. While it can be a great career: challenging, flexible and exciting, it’s not for everyone. Here’s what you need to know before you get started in real estate.

Working for Yourself

As a real estate agent, you’re essentially working for yourself. Though there may be a few jobs available that pay an hourly rate, a typical real estate agent works strictly on commissions generated from the sale or rental of a residential or commercial property.  Just as you would before starting any business, you should make sure you have the right character traits to work for yourself before becoming a real estate agent. You should be:

• Ambitious
• Organized
• Dedicated
• Persevering
• Friendly
• Goal-oriented

A career in real estate means that you’ll set your own schedule, but you’ll need to be organized and ambitious enough to actually work at your business every day. Organization skills are important because you’ll be dealing with contract deadlines, client appointments and follow-ups with other professionals in the field. I asked Rhonda Taylor, a Realtor with Blakemore Real Estate, in Salt Lake City, Utah, for some advice about getting started in the business. She told me:

“It’s so great because you are your own boss. You get to dictate everything about your work day: You get to wake up when you want, work when you want, work with who you want. The down side to that is you have to be really diligent and hold yourself accountable because it can be easy to not work when you don’t have a boss looking over your shoulder. It’s basically owning your own business. You’re not going to make money if you don’t work.”

Most real estate agents don’t make huge commissions during their first year. It takes time to build a client base and get accustomed to how the business works. If you go in thinking that it’s something you’ll try out for a few months, then give up if you aren’t earning lots of money, real estate might not be for you. Before you get started as a real estate agent, you should ideally have 6 months to 1 year’s worth of living expenses in the bank, which provides a cushion while you build your business.

You’ll need to like working closely with people, because real estate sales is all about helping people buy or sell their homes, so you’ll be in frequent contact with clients every day. When asked about working with people, Rhonda said:

“You need to be comfortable dealing with people. You need to have a customer service mindset and be ready to help them when they need you. Whether you’re helping a young couple find their first home, or representing a family who is selling their home and relocating, you have to be confident, knowledgeable and above all, absolutely willing to go the extra mile for people.”

Finding a Broker

As a new agent, you’ll work under a real estate broker. Brokers have typically been in the business for several years and have additional training, knowledge and a separate license. They are required to carry insurance that protects buying and selling clients, as well as real estate agents. Brokers oversee agents and review purchase contracts for errors. If you make an error during a transaction and the case goes to court, your broker’s insurance covers legal fees and settlement costs. In short, the broker is ultimately the responsible party in a transaction. In return for carrying this responsibility, your broker will take a portion of your sales commissions and may charge you other fees.

Finding the right broker is important for career success. The right broker for you might vary, depending on your previous knowledge, need for mentoring and financial expectations. Some brokers are very hands-on and provide formal training during your first year or so in the business. Others simply provide insurance and a recognizable brand, but don’t expect to spend much time with you.

It’s a good idea to visit several brokers before you get started in your real estate career. By looking at what each has to offer, you can make the right decision for you.

The “Split”

The broker carries the responsibility for every transaction, and spends money on insurance. He also provides office space, branding and often marketing. Large national brokerages, such as Coldwell Banker or Century 21, advertise on television, radio and in print ads. Each local brokerage must pay franchise fees to cover that marketing. Smaller, local brokerages might not advertise nationally, but they work hard to build a recognizable brand and often advertise in local publications, on local billboards and by participating in local events. The broker must cover his costs, so he takes a portion of each commission that a real estate agent earns. This is called a “split.”

When you first start out in the business, your portion of the split will be low. You may start out with a 70/30 split, or even as low as 60/40 (you get the larger of the two amounts). Of course, your broker will be much more hands-on in the beginning, providing additional training, mentoring and advice.

As you become more experienced and successful, your split goes up. Most brokers have a system set up where, as you reach a certain dollar amount of sales, you go into the next level. Standard splits for successful agents are around 80/20 and can be as high as 90/10.

How Much Money Can You Make?

Most real estate agents are paid completely on commission. In residential real estate transactions, the home seller typically pays around 6% of the sales price to the agent(s) who handle the sale (Commission rates vary slightly, but 6% is common). The two agents split the commission, then that amount is split with the broker. Here’s an example:

Joe lists Sally’s house for $100,000. Mike brings his clients to see the home and his clients decide to purchase it. After the transaction closes, Joe receives $3,000 and so does Mike. Both Joe and Mike work on an 80/20 split with their brokers. So, each receive a commission check for $2400. They’ll be responsible for paying income taxes on that amount.

The amount of money you’ll make depends on two factors:

1) The housing market, including the availability of homes for sale and the availability of home loans for prospective buyers.

2) Your ambition. The more you work, the more money you’ll make.

Rhonda Taylor talked to me about the ability to earn a great salary in real estate:

“There are so many possibilities. Your income isn’t limited. It depends on how hard you want to work and what you want to put into it. How many jobs exist where you can earn a six-figure income without a college degree? That doesn’t mean that you don’t need an education, though. You’ll have to put in lots of time learning about the business, about the real estate market and about techniques like marketing and networking. It’s an education… just not on a college campus!”

