Real Estate Investing Myths - Busted

Myth 1: It is too late to invest. I?m too old to wait for an income.

Fact: It is never too late. The focus should be on positive cash flow and not on the mortgage pay off date. It is easy to own several rental properties that will pay you enough to not only pay the mortgage, but also give you a nice income.

Myth 2: I can?t afford to buy property now. I?ll wait until my house is paid for, then I?ll look into it.

Fact: Your house has equity in it already. You can use that equity as a down payment on an investment property and realize a positive cash flow from the rent.

Myth 3: The Real Estate bubble will burst and I?ll be left holding an empty balloon.

Fact: It is possible that interest rates will rise causing fair market values to lower, but that isn?t likely. The economy has been very stable. Rent rates have been predictably low in most markets. As markets correct themselves there will be some areas that rent inflation will occur and can only mean more money in your pocket. The key is finding the right location for investing.

Myth 4: Interest rates must rise and keep rising.

Fact: The Federal Reserve Board has been doing an excellent job in keeping inflation at so low an incline it is almost flat. Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and the recent spike in oil prices have caused a slight increase in rates, but the tide turned in the oil prices and inflation seems to be checked. Without going into complicated economics, the Federal Reserve has been keeping inflation clipped by tiny hikes in interest rates. The job market and labor force has maintained balance, therefore the slight increases are actually good for the economy and for investment security. Consumers are utilizing equity loans for their spending and huge spikes in interest rates would basically collapse the growing economy.

Myth 5: I don?t have any extra cash so a $0 down payment loan is the best route to start my real estate investment career.

Fact: If you don?t use any of your own money, your mortgage will be higher. $0 down means 100% of the loan equals 100% of the value. That kind of ratio means a negative cash flow. While negative cash flow is not a huge problem for someone who has available cash, negative cash flow for someone who lives from paycheck to paycheck is financial suicide.

Myth 6: A fixer-upper is a cheap way to riches.
Fact: A fixer-upper can put money in your pocket but there are so many pitfalls that you need to be very careful. Buying well below market value for a house that needs a new roof will only be profitable if you just put the new roof on. Thinking that you need to not only fix the roof but put in another $20,000 of refurbishing to make it perfect is not good strategy. The more money you pour into a fixer-upper, the less profit you?ll realize when you sell it. Buying a fixer-upper, making it perfect all for under market value, then renting it is a better way to make money on that type of project.

Real Estate Investing Myths - Busted

Myth 1: It is too late to invest. I?m too old to wait for an income.

Fact: It is never too late. The focus should be on positive cash flow and not on the mortgage pay off date. It is easy to own several rental properties that will pay you enough to not only pay the mortgage, but also give you a nice income.

Myth 2: I can?t afford to buy property now. I?ll wait until my house is paid for, then I?ll look into it.

Fact: Your house has equity in it already. You can use that equity as a down payment on an investment property and realize a positive cash flow from the rent.

Myth 3: The Real Estate bubble will burst and I?ll be left holding an empty balloon.

Fact: It is possible that interest rates will rise causing fair market values to lower, but that isn?t likely. The economy has been very stable. Rent rates have been predictably low in most markets. As markets correct themselves there will be some areas that rent inflation will occur and can only mean more money in your pocket. The key is finding the right location for investing.

Myth 4: Interest rates must rise and keep rising.

Fact: The Federal Reserve Board has been doing an excellent job in keeping inflation at so low an incline it is almost flat. Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and the recent spike in oil prices have caused a slight increase in rates, but the tide turned in the oil prices and inflation seems to be checked. Without going into complicated economics, the Federal Reserve has been keeping inflation clipped by tiny hikes in interest rates. The job market and labor force has maintained balance, therefore the slight increases are actually good for the economy and for investment security. Consumers are utilizing equity loans for their spending and huge spikes in interest rates would basically collapse the growing economy.

Myth 5: I don?t have any extra cash so a $0 down payment loan is the best route to start my real estate investment career.

Fact: If you don?t use any of your own money, your mortgage will be higher. $0 down means 100% of the loan equals 100% of the value. That kind of ratio means a negative cash flow. While negative cash flow is not a huge problem for someone who has available cash, negative cash flow for someone who lives from paycheck to paycheck is financial suicide.

