ABC’s of Real Estate Investing

We may all know what it takes to be successful in the real estate investing world and to build a low maintenance business that offers numerous passive income streams? but sometimes we need a little extra push in the right direction. I hope the ABC?s of Real Estate Investing gives you the push you need. Here?s a list of ?Action items? to help you in achieving your real estate investing goals!

A is for Apply what you learn

This is the fork in the road where either you choose success or failure. 98% of students spend tons of money investing in their education but never actually apply what they learn. Make sure you are a 2%er!

B is for Believe

The path to success starts with believing in yourself. If you don?t believe you can do something you won?t. Believe in yourself!

C is for Carefree

When things go wrong, do what you need to do to get them fixed, but don’t let your business problems leak into your personal life. Relax, everyone makes mistakes and things do occasionally go wrong in this world! Be a smart investor, but have a Carefree attitude!

D is for Diversify

Never rely on having one sole method or revenue stream! Things can change without notice and its always smart to diversify so that you have a backup!

E is for Education

Your education in this business is your foundation to success! I always say if you?re not growing, you?re dying. So continue to learn and grow! Your business will prosper because of it!

F is for Focus

Finish what you start. It?s easy to get distracted by the ?latest and greatest? program or method. Instead, choose and focus on one system and stick with it until you?re making a nice profit and then look at diversifying.

G is for Goals

Set them, review them and take pride in accomplishing them! Challenge yourself, but be realistic when setting your goals!

H is for Helpfulness

The golden rule is an oldie buy goodie! By helping others the favors will be returned. Share your experiences and be willing to listen to and learn from others. Helpfulness and sharing knowledge will speed up your success!

I is for Information

You cannot underestimate the power of solid and accurate information!

J is for Joint Ventures

You don’t always have to go it alone. Align yourself with others to do deals you may not be able to do on your own. Joint ventures allow you to draw on each others strengths and increase your power by working together. Joint ventures should be a win/win for all parties involved.

K is for K arma

Simply put? What comes around, goes around. If you always try to do good to others, it will indeed come back to you I some way, shape or fashion.

L is for L isten

Listen more than you talk. The learning process is never over. It is a continuous thing. You can learn a tremendous amount just by keeping your ears open sometimes!

M is for Make Offers

This is the key to your success and the lifeline of your business! You?ll never learn how to swim if you don?t jump into the water. Make offers. What an owner is asking for a property is not always what they are willing to accept.

N is for N etwork

Keep in contact with other real estate investors and people in the business. You?ll learn that many of these people will be a valuable resource to you at some point in the future. The real estate investing community is a very small one, believe it or not!

O is for Outsource

Learn to outsource or delegate tasks to others. You need to concentrate on the money-making activities and marketing of your business. Get others to take care of the other details. It will save your sanity and help you make more money quicker.

P is for Profits

Never give up. The profits you can generate in this business on one deal alone are worth every ounce of hard work! Wait until that first big paycheck-you will see what I mean!

Q is for Quit for the Day

Don’t work all day, every day. Set your hours you plan to work, stick to them and then quit for the day when the time comes. You’ll be more focused during the time you are working and you’ll enjoy your “off” time more too.

R is for Research

Do your homework! Research is critical to making sound financial decisions.

S is for Spend Money to Make

Money
It’s no lie, spending money to make money is much easier than trying to build a business on the cheap. Make wise investments in your business and the profits will come.

T is for Take Action!

I can?t say it enough-Just do it! There will never be a ?perfect? time or date to get started in this business! There is money to be made if you take action. You are missing out every day you put it off!

U is for Understand Your Markets

In order to succeed in any real estate market regardless of what phase of the economic cycle we are in, you must do your homework, due diligence and research. There is a reason all of the investors are spending their money and buying up properties as quick as they can in ?certain cites? at ?certain times?

V is for Value

Provide value to your customers. This doesn’t mean undercutting your competitors by offering the lowest price, because it’s tough to be profitable that way. Go the extra mile with customer service.

W is for Win Win Situation

This is one of the most valuable assets you have in your tool belt; knowing how to create win win situations in the deals that you do. If you can structure deals that make everyone money, you are not only making a profit, but setting the ground work for future deals.

X is for X-It Strategy

You want to make sure that your business can continue to run when you’re away… or that you could easily sell your business should you need to get out all together. The more organized and systematized your business is, the easier It is to do this. Plan your X ?it strategy now, so you’re ready when the time comes.