What You Need to Get Started

Entering into a real estate career is relatively inexpensive, compared to other businesses. Here’s what you’ll need to start:

Real Estate License: Though requirements vary from state-to-state, all require licensing. Check with your local Board of Realtors or your state’s Department of Real Estate to find out what you need to do to obtain a license. Typically, you’ll be required to attend training classes. Then you’ll take a state exam. Once you’ve passed, you’ll pay a fee and receive a license. Most states also require continuing education and license renewal.

MLS Access: The MLS (Multiple Listing Service), is a comprehensive online tool that allows agents to find properties for buying clients, and list properties for selling clients. The MLS charges a monthly fee for access.

Board of Realtor Dues: If you choose to join the Board of Realtors, you’ll pay annual dues. Though it’s not mandatory that you join, most real estate professionals do. Visit the National Association of Realtors site for more information on the benefits of becoming a Realtor®.

Computer: Ideally, a laptop that you can take with you to the office and to client meetings.

Smart Phone: You’ll be on the phone a lot as a real estate agent, taking calls from clients, getting updates from appraisers, home inspectors and loan officers, and setting appointments with potential new clients. Get a model with GPS so that you can easily find addresses when taking buyer clients to look at homes. You’ll also be able to stay in contact via email and text, and can look up properties in the MLS (Multiple Listing Service).

Car: While you don’t need a fancy car, it should be in reasonable working condition. Keep it clean and clutter-free; you’ll drive clients around occasionally.

Business Cards: While many people don’t use these any more, they’re still a staple for real estate agents.

Signage: You’ll need signs to advertise homes for sale, open houses and other events. Design your own signs using your broker’s logo (in most states this is required). Check with your state’s Real Estate Division for other things to include on your sign that may be required by law.

Invest in a mix of signage: directional signs to help people find your listings, vinyl banners for larger-format advertising and car magnets to alert people that you are a real estate agent. Some signs can be designed to work for every property (such as directional signage). Others should be designed specifically for one listing (list the features, price and address of a home, for instance).

Clothing: Dressing professionally is important in the real estate business. Invest in some nice suits, quality shoes and accessories so that you’ll look nice and feel confident.

Get Started!

If you think that a career in real estate is a good fit for you, get started! Are you in the real estate business? What advice would you give to people who are interested in this career? Tell us here.

Special thanks to Rhonda Taylor for her insights on getting started in a career in real estate. Rhonda can be reached at: 801-750-5295.

Starting a Career in Real Estate: What You Need to Know

Good Sportsmanship and Other Things Kids Gain From Team Sports

• The importance of teamwork, and the opportunity to actively practice working together with other kids.
• Regular exercise, and an emphasis on forming healthy habits that will last throughout their lives.
• The joy of winning.
• The value of empathy toward the losing team.
• Good sportsmanship toward players on both teams, coaches and officiants.
• The experience of crushing defeat that comes from losing an important game, and how to handle that defeat appropriately.
• Physical skills such as large and small motor skills, balance, reaction speed, accuracy.

When Good Parents Go Bad

Occasionally, parents just lose their minds once they get on a sports field. Some are so invested in living vicariously through their children, that every game seems much more important than it really is (trust me, a Little League game with six-year-olds is not going to make or break an MLB career).

Other parents get a Papa or Mama Bear mentality while watching their kids play. Fouls happen during regular play of most games, and officiants can’t always see everything that happens on a large field. When a kid gets pushed by an opposing team member, some parents start yelling at the kid, the kid’s parents, the coach or the officiant. Or all four.

It’s important to remember this: it’s just a game. If your kid is unfairly called out, or has a foul called on him, it’s not the end of the world. Sometimes when an opposing player commits a foul on your kid, it’s purely accidental. Other times, it’s due to the heat of the game and not intentional. Sometimes it IS intentional, and that’s not OK. But there’s an irony there if you react by screaming and swearing; you’re angry about bad sportsmanship and reacting by being… a bad sport.

Your Kids are Watching

Your children learn most of their behaviors by watching yours; not necessarily by listening to you dispense parental wisdom. If you lecture them in the car all the way to the baseball game about being a good sport and not throwing tantrums if they strike out, but then scream at the umpire when he calls a ball a strike, your kid is going to remember your behavior… not your sage advice.

Developing Good Sportsmanship is Your Job

Good coaches make great role models. They will certainly help to shape your child’s views of sportsmanship. But ultimately, you can’t expect to just fork over $40 to the rec league and magically get good sportsmanship from your kids. It doesn’t work that way; it’s not like buying your kid a new shirt. You don’t buy good sportsmanship; you guide your kids and help them develop it.

Coaches are just one influence in your child’s life. As the parent, it’s your job to teach him the qualities you want him to have as a responsible adult. And, as we’ve already discussed, the best way to teach that is by example.

Using Signage as a Reminder

The images in this post are all templates for signs that promote good sportsmanship. We’ve been seeing similar signs posted on sports fields all over, and we think they’re a great idea. Sports games can become really heated and emotions run high sometimes. As parents enter the field or arena, it’s good to have a reminder: Behave!

Behave Yourself: Signs That Promote Good Sportsmanship

Not everyone can play in the big leagues: it takes talent, dedication and a little bit of luck. You might have big aspirations, but that doesn’t mean that a MLB team will be where you find your career. What are the top 10 signs you’ll never play for major league baseball? Read ‘em here.

Don’t know much about baseball, do you? It’s every fourteen-year-old boy’s dream: to be a Bat Boy for his favorite team. But Bat Boys don’t help save the world; they just pick up the baseball bats that players drop.