Myth 6: A fixer-upper is a cheap way to riches.
Fact: A fixer-upper can put money in your pocket but there are so many pitfalls that you need to be very careful. Buying well below market value for a house that needs a new roof will only be profitable if you just put the new roof on. Thinking that you need to not only fix the roof but put in another $20,000 of refurbishing to make it perfect is not good strategy. The more money you pour into a fixer-upper, the less profit you?ll realize when you sell it. Buying a fixer-upper, making it perfect all for under market value, then renting it is a better way to make money on that type of project.

Real Estate Investing Seminars

When you look around, it’s amazing how many people are putting some of their extra cash into a real estate investment. Is it just that as the baby boomers get older, more of them are panicking about having enough money for retirement? Or is it just that all the reality shows on television about remodeling rooms and homes has given people the urge to remodel something?

Either way, there’s no doubt that plenty of people make good money from real estate, and so can you. But although you may have heard some of the stories about Joe Bloggs who bought a house without having a clue what he was doing, only to sell it and make a fortune down the road, chances are that won’t happen to you. As more people get into real estate investing, the harder it’s going to be to make money just through pure luck. You need to know what you’re doing to get the best results.

That’s where a real estate investing seminar can be useful. I’m sure you’ve heard the concept of modeling yourself on someone successful if you want to be successful too, and real estate investing is the same. If you can find someone who’s made a lot of money investing in real estate, learn their methods and then copy them, chances are you’ll be very successful too. Unfortunately, most people making lots of money from real estate aren’t interested in sharing their strategies with anyone. If you can find someone and get them to be your personal mentor, great.

But if you can’t find a personal mentor, then look around and find a real estate investing seminar run by someone who’s made a success of real estate investing. There are plenty of companies that run real estate investing seminars, usually because they’re trying to flog their latest development, and it’s probably a good idea to steer clear of those. Ask around, particularly if you have friends or family who invest in real estate, to see if they can recommend a seminar they’ve been to.

Do some searching on the Internet, and you’ll soon come across a number of real estate investing seminars. You can also search based on a presenter’s name, to see what other people have to say about the presenter’s background and the success of his or her techniques. Most importantly, leave your credit cards at home, so that if the seminar is mostly about selling you lots of expensive resources, you can go home and sleep on it before blowing a stack of money. After all, you want to use most of your money for investing in real estate.

Real Estate Investing Myths - Busted

Myth 1: It is too late to invest. I?m too old to wait for an income.

Fact: It is never too late. The focus should be on positive cash flow and not on the mortgage pay off date. It is easy to own several rental properties that will pay you enough to not only pay the mortgage, but also give you a nice income.

Myth 2: I can?t afford to buy property now. I?ll wait until my house is paid for, then I?ll look into it.

Fact: Your house has equity in it already. You can use that equity as a down payment on an investment property and realize a positive cash flow from the rent.

Myth 3: The Real Estate bubble will burst and I?ll be left holding an empty balloon.

Fact: It is possible that interest rates will rise causing fair market values to lower, but that isn?t likely. The economy has been very stable. Rent rates have been predictably low in most markets. As markets correct themselves there will be some areas that rent inflation will occur and can only mean more money in your pocket. The key is finding the right location for investing.

Myth 4: Interest rates must rise and keep rising.

Fact: The Federal Reserve Board has been doing an excellent job in keeping inflation at so low an incline it is almost flat. Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and the recent spike in oil prices have caused a slight increase in rates, but the tide turned in the oil prices and inflation seems to be checked. Without going into complicated economics, the Federal Reserve has been keeping inflation clipped by tiny hikes in interest rates. The job market and labor force has maintained balance, therefore the slight increases are actually good for the economy and for investment security. Consumers are utilizing equity loans for their spending and huge spikes in interest rates would basically collapse the growing economy.

Myth 5: I don?t have any extra cash so a $0 down payment loan is the best route to start my real estate investment career.

Fact: If you don?t use any of your own money, your mortgage will be higher. $0 down means 100% of the loan equals 100% of the value. That kind of ratio means a negative cash flow. While negative cash flow is not a huge problem for someone who has available cash, negative cash flow for someone who lives from paycheck to paycheck is financial suicide.

Myth 6: A fixer-upper is a cheap way to riches.
Fact: A fixer-upper can put money in your pocket but there are so many pitfalls that you need to be very careful. Buying well below market value for a house that needs a new roof will only be profitable if you just put the new roof on. Thinking that you need to not only fix the roof but put in another $20,000 of refurbishing to make it perfect is not good strategy. The more money you pour into a fixer-upper, the less profit you?ll realize when you sell it. Buying a fixer-upper, making it perfect all for under market value, then renting it is a better way to make money on that type of project.