Y is for Yawn

If you’re tired and unproductive, walk away from the computer or phone for a bit. Adequate rest is important!

Z is for Zeal

Find something you love. Without enthusiasm, it can be tough to run a business and keep it going. Choose a niche in real estate that you love and will do with zeal!

To your success!

Short Sale Real Estate Investing - Three Steps To Massive Wealth

You?ve heard about short sale real estate investing, but you aren?t sure what all the hype is about, because you don?t know anyone who has actually done one. Everyone on the internet is talking about them, in the real estate investing forums, and in your investor club meetings, but still the whole thing seems just beyond your grasp. Read on.

There are only three basic steps necessary to be successful with short sale real estate investing, and this article will give you all three of them.

First, you need to find the properties. The best ways to accomplish this is through normal ?We Buy Houses? ads, and driving around looking for distressed, or overgrown, property. These two methods should net you calls from sellers that are near the brink of foreclosure.

Second, you need to get the seller on your side. You do this by listening, empathizing, and communicating openly and honestly with the seller about how you plan to help them. Answer all of their questions completely, and speak with them often to keep the channels open.

Third, you need to find the right person at the lender to speak with. That?s not always easy, and this step will separate the successful from the unsuccessful at short sale real estate investing.

The first person you speak with will almost never be the right one, and you may need to jump through some hoops before you finally reach someone with the authority to do for you what you need done. Persevere and you will find what you?re looking for, and get the deal done.

Short sale real estate investing is a lucrative and powerful wealth-building tool for your arsenal. With foreclosures on the rise across the country, a trend that?s likely to continue, learning and applying short sale real estate investing skill will become even more important as time passes.

There is much more that could be said about how to buy using short sales, but these three steps are the basics. For more try http://www.dealfiles.com/shortsale.html.

What Is Real Estate Investing?

Real estate investors don’t need to ask the question, “What is real estate investing?” They know the answer, because they know what real estate investing means to them, which may be something quite different than it means to someone else. What is real estate investing to you?

You could ask five different people the question, “What is real estate investing?” and get five completely different answers. The only thing for sure is that real estate investing normally involves real estate. Let me tell you what I mean.

First, to one person, real estate investing might mean buying and selling. Normally, the investor wants to buy low and sell high, and this kind of investor doesn’t normally want to hold on to a piece of property for very long. Their answer to “What is real estate investing?” is “Quick turn around.”

Another person’s answer to the question, “What is real estate investing?” might mean buying and holding. This kind of person doesn’t mind the thought of being a landlord, and doesn’t mind the idea of managing tenants and collecting rents. Maintenance and upkeep don’t scare this investor.

Yet another type of investor is interested in high-value commercial property like hotels, office buildings, and malls. This is a high-risk, high-reward game played for big stakes. When asked, “What is real estate investing?” this investor doesn’t shy away from mega-sized deals.

One more type of investor prefers rehabbing and repairing. This investor buys the worst property and uses their skills and abilities to turn it around and make it nice again. These investors breathe new life into old properties. Their answer to, “What is real estate investing?” involves creating something of great value from next to nothing. People with construction experience or project management skills fit this type of investing best.

There’s also the kind of real estate investor who doesn’t actually buy any property at all. Their answer to, “What is real estate investing?” may involve partnerships, trusts, and possibly even the sale of notes, mortgages, and other financial instruments.

Real estate investing is a very big umbrella, and there are as many different answers to the question, “What is real estate investing?” as there are individual investors. Your job is to do the research, learn the strategies and then decide for yourself which style fits you.

At my website, I’ve written a more in-depth article on the question, “What Is Real Estate Investing?”

Now, go make more offers!

4 Tips on How To Choose the Real Estate Investing Course That’s Right For You

If you are interested in discovering all the insider secrets of real estate investing, the good news is that there is likely a real estate investing course that can teach you all the ins and outs of real estate simply, and in minimum time. To find the right real estate investing course for you, look for something that offers:

1) A knowledgeable expert.
The person teaching the real estate investing course should be a respected expert with years of real estate investing experience.

2) A focus that relates to your interests.
Whether you are interested in foreclosures, commercial real estate, or “fixing and flipping” houses, make sure the real estate investing course you choose offers step-by-step specific information that shows how to quickly generate cash, and also build long-term wealth without taking up too much of your time.