So you turned down the offer to play for a farm team. Since this is where MLB coaches groom young, talented prospects, you probably lost your shot at the big leagues. There’s no tractors, and not a single horse in sight. Just the chance to play ball for a tiny little salary.

When Coach said he wanted some Grand Slams, he wasn’t talking about bacon, eggs and pancakes. Though in your case, Denny’s might be your only shot at getting one.

The hat is required. You’re not going to catch that fly ball if the sun is glaring in your face. Get over yourself, pretty boy.

But when you got caught, you ended up serving time. Turns out that Big 5 Sporting Goods prosecutes shoplifters.

If the last time you wore your catcher’s mask was for a “Jason” costume on Halloween in 1987, you probably won’t be working as a catcher for MLB.

Coach wants you to practice bunting, but you’re wondering where one gets patriotic swags this late in the year.

If you’re the kind of kid that always has droopy socks and an untucked shirt, baseball is not your game.

Fans yell mean things at the away team’s batters. The batters aren’t supposed to start crying at home plate.

As “cleanup,” you’re supposedly one of the best hitters on the team. But obviously not the smartest.

Top 10 Signs You’ll Never Play for Major League Baseball

If a sport was played without any fans present, would anyone care? Probably not. Because while the players might seem as though they’re thoroughly engrossed in their games, they rely on fans to provide energy, noise and motivation. Every sports team has a loyal fan base that supports and cheers players on—even when things are going badly. The fans are why players shine. Today we’re celebrating the sports signage created and displayed by some of the best fans in the world.

Courtesy of Australia Paralympic Committee

Australians at the 2000 Sydney Paralympic Games cheered on their country’s track cycling team. There aren’t a ton of spectators, but the signage helped.

Woking FC Fans. Courtesy Colin Smith.

British culture sometimes seems a little… off to us Yanks. Here, Woking Football* Club fans in London don’t settle for just a banner. They figure that wearing bright yellow and blue wigs will be just the thing to push their team to victory. Whether it was the wigs or just the team’s skill, it worked. This photo is from the 1997 FA Cup Finals, which Woking won. *That’s soccer to you and me.

Milton Keynes Marathon, 2013. Courtesy of Ashley Pearson.

Perhaps these adorable children will grow up to be Woking fanatics. But for now, they’re just the two biggest fans of their mom, who’s been running marathons all over Great Britain. What marathoner wouldn’t sprint to the finish line with these little pips to greet her? There’s nothing like having your very own private fan club, cheering just for you.

IFK Norrkoping fans. Courtesy Magnus.bark

Football* fans in Norway have to bundle up by the middle of September. But bundle they do. They also keep warm by waving their flags vigorously throughout the game. They lost this one, but at least their fans looked good. *That’s soccer to you and me.

Team Canada 2010 Winter Olympics, Vancouver.

Canadians are good at a lot of things: Indie films, maple syrup and universal health care. Oh… and hockey. In case you didn’t know, this proud fan’s sports signage reminded everyone at the 2010 Olympics, where Canada beat the U.S. team in overtime. They did have the home advantage, there in Vancouver, but we still have to admit: Hockey IS Canada’s game. We’ll beat them in something else. Like men’s figure skating. That’ll show em, eh?

Bulgarian Fan. Eurobasket 2009. Courtesy Klearchos Kapoutsis.

In Bulgaria, football* is the most popular sport. Sadly, sometimes the team loses due to lack of fan participation. Clearly, this guy has given up and zoned out, though he is still holding his scarf aloft. Maybe if they’d just had some better sports signage, they’d have won. Final score: Turkey 94. Bulgaria 66. Ouch. *That’s soccer to you and me.

Hertha Berlin Sports Club signage. Courtesy FARE Network.

Football* fans in Berlin won’t stand for intolerance. If you’re a Hertha Berliner Sports Club fan, no one cares about your orientation. Just keep cheering—with their ranking, they can use all the help they can get. *Yup, you guessed it… that’s soccer to you and me.

Bring Back Buck. Courtesy Robert Marson.

In New Zealand, the national sport is rugby. And they’re pretty good at it—they won the World Cup in 2011, and the regularly kick the trash of pretty much every team they play. New Zealand All Blacks fans are loyal. And they have long memories. When Wayne “Buck” Shelford, captained the team, he made sweeping improvements, including bringing back the Haka (a Maori tribal dance performed to terrify enemies in battle—see below). This guy was tough. His legend centers around a 1986 match against France. After losing four teeth in a melee during the first 20 minutes of the game, he took a cleat to the groin. The injury was… well, gory. But Shelford had the team doc stitch him up (without anesthesia) on the side of the field, then got back in the game. All Blacks fans wanted him back as World Cup Ambassador. Buck didn’t serve as the Ambassador, but not for lack of love from his fans.

This is the Haka… the New Zealand All Blacks perform it before every game.

Because not only should you try to terrify the opposing team with your legend of players who can undergo on-the-field surgery and keep playing… sometimes you should rally the fans in return.

No matter what sports game you attend, no matter where in the world, you’ll find loyal fans in the stands with sports signage to prove their love.