Real Estate Investing - Start Today!

Have you reached a point in life where you have come extra cash saved up? Perhaps your home is worth a lot more than you owe on it. Why not access that equity or use your savings to start making more profit than you get in bank interest? A great way to build a nest egg is through investing in real estate.

One of the first things you’ll need to determine is your risk profile. How comfortable are you with risk? This is important, because there are lots of different strategies for investing in real estate, and you need to choose one that doesn’t make you lose sleep at night.

For example, if you want to invest in real estate, but want to keep your risks to a minimum, you might choose to buy nice, tidy family homes in a good neighborhood and then rent them out. You’d borrow conservatively, and have every type of insurance possible to protect your investment.

If you’re willing to take on a higher level of risk, however, you might buy houses in a bad area in the belief that before too long it will become a good neighborhood and you’ll make a big profit. You could also buy houses in poor condition, do the work needed to fix them up, and hopefully profit that way.

There are plenty more strategies for investing in property, including development, flipping, buying foreclosures, assuming mortgages and more. All of these involve a level of risk, but many people have used these strategies to become wealthy. Some have even turned a part time interest in real estate investing into a full time career.

In the end, if you follow a strategy that you’re comfortable with, real estate investing can be a great way to become financially free. For most people the hardest part is taking the first step and getting started. Reality is, though, that nobody ever got wealthy by doing nothing. So take action today, even if it’s just buying a book or learning something about investing in property.

About the Author

If you want to find out more about real estate investing, click over to David’s site at http://www.makemoneyfromrealestate.com You can also get a free book and tips newsletter at http://www.makemoneyfromrealestate.com/Newsletter.html

Real Estate Investing Seminars

When you look around, it’s amazing how many people are putting some of their extra cash into a real estate investment. Is it just that as the baby boomers get older, more of them are panicking about having enough money for retirement? Or is it just that all the reality shows on television about remodeling rooms and homes has given people the urge to remodel something?

Either way, there’s no doubt that plenty of people make good money from real estate, and so can you. But although you may have heard some of the stories about Joe Bloggs who bought a house without having a clue what he was doing, only to sell it and make a fortune down the road, chances are that won’t happen to you. As more people get into real estate investing, the harder it’s going to be to make money just through pure luck. You need to know what you’re doing to get the best results.

That’s where a real estate investing seminar can be useful. I’m sure you’ve heard the concept of modeling yourself on someone successful if you want to be successful too, and real estate investing is the same. If you can find someone who’s made a lot of money investing in real estate, learn their methods and then copy them, chances are you’ll be very successful too. Unfortunately, most people making lots of money from real estate aren’t interested in sharing their strategies with anyone. If you can find someone and get them to be your personal mentor, great.

But if you can’t find a personal mentor, then look around and find a real estate investing seminar run by someone who’s made a success of real estate investing. There are plenty of companies that run real estate investing seminars, usually because they’re trying to flog their latest development, and it’s probably a good idea to steer clear of those. Ask around, particularly if you have friends or family who invest in real estate, to see if they can recommend a seminar they’ve been to.

Do some searching on the Internet, and you’ll soon come across a number of real estate investing seminars. You can also search based on a presenter’s name, to see what other people have to say about the presenter’s background and the success of his or her techniques. Most importantly, leave your credit cards at home, so that if the seminar is mostly about selling you lots of expensive resources, you can go home and sleep on it before blowing a stack of money. After all, you want to use most of your money for investing in real estate.

Real Estate Investing Myths - Busted

Myth 1: It is too late to invest. I?m too old to wait for an income.

Fact: It is never too late. The focus should be on positive cash flow and not on the mortgage pay off date. It is easy to own several rental properties that will pay you enough to not only pay the mortgage, but also give you a nice income.

Myth 2: I can?t afford to buy property now. I?ll wait until my house is paid for, then I?ll look into it.

Fact: Your house has equity in it already. You can use that equity as a down payment on an investment property and realize a positive cash flow from the rent.

Myth 3: The Real Estate bubble will burst and I?ll be left holding an empty balloon.

Fact: It is possible that interest rates will rise causing fair market values to lower, but that isn?t likely. The economy has been very stable. Rent rates have been predictably low in most markets. As markets correct themselves there will be some areas that rent inflation will occur and can only mean more money in your pocket. The key is finding the right location for investing.

Myth 4: Interest rates must rise and keep rising.