3) An easy to learn format and price.
Truth is, people don?t value free information. And as Ben Franklin is famous for saying, ?if you think education is expensive, then try ignorance.? That said, make sure that the real estate investing course you choose doesn?t cost more than $500.00 A great real estate investing course should give you reading materials, monthly case studies, and ? as a bonus - access to live calls. You can learn about real estate investing by attending workshops, online classes and other methods from the comfort of home. Bottom line, choose a real estate investing course that offers a learning environment that you’re comfortable with.

4) A good track record with others.
Ensure there are testimonials and endorsements about the real estate investing course you’re interested in. Then, invest in a program whose students are having fun, and are profiting.

Now that you know how to choose the right course, it?s time to take action!:-) Yours for Massive Profits & a Rewarding Life!

Cheers,
Mary Wozny
“Helping 100,000 Women & Families Achieve Financial Freedom!”

Why Getting The Right Start Is So Important In Real Estate Investing

Real estate has the potential of huge payoffs on your investments; however, not everyone is guaranteed to automatically realize this potential windfall because of some misconceptions.

Investing in real estate properties is not a get rich quick system because just like any other types of investment, you have to keep up to date with the latest trends and developments, keep getting leads and contracts and keep putting time and effort into it to protect your investment.

To engage in the real estate business, you have to identify the exact area you want to work in.

Keep focused and channel your efforts in one or two areas only in order not to spread your resources too thin.

Do you want to purchase properties and engage in Buy, Renovate and Sell? Do you want to buy properties and sell them right away? Do you to lease properties to potential buyers with an option to purchase at a later date?

All these should be given careful consideration depending on your financial position, location and other resources.

Once you have established your exact investment preference, writ down your plans.

Set goals for 3, 5 and 10 year periods and write down your goals in terms of your cash position, equity and property holdings as you want them to be.

From here, break down your goals into manageable chunks of quarterly and semi-annual mini-goals to make it easier to achieve your long term goals. Keep in mind that these plans are fluid and subject to change according to varying market and financial conditions.

Do not resign from your job right away, stay with it for as long as possible to relieve yourself of the pressure and frustration of jumping head first into the real estate investment market.

Before finally quitting your job, secure low- to no-interest credit cards (using your employment as proof of stable income). When you finally engage in real estate, you never know when it may come in handy to cover a $12,000 bill for your renovation and repair projects.

You don?t want to use up your cash reserves early on in the ball game.

Make sure you retain the services of a good real estate lawyer. Nothing beats having somebody knowledgeable about the several creative options of real estate investment.

Your lawyer can ensure that all negotiations and transaction go smoothly to save you time and money. Your lawyer should be able to assist you in almost all phases of real estate acquisition and sales.

Before you decide to engage full-time in real estate investing, build up your list of potential buyers. Ask real estate brokers how they go about doing what they do, and learn from them. Most people love to talk about their successes, just be sure to ask politely for advice and do not waste their valuable time.

However, be very careful about going into a long-term partnership. If you want, you can go into a limited deal-to-deal partnership while you are still learning the ropes.

As much as possible, set up a separate LLC entity for each deal. It is relatively easy and cheap to set up and you get to keep your personal assets off the insolvency table should something go wrong. Your lawyer is in the best position to give you advice and help you set up your corporate entity.

Finally, set a number of deals you have to work on weekly basis and do your best to close deals in order to realize the goals you have set for your business portfolio.

About the Author:

Download A Free Ebook That Shows You How You Can Make $2000 Plus Per Deal From Real Estate: Free Real Estate Profits Ebook

Real Estate Investing Can Make You Rich

If you are going to get rich, you may have to give up everything you ever learned in school and from your parents and start from scratch. Now that’s not a definite by any means. You may not have to start over. If someone along the line taught you, for instance that it doesn’t actually take money to make money, then you may already be on the right track.

That’s right. Robert Kiyosaki, author of the Rich Dad book series, said it exactly like this: ?It doesn’t take money to make money. I often hear people say it takes money to make money. I disagree. We had no money when we started and we were also in debt. It also doesn’t take a formal education.?

He then mentioned Bill Gates as someone who never completed a college education. Which would you rather have, a collection of doctorates or Bill Gates’ money?

What it does take, Kiyosaki says, is determination and a willingness to learn quickly. But you also have to know what to do with your talents and, most importantly, to know which part of the Cash Flow Quadrant to generate your income from.