Sports Signage: With Love From Fans

Is there a better place to be on a sunny, spring afternoon, than a baseball park? Doubtful. Before baseball stadiums were named after their huge corporate sponsors they were named after their owners—independent businessmen who invested in baseball for the love of the game. Now you’ll find big stadiums with big names: Citi, Chase, AT&T, Minute Maid… even Petco Park! These monster parks have jumbotrons, fancy dugouts and luxury suites. But the classic, old baseball parks will always represent the history of the great American sport.

Ebbets Field

Ebbets Field Opening Day 1913

Home of the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1913 to 1957, Ebbets Field was built on the site of a garbage dump. Owner Charlie Ebbets had big plans, including an 80-foot rotunda with a chandelier and imported Italian marble floors, but somehow forgot to add a press box. One was added later, in 1929.

Schaefer Beer Scoreboard

In 1930, the Schaefer Beer scoreboard was installed on the right-field wall. The scoreboard featured letters that lit up to alert fans of umpires’ calls: the “h” in Schaefer lit up for “hit” and the “e” lit up for “error.”

Jackie Robinson

Ebbets Field and the Dodgers made history several times over: Branch Rickey signed Jackie Robinson as first baseman in 1947, making him the first African American to play Major League Baseball. Robinson’s first game was at Ebbets Field on April 15, 1947, with 26,623 fans in attendance for the historic game. The Brooklyn Dodgers won pennants 7 times: in 1941, 1947, 1949, 1952, 1953, 1955 and 1956. They won the World Series in 1955.

Unfortunately, though the park kept adding patron seating, it maxed out at a capacity of 31,902 seats. There was little parking, and by the mid-1950s, then-owner Walter O’Malley started looking for a site to build a new park. A dispute with the New York City Building Commissioner finally led O’Malley to take the Dodgers to L.A., where they went at the conclusion of the 1957 season.

Advertising at Ebbets Field 1920

Ebbets field was torn down in 1960. Because of its contribution to the history of baseball, it become a legend, even though apartments now stand in its place. Citi Field, home of the New York Mets, was built with a similar facade as Ebbets. It also has a similar rotunda, which is named for Jackie Robinson.

Wrigley Field

Wrigley Field 2004

Originally known as Weegham Park, Wrigley Field is the home of the Chicago Cubs. The park has been almost completely rebuilt, but it’s considered the oldest National League park and is the second-oldest major league park still in use. Ernie Banks nicknamed the field The Friendly Confines, a moniker it still proudly carries.

Weegham Park 1915

The original park was built in 1914 on land that had previously been owned by a seminary. Charles Weegham, a local business owner, became part-owner in the franchise and moved the team from DePaul University to his new park on the corner of Clark and Addison. The Chicago ChiFeds (later renamed the Chicago Whales) played in the Federal League for two seasons before the league went bankrupt. Weegham was not deterred by the loss of the Federal League. He bought the Cubs for a half million dollars and moved them to Weegham park for the 1916 season.

Rendering of Cubs Park Renovation, 1922

Over the next two years, Charlie Weegham sold many of his shares to a new investor, William Wrigley, owner of the chewing gum company. Wrigley took total control of the Cubs in 1921, and began to think about expanding the ballpark. In 1922, major renovations began, almost doubling the number of fan seats to 31,000. The newly-renovated park opened for the 1923 season, but the number of fans quickly outgrew even the enlarged park.

Wrigley Field Upper Deck 1927

In 1927, a double-deck was added to the grandstand, and the baseball park was renamed Wrigley Field. During the 1927 season, 1.1 million fans attended games, breaking National League records. In 1928, over 1.5 million fans attended. Temporary wooden bleachers were erected for the 1929 World Series, which increased the number of seats to 50,000.

Wrigley Field Main Entrance Marquee

The marquee over the park entrance was installed in 1934. The original was blue, and featured removable letters that were changed for each game. In 1982, the marquee was replaced with a digital board and was changed to red.

Wrigley Field Scoreboard
Courtesy Scott R Anselmo, WikiCommons.

In 1937, permanent bleachers were built and the famous manual scoreboard was installed on the centerfield wall. No baseball has ever hit the scoreboard, which is now a protected monument. A longtime Wrigley Field tradition of flying a white flag with a blue “W” when the Cubs win, or a blue flag with a white “L” when the Cubs lose began the first year and still continues. The scoreboard has been one of the few in major league baseball without blatant advertising. Beer ads were briefly placed on the scoreboard in the 1980s, but didn’t last long. In 2007, Under Armour placed a small ad on the board.

New Signage for Wrigley Field?

There’s a current proposal for new signage to be installed around the exterior of the park, and it has Wrigley’s neighbors up in arms. Bleachers on the rooftops of the buildings surrounding the field have allowed patrons to buy cheaper seats to see the game for years, albeit from a distance. Building owners make a profit, and give 17 percent of that profit to the park, as a result of the settlement from a 2002 lawsuit by the Chicago Cubs. It’s estimated that the Cubs receive around $2 million per year from its portion of rooftop bleacher ticket sales.

The Ricketts family, current owners of the Cubs franchise, want to renovate Wrigley. In addition to contributing $300 million of their own funds, the family wants to make additional revenue by placing new signage around the park. The rooftop bleacher owners say that signage would infringe on their 2002 settlement agreement.

