Real Estate Investing By The Numbers

May 5, 2011 by Kenny Santos  
Filed under Real Estate Investing

Just like most things real estate investing can be broken down into easy to learn step.

Just like most things real estate investing can be broken down into easy to learn step.

Step One - Learn the basics:

Ownership of real estate is evidenced by a valid deed. When you buy property the seller signs a deed that transfers his ownership interest to you. Most states use a Warranty Deed. With that deed the seller warrants that title to the property is as he has described. You would buy title insurance in case some defect in title was discovered after the transfer of ownership. Recording the deed is notice to the world that you are the new owner.

You must know how to correctly fill out such basic documents as purchase offers, deeds, options, leases and rental agreements. Many of those documents have been recorded in your county and you can see many expert examples by viewing your County Recorders files.

If you have borrowed money to buy the property the lender will record a mortgage or trust deed immediately after the Warranty deed has been recorded. This mortgage is a lien on the property and gives the lender power to foreclose if you violate terms of the loan, like stop making payments.

Step Two - Understand how to buy real estate:

Most sellers want to sell their property for full price and all cash. Investors generally want to buy at a discount and delay paying for as long as possible. To do that you must understand the many techniques an investor can use to satisfy the needs of the seller.

You only make good deals if the seller is urgently motivated to sell. Perhaps he has lost a job, been transferred, has a drug problem, is facing divorce, bought more house than he could afford… or a variety of other reasons why he/she must get out from under those mortgage payments.

You can control real estate with leases, options, subject to techniques and a host of other “creative ideas”. To be successful you must understand which technique to use in which situation. You just talk to the seller until you learn what he/she will accept.

Step Three - You must uncover a steady stream of motivated sellers:

They are always plenty of people who must sell their homes and sell them in a hurry. The trick is to find them. Since most people will so “no” to any offer but all cash, you need to be constantly on the search those motivated home owners.

My experience is that most new investors don’t fail at investing… they fail at marketing. Marketing is how you sell you skill as an investor and find enough motivated sellers to keep the cash rolling in.

You can use billboards, flyers, telephone calls, door to door canvassing, bandit signs, newspaper ads, Web sites, direct mail… or any combination. If you don’t use good marketing every week of the year your chances of becoming a successful investors are minimal.

Good marketing is the secret. You can be expert at every creative buying technique in the book. If you can’t locate motivated sellers every week you just won’t be able to buy houses.

Time and again we’ve seen people with just basic knowledge of one or two buying techniques become very successful, because they are unrelenting in their search for motivated sellers. Perseverance and stamina can work wonders.

My choice is to mail postcards, because they are inexpensive to prepare and send. You can read more about my postcard system at http://digbig.com/4cjxp

Step four - Always have an exit strategy before you buy:

Before buying an investment property you must carefully evaluate the potential for profit. One of the keys to your evaluation will be to determine what you will do with the property if you buy it.

Included in the many way to profit are:

  1. Place it in your “buy & hold” inventory if it will produce profitable rental income.
  2. Place it in your “buy & hold” inventory if it will produce break-even cash flow and you expect it to increase in value by 8% to 15% or more per year.
  3. You can assign the purchase contract to another investor for a one time cash payment.
  4. You can buy the property and immediately sell it to a retail buyer and cash-out.
  5. You can exchange it for a more desirable property.
  6. Refinance cash out and use the money for the down payment on another property.
  7. Etc…

Finally

Now you can visualize the four basic steps in real estate investing. You’ll never know all there is to know about every step. Just get started and add to your knowledge as you go along. Remember, all it takes to be successful is perseverance and stamina!


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mark Walters is a third generation investor. He shares his investing experience at his Web site: http://www.CashFlowInstitute.com

Real Estate Investing By The Numbers

January 20, 2011 by Kenny Santos  
Filed under Real Estate Investing

Just like most things real estate investing can be broken down into easy to learn step.

Just like most things real estate investing can be broken down into easy to learn step.

Step One - Learn the basics:

Ownership of real estate is evidenced by a valid deed. When you buy property the seller signs a deed that transfers his ownership interest to you. Most states use a Warranty Deed. With that deed the seller warrants that title to the property is as he has described. You would buy title insurance in case some defect in title was discovered after the transfer of ownership. Recording the deed is notice to the world that you are the new owner.

You must know how to correctly fill out such basic documents as purchase offers, deeds, options, leases and rental agreements. Many of those documents have been recorded in your county and you can see many expert examples by viewing your County Recorders files.