The Cash Flow Quadrant is an icon taught to him by his best friend’s father, a man to whom he refers in his books as his ?rich dad.? It is an illustration of what his rich dad called the four different types of people in relation to money: Employees, the Self-employed, Businesspeople and Investors. Each quadrant comes with its own outlook on the world. The outlook of those in the B and I quadrants are the ones that help make them rich.

When Kiyosaki says you need to be willing to learn quickly, he doesn’t mean go back to school to improve your job skills. He means you should learn about investing, preferably investing in real estate. The rich dad on whom he based his books was a real estate investor. You can get rich investing in real estate because everything else depends on it. At the beginning of his book Cash Flow Quadrant, he pointed out how so many of Hawaii’s businesses were sitting atop real estate that his rich dad owned.

But he doesn’t just mean you have to learn the nuts and bolts of investing. You do have to learn about those things, at least to the point that you are able to intelligently choose a professional to help you with your investments. But more importantly than that, you have to learn how to think like an investor, and possibly a bit like a business person too.

That is a far cry from thinking like a Self-employed person. According to Kiyosaki, a self-employed person is someone who owns a job, not a business. You don’t own a true business, he said, unless you can leave it for a year and return to find it still making money for you. Businesspeople, he said, know better than to try to do everything themselves. In order to save time and money, they hire people to do the things they can’t do or don’t have time to do. That’s why hiring a qualified real estate professional to guide you in your decisions can be a good investment in and of itself.

However you decide to do it, learning the nuts and bolts of real estate investing yourself or by hiring a qualified person to advise you, it is definitely time for you to move to the I quadrant?that is, if being rich is something you’d like to consider.

About the Author:

Investment Property Specialist - Alex Anderson Connects Real Estate Investors With High-Quality Investment Properties. Get A Free Copy Of, “The Investor’s Rental Guide” at: www.GreatInvestmentProperty.com

Virtual Business Ownership - - Marketing The Best You

When you think of the word “marketing”, most people automatically associate the term with a business, however, in this article it will be associated with you, the virtual business owner.

Now picture this, Zipgirl is attending a network gathering and someone walks up to her and says “Hi there, my name is ABC and I represent XYZ company” Zipgirl responds, pleased to meet you, my name is Zipgirl and I work from home. Well, ABC simply nodded and walked away. Would you have done the same as ABC? Did Zipgirl say enough to attract your attention or enough to make you want to stay and listen? I think we both agree in a resounding NO.

To often times when we are asked who we are and what we do, we short change ourselves by not marketing the best in ourselves. How can I do it better you ask? Below are some questions that will help you to identify your marketing strengths as well as your challenges:

- Can you describe your personality in just five words?
- Are you totally committed as well as passionate about what you do?
- Are you always optimistic about what you do in spite of the challenges you face?
- Are you happy doing what you do?
- What’s unique about your service or product?
- What type of energy do you release when you talk about your business? Do you leave people fascinated and wanting to learn more or bored and uninterested?
- When out promoting your business, what does your outward appearance say about you? Do you walk with your head down? Do stay cooped in the corner of the room or are you out in the crowd taking charge, meeting people with a smile, standing tall and bringing out the best in those you meet?

Next, I’ll share with you some tips on how to market the best in you:

- Always present a pleasant smile, whether on the telephone, in person, in email or even in a fax (SMILE)
- Do what you love (you’ll be more fulfilled)
- Dont try to be the jack-of-all-trades (you do everything and anything) rather, specialize (promote the one thing or area you do best)
- Be unique (original)
- Always be professional
- Always be yourself
- Always express a sense of passion in what it is you do
- Always explore ways to enhance yourself (personally, professionally, and/or spiritually)

As you can see, marketing the best you is more than just selling or promoting your business and it’s products or services. As a business owner, you are in most cases the business (when people meet you, they are immediately exposed to the quality of your service or product). In the virtual world however, people won’t necessarily meet you face-to-face but they too are exposed to the quality of your service or product. How? Through your website, telephone conversation, and/or via email responses.

In closing, remember this, first impressions are everlasting, so when given the opportunity always remember to market the best in You…

To learn more about the Virtual Business Owners Initiative go to: www.vsscyberoffice.com.

Now picture this, Zipgirl is attending a network gathering and someone walks up to her and says “Hi there, my name is ABC and I represent XYZ company” Zipgirl responds, pleased to meet you, my name is Zipgirl and I work from home. Well, ABC simply nodded and walked away. Would you have done the same as ABC? Did Zipgirl say enough to attract your attention or enough to make you want to stay and listen? I think we both agree in a resounding NO.