The proposal includes 41,000 square feet of new advertising space. Some of the planned signage will block the view of the field from surrounding rooftops. In addition, much of it will be illuminated, which also makes neighbors (who don’t welcome the intrusion of late-night lighting), angry. The Ricketts family says it’s happy to work with the neighbors and take public comments. Many of the building owners have offered to have rooftop signage installed, which they say will generate up to $20 million per year, but Tom Ricketts dismissed their offer.

Renovation plans also include a 6,000 square foot Jumbotron scoreboard, which is estimated to bring in $20 million in advertising revenue all on its own. The original scoreboard will remain in place on the centerfield wall.

As of today, the issue hasn’t been resolved. Tom Ricketts has threatened to move the Cubs to another city if his signage plans aren’t approved.

What do you think about the proposed renovation to Wrigley Field?

“These old ballparks are like cathedrals in America. We don’t have big old gothic cathedrals like they do in Europe. But we got baseball parks.”

-Jimmy Buffett

Ballparks, Scoreboards and Signage: History at Two Baseball Parks

Before we show you some examples, a quick note on our wall decals and how they work. Our wall decals can be used on any wall or surface that is painted or textured (they can even work on glass). They can be used in a business (for example, a menu) or a home setting (as you’ll see below), and they can easily be put on your walls and removed on a regular basis. As long as you are ensuring that both your hands and the surface are clean, the adhesive on the back of the decals themselves will last for quite some time. With this in mind, take a look at what some customers are using them for at home.

Birthday Parties

Our COO, Nelson, used custom wall decals for his son Sam’s birthday. Check out the awesome car-related wall decals in the picture below. (We made the banner and table runner and everything else as well!)

Educational Purposes

Katie, from Live Craft Eat, used custom decals for creating an alphabet set. Whether they’re used for a child’s name or educational opportunities and games, the possibilities are limitless as she explains here and can be seen below.

Room & Nursery Decorations

Another great way to use the decals is for room decorations. Jen at Tatertots and Jello recently did a giveaway for us and showcased some of the decals that could be created. Check out some of the examples below.

You can also check out more of our wall decals and other products on our Pinterest board.

Creating Your Own Custom Decals

There are a couple of easy ways to create your custom decals as well as other types of signage we offer including vinyl banners, car and window decals and more.

If you have some design chops you can create the decals yourself by using our free online design tool. Simply upload your file and edit it as needed or create something from scratch. The tool also lets you select the size and price out how much it is going to cost you. We’ll take care of the rest!

The other alternative is to work with our professional designers. It’s free—you simply need to request design services and we’ll get in touch with you to verify exactly what you want. Our designers will custom design your decal or other signage until you approve of it. We then print it and send it to you. Super easy and awesome for your home or business!

Designing Your Own Custom Wall Decals

“Baseball was, is and always will be to me the best game in the world.”

-Babe Ruth

I’m not the world’s biggest sports fan, but to me, the start of the baseball season signifies spring. Those first few games make me feel as though all my senses are finally waking up after a long, dull winter’s nap.

A baseball stadium is brighter and shinier that the world outside its gates—the contrast between the pale blue sky and the emerald green grass and the bright white baselines is somehow amplified and dizzying. And that’s without a beer, mind you.

The thrumpfh of the ball hitting the catcher’s mitt and the crack of the bat when someone finally connects and the low groan of the crowd when the outfielder catches it anyway—baseball has its own distinct sounds. And I love the crisp, clean spring air with just a tiny bite of chill left in it. Jacket weather, but just barely.

But the thing is, I’m a fairweather fan. The shiny, wonderful newness and the sensory overload wears off when the temperature climbs into the low 90’s. Then, it’s time to head inside, to a dim, cool room, some popcorn and a baseball movie. Here are some of my favorites, in no particular order:

Moneyball

In 2011, when Moneyball premiered in theaters, the top two grossing movies were Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II and Transformers: Dark of the Moon, both of which had budgets of around $250 million. But Moneyball had Brad Pitt. And Philip Seymour Hoffman. And Jonah Hill. And an amazing true story from baseball’s rich history.

In a nutshell, the story goes like this: The Oakland A’s were sucking it up in 2001 and they didn’t have the big bucks to hire the big hitters. So team manager Billy Beane hired Peter Brand, a math geek with a diploma from Yale. Brand used a mathematical formula to help Beane cobble together a team full of players that no one wanted. Eventually the team went on to win 20 games in a row, breaking the American League record.

Moneyball was nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor. All without a single explosion or car chase, and on a measly $50 million budget. Math teachers everywhere applauded this movie, which managed to make math cool (a tougher feat than being nominated for an Academy Award).

Bull Durham

If you want to know how to make a baseball player great, then Bull Durham is your movie. And if you want to know how to make a baseball movie great, then Bull Durham is your movie. In 1988, no one had much faith that a movie about baseball could make any money. But with a budget of just $7 million, Bull Durham grossed over $50 million, just in domestic ticket sales. The secret? A savvy mix of baseball, sports politics and sex.

Field of Dreams

“If you build it, he will come” is one of the most famous baseball movie quotes ever. It doesn’t refer to Kevin Costner, who apparently would show up for another baseball movie even though he’d just filmed Bull Durham. Field of Dreams succeeds in capturing the magic of baseball, mostly through some stunning cinematography. But what’s even more magical than the fact that Ray Kinsella turns his cornfield into a baseball diamond is the fact that his wife lets him plow under their only source of income… and that she doesn’t send him to the loony bin when he claims to start seeing dead baseball players.