If you have borrowed money to buy the property the lender will record a mortgage or trust deed immediately after the Warranty deed has been recorded. This mortgage is a lien on the property and gives the lender power to foreclose if you violate terms of the loan, like stop making payments.

Step Two - Understand how to buy real estate:

Most sellers want to sell their property for full price and all cash. Investors generally want to buy at a discount and delay paying for as long as possible. To do that you must understand the many techniques an investor can use to satisfy the needs of the seller.

You only make good deals if the seller is urgently motivated to sell. Perhaps he has lost a job, been transferred, has a drug problem, is facing divorce, bought more house than he could afford… or a variety of other reasons why he/she must get out from under those mortgage payments.

You can control real estate with leases, options, subject to techniques and a host of other “creative ideas”. To be successful you must understand which technique to use in which situation. You just talk to the seller until you learn what he/she will accept.

Step Three - You must uncover a steady stream of motivated sellers:

They are always plenty of people who must sell their homes and sell them in a hurry. The trick is to find them. Since most people will so “no” to any offer but all cash, you need to be constantly on the search those motivated home owners.

My experience is that most new investors don’t fail at investing… they fail at marketing. Marketing is how you sell you skill as an investor and find enough motivated sellers to keep the cash rolling in.

You can use billboards, flyers, telephone calls, door to door canvassing, bandit signs, newspaper ads, Web sites, direct mail… or any combination. If you don’t use good marketing every week of the year your chances of becoming a successful investors are minimal.

Good marketing is the secret. You can be expert at every creative buying technique in the book. If you can’t locate motivated sellers every week you just won’t be able to buy houses.

Time and again we’ve seen people with just basic knowledge of one or two buying techniques become very successful, because they are unrelenting in their search for motivated sellers. Perseverance and stamina can work wonders.

My choice is to mail postcards, because they are inexpensive to prepare and send. You can read more about my postcard system at http://digbig.com/4cjxp

Step four - Always have an exit strategy before you buy:

Before buying an investment property you must carefully evaluate the potential for profit. One of the keys to your evaluation will be to determine what you will do with the property if you buy it.

Included in the many way to profit are:

  1. Place it in your “buy & hold” inventory if it will produce profitable rental income.
  2. Place it in your “buy & hold” inventory if it will produce break-even cash flow and you expect it to increase in value by 8% to 15% or more per year.
  3. You can assign the purchase contract to another investor for a one time cash payment.
  4. You can buy the property and immediately sell it to a retail buyer and cash-out.
  5. You can exchange it for a more desirable property.
  6. Refinance cash out and use the money for the down payment on another property.
  7. Etc…

Finally

Now you can visualize the four basic steps in real estate investing. You’ll never know all there is to know about every step. Just get started and add to your knowledge as you go along. Remember, all it takes to be successful is perseverance and stamina!


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mark Walters is a third generation investor. He shares his investing experience at his Web site: http://www.CashFlowInstitute.com

Real Estate Investing - How to Coach Yourself

October 27, 2010 by Kenny Santos  
Filed under Real Estate Investing

Real Estate Investing - How to Coach Yourself Author: D. S. Peter

Some people are not in a position to work with a coach right now. Some are stretched financially, while some are still using the “lone ranger” method. Other people might be uncertain about trying something new. So here is a brief, simple process you can apply to your own situation i.e. “coach” yourself!

1. Clarify your goal Some of us are not moving forward simply because we have not set a goal that inspires us! Make it specific e.g. I will by one property by December 10. And you can stretch yourself, but keep it realistic. If you’re blocked, schedule creative time to play with ideas. Ask someone who is where you want to be for advice.

2. Plan What overall strategy(s) will you use? For example, to buy residential properties will your strategy be area specific, fixer uppers, foreclosures, price range, or a combination? To increase profit will you increase your knowledge (to learn more on real estate investing http://www.buying-investment-property.info and http://www.realestate-investinginfo.com ), switch your real estate investing area or even state, network, or improve performance. For this stage you will also set your milestones to achieve along the way, with deadlines attached (say every 2-4 months). Also list the tasks to achieve along the way in between milestones.

3. Action Once you have the overall plan in place, it’s time to get down to specific action. You might like to list the action steps you will take in the next week, or the next 30 days. When you have completed these actions, it’s time to evaluate, and write the next list of action steps.