To often times when we are asked who we are and what we do, we short change ourselves by not marketing the best in ourselves. How can I do it better you ask? Below are some questions that will help you to identify your marketing strengths as well as your challenges:

- Can you describe your personality in just five words?
- Are you totally committed as well as passionate about what you do?
- Are you always optimistic about what you do in spite of the challenges you face?
- Are you happy doing what you do?
- What’s unique about your service or product?
- What type of energy do you release when you talk about your business? Do you leave people fascinated and wanting to learn more or bored and uninterested?
- When out promoting your business, what does your outward appearance say about you? Do you walk with your head down? Do stay cooped in the corner of the room or are you out in the crowd taking charge, meeting people with a smile, standing tall and bringing out the best in those you meet?

Next, I’ll share with you some tips on how to market the best in you:

- Always present a pleasant smile, whether on the telephone, in person, in email or even in a fax (SMILE)
- Do what you love (you’ll be more fulfilled)
- Dont try to be the jack-of-all-trades (you do everything and anything) rather, specialize (promote the one thing or area you do best)
- Be unique (original)
- Always be professional
- Always be yourself
- Always express a sense of passion in what it is you do
- Always explore ways to enhance yourself (personally, professionally, and/or spiritually)

As you can see, marketing the best you is more than just selling or promoting your business and it’s products or services. As a business owner, you are in most cases the business (when people meet you, they are immediately exposed to the quality of your service or product). In the virtual world however, people won’t necessarily meet you face-to-face but they too are exposed to the quality of your service or product. How? Through your website, telephone conversation, and/or via email responses.

In closing, remember this, first impressions are everlasting, so when given the opportunity always remember to market the best in You…

To learn more about the Virtual Business Owners Initiative go to: www.vsscyberoffice.com.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

First Steps In Real Estate Investing

With so many people making tremendous amounts of money in property or real estate it’s no wonder so many are looking at real estate as an investment. It offers more security than the stock market, provides great potential returns, offers tax benefits and it sounds cool to be ‘in real estate’.

One challenge many are faced with is the money to acquire a piece of property. You’ve heard, “I would love to invest in real estate, but I just can’t afford to!” Hardly anyone who buys a piece of real estate has enough money to pay for it. That’s where your banker comes in.

Owning your own home may sound like a somewhat obvious way to get started in real estate, but it is also a very good way to do so. This step is overlooked by a lot of people. Just take a look at how many people are still renting a property instead of buying one. People rent because in their mind, “they don’t have enough money to buy a house.” In reality it would be much cheaper for them to buy!

When you rent,you’re not building anything long term. Every dollar you spend on rent is a dollar you will never see again. If you own your own home, you would be paying your mortgage. The basics of practically all mortgages are more or less the same. Every month you make a payment which consists of two parts: interest and principle. Interest can be compared to rent. Those dollars are gone and you will never hear from them again. The part of the payment that goes to the principle is money you keep. Every dollar used to pay off the principal is a dollar you put in your own pocket.

So if you’re thinking about getting started in real estate and you don’t ‘own’ your own house yet… Change it, and get some experience. It’s a great first step towards building your capital and it makes more sense financially. There are opportunities for accelerating the process of building your net worth. When real estate prices go up, so does the value of your property. The money you owe the bank, your mortgage, remains the same. In other words this helps you build your net worth. People that pay rent… Their net worth does nothing. Their landlord’s net worth is doing very nicely in this scenario and he or she will probably love you for it. So if you get a warm feeling about making somebody else rich at your own expense… keep renting. To build your own capital … Buy your own house!

Many home owners have accumulated more money through appreciation of their property than by working a full time job for years. Before you go out and buy the first property you see, don’t forget some security measures are in order. As you may or may not know, real estate prices do not always go up. This can be shocker to some people, as well as an ugly reminder for those who overlooked this minor detail. If for some reason you would have to sell your home in a down market, it can be a costly adventure. You wouldn’t be the first to end up with a house worth considerably less than the mortgage. Make sure to keep some slack. Overall, real estate prices have always been on the rise, but in any cycle there are down periods. By keeping some slack and being patient you will be able to sit through these times and profit from the long term up-trend.

About the Author: With many years in the industry of property or real estate, host, Sintilia Miecevole’s site http://www.miraproperty.com will help you with searches from taxes, listings including residential, commercial and land to unclaimed property, vacation, waterfront and much more. Be sure to visit http://www.miraproperty.com for further information.