The Rookie

Wouldn’t it be fabulous if everyone got a second chance to be what they might have been if circumstances had been different? The Rookie is based on the true story of Jim Morris, who got to do exactly that. Jim had a killer fastball as a kid, but between his dad’s lack of support and a shoulder injury, he never really got his shot at the major league. So instead he became a science teacher and little league coach. Then the stars aligned and Jim ended up becoming the oldest rookie ever recruited to the league. If you’re under the age of twenty, you’ll miss the point. But if you’re a middle-aged guy facing a midlife crisis, this movie just might give you hope. Or a shoulder injury. Or both.

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

OK, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is not a baseball movie. But it does have that really great scene at the Cub’s game where Cameron and Ferris teach an entire movie-going generation how to catcall the opposing team’s batters: “Hey batta, batta, batta… sch-wing batta!” The movie also sets unrealistically high expectations for that same generation: if you’re going to see a Cub’s game, you should get there in a 1961 Ferrari GT California. And you should have a super-hot girl with you. Sadly, many baseball fans lack both.

The Sandlot

Apparently, The Sandlot is the best baseball movie I’ve never seen. It’s a coming-of-age movie about a bunch of kids who play baseball in a vacant lot in 1962. But it’s also about growing up. And making mistakes (like finding out that chewing tobacco and carnival rides are a very, very bad combination). I can’t reliably report on The Sandlot’s fabulousness, but when I asked around, it came up over and over as the baseball movie that topped all others. It was filmed here in Utah, Signs.com’s home state.

If you’re a more loyal baseball fan than me, and you’re willing to enjoy the game even during blistering hot weather, you might want a sign to hold up so you can prove you’re the greatest fan ever. The images in this post are all baseball sign templates—click on any one of them to customize it.

The Best Baseball Movies Ever

Weddings have gotten a little bit ridiculous. Sure, it’s an important day in your life. Maybe the most important. But let’s keep things in perspective, shall we? It’s a party that lasts a few hours. The marriage (hopefully) will last much, much longer. How do you know if you’re too obsessed with your wedding? Check out these 10 signs.

Is your last name Jolie? Kidman? Bullock? Didn’t think so. Seriously, it’s a dress you’re going to wear for like eight hours. You’re not getting an Academy Award, you’re just getting married. Lots of people do it. Wearing dresses that cost less than a sub-compact car. 

Ok, it’s one thing to have your flowers clash with everything at the wedding… another to be so anal that you’re holding up color swatches.

Poor guy. Though if you’re that high maintenance, maybe it’s worth the money just to get you out of his house.

Um… that show is making fun of the horrible brides. Stop throwing fits at the bridal shop, or the seamstress just might take your dress in until it’s a size 2. 

For the same price, you could feed a family in a third-world country for a year. Or you can be Marie Antoinette. She was beheaded, so the whole cake thing didn’t really go that well for her. Just sayin’.

Just as well, since you made the seamstress so mad. Hopefully you don’t pass out on your way down the aisle. Starving yourself is not sexy.

But hey, who needs best friends? You probably.

She’s probably wondering how in the world she raised such a spoiled brat. You’re going to want her around when you have that first fight with your new husband.  Who else will listen to your rants? Better apologize now.

It’s not a rave, Sugar. It’s a wedding. You’re not supposed to invite everyone on your Facebook page.

You’re so wrapped up in yourself, you’ve completely forgotten about him. You do remember that you’re actually agreeing to spend your life with the guy, right?

Top Ten Signs You’re Too Obsessed With Your Wedding

The divorce rate in the U.S. has been steadily declining over the last 10 years, but it’s still around 36%. So, what keeps couples together? I asked three couples to tell me their secrets to being happily married.

Kyle and McKell Anderson

Kyle and McKell Anderson are still newlyweds—they’ve only been married for about two years. They recently had their first child, a baby boy they named Everett. Kyle is a marketing associate at Signs.com, and his desk is right across from mine, so we chat every so often. When I ask him about his wife and baby, his face lights up. It’s obvious that Kyle is madly in love with his wife, McKell. And from the number of photos he has on his cell phone, you can tell he’s a proud papa, too. I asked them both to tell me about their marriage, and what they’ve learned in the first few years.

What do remember about the beginning of your courtship? 

McKell: When I first met Kyle, I was really busy with school and the Vice President of the Business Council so the people I associated with were the highly driven and determined students. We were all working on so many projects all the time that our lives were completely unbalanced – fun to us was listening to a guest speaker over dinner.

Kyle: Yeah, I was more focused on having fun and enjoying school. I was really impressed by McKell—she was so energetic and had all these goals. I think she motivated me a lot.

McKell: Kyle was having fun and living a balanced life. I loved this about him and enjoyed the way our personalities balanced each other out.

What was it about him that made you want to marry him?

McKell:  He supported me and did all that he could to help and has never stopped that. I was first attracted to Kyle’s ability to have fun wherever he goes and his great people skills but what made me want to marry him was his kindness. He is always looking out for others and helping them with whatever they need.

What was it about McKell that made you want to marry her?