4. Self check Having an idea, or desire is one thing. But many of these do not get achieved. This is probably one reason you are reading this article - because there is something in your life you would like to achieve or change, but it hasn’t happened yet. Change rarely occurs without “action”. If you want to be a real estate investor, surround yourself with real estate investors. Talk a friend into doing your goal with you. Set constant diary reminders for the next month, and/or encouraging visual displays on the wall. Announcing your commitment to the world (all your friends) is also a great method to achieve your goal. And if you’re really serious about your goal, it’s hard to find anything more motivating than doing one successful deal. Learning is a lifetime journey.

Good luck! Copyright ? D. S. Peter This article can be published by anyone as long as the reference box remains intact and all links are kept live.

About the Author

Copyright ? D. S. Peter is a successful real estate investor for over 14 years.

Real Estate Investing By The Numbers

August 21, 2010 by Kenny Santos  
Filed under Real Estate Investing

Just like most things real estate investing can be broken down into easy to learn step.

Just like most things real estate investing can be broken down into easy to learn step.

Step One - Learn the basics:

Ownership of real estate is evidenced by a valid deed. When you buy property the seller signs a deed that transfers his ownership interest to you. Most states use a Warranty Deed. With that deed the seller warrants that title to the property is as he has described. You would buy title insurance in case some defect in title was discovered after the transfer of ownership. Recording the deed is notice to the world that you are the new owner.

You must know how to correctly fill out such basic documents as purchase offers, deeds, options, leases and rental agreements. Many of those documents have been recorded in your county and you can see many expert examples by viewing your County Recorders files.

If you have borrowed money to buy the property the lender will record a mortgage or trust deed immediately after the Warranty deed has been recorded. This mortgage is a lien on the property and gives the lender power to foreclose if you violate terms of the loan, like stop making payments.

Step Two - Understand how to buy real estate:

Most sellers want to sell their property for full price and all cash. Investors generally want to buy at a discount and delay paying for as long as possible. To do that you must understand the many techniques an investor can use to satisfy the needs of the seller.

You only make good deals if the seller is urgently motivated to sell. Perhaps he has lost a job, been transferred, has a drug problem, is facing divorce, bought more house than he could afford… or a variety of other reasons why he/she must get out from under those mortgage payments.

You can control real estate with leases, options, subject to techniques and a host of other “creative ideas”. To be successful you must understand which technique to use in which situation. You just talk to the seller until you learn what he/she will accept.

Step Three - You must uncover a steady stream of motivated sellers:

They are always plenty of people who must sell their homes and sell them in a hurry. The trick is to find them. Since most people will so “no” to any offer but all cash, you need to be constantly on the search those motivated home owners.

My experience is that most new investors don’t fail at investing… they fail at marketing. Marketing is how you sell you skill as an investor and find enough motivated sellers to keep the cash rolling in.

You can use billboards, flyers, telephone calls, door to door canvassing, bandit signs, newspaper ads, Web sites, direct mail… or any combination. If you don’t use good marketing every week of the year your chances of becoming a successful investors are minimal.

Good marketing is the secret. You can be expert at every creative buying technique in the book. If you can’t locate motivated sellers every week you just won’t be able to buy houses.

Time and again we’ve seen people with just basic knowledge of one or two buying techniques become very successful, because they are unrelenting in their search for motivated sellers. Perseverance and stamina can work wonders.

My choice is to mail postcards, because they are inexpensive to prepare and send. You can read more about my postcard system at http://digbig.com/4cjxp

Step four - Always have an exit strategy before you buy:

Before buying an investment property you must carefully evaluate the potential for profit. One of the keys to your evaluation will be to determine what you will do with the property if you buy it.

Included in the many way to profit are:

  1. Place it in your “buy & hold” inventory if it will produce profitable rental income.
  2. Place it in your “buy & hold” inventory if it will produce break-even cash flow and you expect it to increase in value by 8% to 15% or more per year.
  3. You can assign the purchase contract to another investor for a one time cash payment.
  4. You can buy the property and immediately sell it to a retail buyer and cash-out.
  5. You can exchange it for a more desirable property.
  6. Refinance cash out and use the money for the down payment on another property.
  7. Etc…

Finally

Now you can visualize the four basic steps in real estate investing. You’ll never know all there is to know about every step. Just get started and add to your knowledge as you go along. Remember, all it takes to be successful is perseverance and stamina!


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mark Walters is a third generation investor. He shares his investing experience at his Web site: http://www.CashFlowInstitute.com