Kyle: McKell was so focused, so driven. She knew what she wanted and worked hard to get it. I was so impressed by her. But she was also such a good person. Being around her made me want to be better, for her. I knew she would be an amazing wife, and a great mom someday.

How do you handle disagreements?

McKell: Kyle and I have very different argument styles – he likes to think before he talks and I like to talk as I think. We used to be very annoyed by each other because we both hated that we didn’t do it the other’s way. I know that if I want to discuss something then I need to give Kyle time to think it over and he knows that he needs to give me time to talk it out.

Kyle: We definitely have different ways of thinking things through. I like to go off for a bit and be by myself and think about the issue so I can figure out how I feel about it; she wants to talk about things right away. We’ve both learned to adjust a little.

McKell:  Accepting that we are different and have different needs has allowed us to improve our decision making and reduce disagreements.

What do you love about McKell now that she’s a wife and mom? 

Kyle: How dedicated she is and how much she wants to be better. She’s so loving and caring with Everett and wants nothing but the best for him. It makes me want to be a better man.

What do you love about Kyle now that he’s a husband and dad?

McKell: Kyle has stepped into the role of husband and father flawlessly – he is fantastic at both. I love the way that he takes such great care of me and Everett. Just seeing his willingness and desire to do everything he can for us shows how much he loves us and makes me love him more.

How has pregnancy and having a baby changed your marriage? 

McKell: We have been lucky that having a baby has greatly improved our marriage. It has brought us closer together and allowed us to really focus on what matters. As I watch Kyle interact with his son – it just reaffirms how much I love him and why I married him in the first place.

Kyle: We have different priorities now. We are more concerned for each other and are more appreciative of what each other does. Plus we’ve forgotten how to talk like grownups!

What advice would you give to a friend who is getting married? 

McKell: Enjoy every moment because things are always changing. Find out how you two can best settle differences – once you know this your life will be so much better. There will always be differences because you are two different people but if you know how to solve them between the two of you- things will work out.

Kyle: Well my friends up to this point haven’t had great luck with marriage. Three of them have divorced. It taught me a lot. I definitely could see that marriage was tough and that if you didn’t work at it and strive to put the other person first you’re in for a bumpy ride. I think that the best advice I could give is to work at it, communicate with each other, and do your best to make your spouse smile or laugh each day. Laughter and appreciation go a long way.

Rob and Toni Netzler

You can tell that Rob and Toni Netzler have been married for 17 years; they have the content familiarity of couples who have been together for a long time. But throughout our interview, it was apparent that they are still very much in love. Rob is a big, tough guy who once played football, but when I asked him why he loves Toni, his eyes got all dreamy and he looked over at her like they had just met (I actually caught him looking at her like that several times during the interview). Toni, who’s faced some health challenges, is strong and independent, but is also very attuned to Rob’s thoughts and feelings and was quick to express her love and admiration for him.

How did you meet? 

Toni: We met at my friend Connie’s birthday party. I didn’t like him at first; I thought he was a jerk. I was talking to some people, and then I went to the bathroom and came back and Rob was sitting in my seat. I told him to get out of my chair and he was like, “No, I’m not moving.” What a jerk, right? Later, Connie said, “I think my friend Rob likes you.”

Rob: I wanted to get her to talk to me; that’s why I sat in her chair. And she did talk to me. I thought, “Cool. It worked.”

Toni: A group of us used to go to the haunted houses together and Connie said, “I’m going to invite Rob to join us.” I thought, “Fine. She can invite anyone she wants, but I don’t like this guy.” I think she was trying to play matchmaker.

Rob: Connie did invite me. She said “Toni will be there.” So of course, I went.

Toni: He was much nicer at the haunted house.

Rob: It blossomed from there.

How did you know that you were right for each other?

Toni: We talked early on about kids and religion. I knew I didn’t want kids and I wasn’t religious. I told him, “If you want kids, you’re barking up the wrong tree.”

Rob: I was like, “Wow! I can’t believe I’m this lucky.” I grew up with a bunch of siblings and didn’t really want kids either; I’d raised my sisters and brothers and that was enough for me. I love my nieces and nephew, but I didn’t really want kids of my own.

Toni: We were on the same page about those two things, which were big.

Rob: It was so nice to finally meet not only my soul mate but my best friend as well.

When things get tough, how do you stay together?

Toni: We had a rough patch awhile back. And it was hard. There was a point where I thought about leaving. But I loved him too much to lose him and that was important. Sometimes things just are what they are. All you can do is just keep going and hope you can get past it. It’s realizing that the choice to react to stuff is up to you. You can’t change what the other person is going to do but you can change how you react.

Rob: It was hard. But we worked it out.

Toni: When I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in 2007, Rob was there for me. There were times that he literally had to carry me because I couldn’t walk. Some of the medication I was on made me really mean and emotional sometimes. Now it’s better, but I know it’s still hard on him.

Rob: I’m not sick. So I’ll carry her burden. I keep telling her just to relax, breathe. I’ll take care of you. I’ll always be there.

Toni: There are bad days and good days. He puts up with it.

What do the two of you do that helps make your marriage stronger?

Toni: Some people try too hard to have a combined life. They forget that they’re separate people. I’ll tell him, “I’m going to dinner with my friends,” and he’s OK with that.

Rob: It’s crucial. I want her to have that. It’s good for her. It’s good for both of us. I have some good friends that I’ve known since high school; we still hang out a lot.

Toni: You need to not forget who you are. If you lose yourself in the other person, if you can’t separate yourself, you’re doomed. We have our own friends and we have couple friends. But it’s good to do things separately sometimes.

Rob: I go to the gym, hang out with my little brother, with my mom. I miss football. I played until I blew out my knee. Now I golf more and I’m more of a homebody. I like to tinker around, finish things around the house and yard.

Toni: If you’re together all the time, there’s nothing to talk about. You need to be apart a little.

When you disagree about something, how do you work it out?

Toni: We don’t really disagree very often. Not on the really big stuff.

Rob: Sometimes if we’re shopping, Toni will have these choices. And she’ll say, “Which one should we get?” I say, “Get ‘em both.” It works!

Toni: Some couples have all their finances separated. I don’t get that. One partner will ask if they can “borrow” money from the other. We don’t do that—we share our finances completely.

Rob: For the most part we see eye-to-eye on finances. If we’re broke, we’re broke together.

Toni: When I got sick, Rob had this truck that he really loved. But it was jacked up really high and I couldn’t climb into it with the arthritis. So he traded it in for an SUV that was easier for me. Now we’re thinking about trading it back in for a truck.

Rob: Honestly, it doesn’t matter that much to me. If it happens, it happens. If not, no big deal.

Toni: But I know how important that truck was to him. He loved it. I really want him to have one again. We care very much about what the other wants.

Rob: That’s what really matters. She knows I will do anything for her. And I know she feels the same way.

Mel and Ellie Green

Mel and Ellie Green have been married for 56 years. They have 5 children, 24 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren. They built a company from the ground up and grew it to over 200 employees and 13 offices around the country. I talked to Mel about the challenges he and Ellie have faced over the years, and what he thinks are the most important factors of a happy marriage.

How did you meet? 

In 1946, in high school casually, I knew who she was. We dated once in college, but she can’t remember it. A lot of time went by. Then school and missions and army and we bumped into each other on the street. And I must have been a better first date the second time around, because she went out with me again.

What did you like about Ellie?

We dated for 9 months. It wasn’t a bolt of lightning kind of thing, it was more of a process we went through. There were several qualities that I loved about Ellie. We could carry on a fun discussion on a lot of subjects and that was impressive. Her objectives for the rest of her life tended to fit with mine. We liked to do things together.

How did you know that you wanted to marry her?

We had been dating for awhile, and I invited her for a weekend date. On Friday, we went to dinner and a movie. I kept her out as late as I dared— until 1:00 am.

Then I picked her up the next morning at 6:00. We didn’t get a full nights’ sleep and that was on purpose. I picked her up and we stopped and loaded horses into the trailer. One horse didn’t want to go and it took some convincing. We went with another couple horseback riding, had a picnic and went swimming. Then we went to dinner.

Sunday morning I picked her up again and we went to church, then went with another couple and the girls made dinner.

That date allowed us to see if there were any red flags. Like generally speaking, I can be a pretty nice guy if you allow me to shower and shave… for 3-4 hours I can be pretty pleasant. But what am I like when I’m exhausted, pressured, weary? What is she like? There’s a lot of that in marriage. It’s not all get ready, look and be your best for 3-4 hours. That was a critical weekend, both for Ellie and me. We got to see each other under real life circumstances: lack of sleep, tired, hungry, something doesn’t go the right way. It went well.

How did your marriage change when you had children?

Kirk came along after 10 months. We’d already discussed that we didn’t want kids when we should’ve been having grandkids. Three years into our marriage we started a company from scratch. Our second child was born 3 months after we started the business. We didn’t have enough money to do it but we did it. It was very stressful. I didn’t have time or money. Ellie had two kids and no help and no money.

We had family night every Monday. But you also have to find time for the two of you to be able to discuss critical things. When the kids went to bed we went back and cleared calendars, discussed problems, budget. That’s critical. You had to have some time when you could communicate.

We had three years that we didn’t have any kind of vacation. We didn’t have the time or the money. We’d go visit my folks in West Ogden. My maternal grandparents had property in Eden and we had access to that. That was a real escape valve for us. We’d just let the kids run around the river bottoms. It was just us. It still is.

How did things change when the kids were grown?

By the time the kids were gone there was a huge change in circumstance. We were able to do things with dollars which was helpful. We still do a lot of things with our kids and grandkids. They all live fairly close. We’ve never really had an empty nest. We’ve never been a long time without kids or grandkids. Our family is close, important to us. That never changed.

What else is important in a happy marriage?

On our 50th anniversary we took all of our children to Hawaii for nine days… 40 or so of them. It was lots of playing and fun. But one day we went and helped build a house for a family. Everybody worked, except the littlest kids and the moms who were caring for them. It was a nice project to remind everybody that it’s not just all “sit in the shade.” The lasting things in life come from helping people. You’ll have more satisfaction and easier sleep at night when you help people.

What advice would you give to someone who is thinking about getting married?

I would ask, “What do you know about your prospective spouse? What have you done on dates?”  A movie isn’t a good date. The only think you learn is if they like butter on their popcorn. “Have you ever been around them when they’ve only had 2 hours sleep? Ever seen them when they didn’t feel well? What are they like under pressure?” The more things you have in common, the better your chances are.

Secrets of Happily Married Couples