Fact: The Federal Reserve Board has been doing an excellent job in keeping inflation at so low an incline it is almost flat. Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and the recent spike in oil prices have caused a slight increase in rates, but the tide turned in the oil prices and inflation seems to be checked. Without going into complicated economics, the Federal Reserve has been keeping inflation clipped by tiny hikes in interest rates. The job market and labor force has maintained balance, therefore the slight increases are actually good for the economy and for investment security. Consumers are utilizing equity loans for their spending and huge spikes in interest rates would basically collapse the growing economy.

Myth 5: I don?t have any extra cash so a $0 down payment loan is the best route to start my real estate investment career.

Fact: If you don?t use any of your own money, your mortgage will be higher. $0 down means 100% of the loan equals 100% of the value. That kind of ratio means a negative cash flow. While negative cash flow is not a huge problem for someone who has available cash, negative cash flow for someone who lives from paycheck to paycheck is financial suicide.

Myth 6: A fixer-upper is a cheap way to riches.
Fact: A fixer-upper can put money in your pocket but there are so many pitfalls that you need to be very careful. Buying well below market value for a house that needs a new roof will only be profitable if you just put the new roof on. Thinking that you need to not only fix the roof but put in another $20,000 of refurbishing to make it perfect is not good strategy. The more money you pour into a fixer-upper, the less profit you?ll realize when you sell it. Buying a fixer-upper, making it perfect all for under market value, then renting it is a better way to make money on that type of project.

Real Estate Investing Myths - Busted

Myth 1: It is too late to invest. I?m too old to wait for an income.

Fact: It is never too late. The focus should be on positive cash flow and not on the mortgage pay off date. It is easy to own several rental properties that will pay you enough to not only pay the mortgage, but also give you a nice income.

Myth 2: I can?t afford to buy property now. I?ll wait until my house is paid for, then I?ll look into it.

Fact: Your house has equity in it already. You can use that equity as a down payment on an investment property and realize a positive cash flow from the rent.

Myth 3: The Real Estate bubble will burst and I?ll be left holding an empty balloon.

Fact: It is possible that interest rates will rise causing fair market values to lower, but that isn?t likely. The economy has been very stable. Rent rates have been predictably low in most markets. As markets correct themselves there will be some areas that rent inflation will occur and can only mean more money in your pocket. The key is finding the right location for investing.

Myth 4: Interest rates must rise and keep rising.

Fact: The Federal Reserve Board has been doing an excellent job in keeping inflation at so low an incline it is almost flat. Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and the recent spike in oil prices have caused a slight increase in rates, but the tide turned in the oil prices and inflation seems to be checked. Without going into complicated economics, the Federal Reserve has been keeping inflation clipped by tiny hikes in interest rates. The job market and labor force has maintained balance, therefore the slight increases are actually good for the economy and for investment security. Consumers are utilizing equity loans for their spending and huge spikes in interest rates would basically collapse the growing economy.

Myth 5: I don?t have any extra cash so a $0 down payment loan is the best route to start my real estate investment career.

Fact: If you don?t use any of your own money, your mortgage will be higher. $0 down means 100% of the loan equals 100% of the value. That kind of ratio means a negative cash flow. While negative cash flow is not a huge problem for someone who has available cash, negative cash flow for someone who lives from paycheck to paycheck is financial suicide.

Myth 6: A fixer-upper is a cheap way to riches.
Fact: A fixer-upper can put money in your pocket but there are so many pitfalls that you need to be very careful. Buying well below market value for a house that needs a new roof will only be profitable if you just put the new roof on. Thinking that you need to not only fix the roof but put in another $20,000 of refurbishing to make it perfect is not good strategy. The more money you pour into a fixer-upper, the less profit you?ll realize when you sell it. Buying a fixer-upper, making it perfect all for under market value, then renting it is a better way to make money on that type of project.

A Real Estate Investing Primer

A Real Estate Investing Primer

 by: Adem Hamidovic

There are a great many books and web sites devoted to real estate investing out there, but most of them concentrate on one specific area of investing. It’s often hard to find a general description of real estate investing, one that lists the various real estate investing strategies and how to get started. That’s what this article will set out to do.

Before beginning, you must understand that real estate investing is not a get rich quick scheme. Real estate investing can, and will, make you wealthy, but it certainly won’t happen overnight and it will require work. As you perfect your technique and gain experience, the amount of work needed to gain a lot of money will reduce, but it will take effort and persistance to make it there.

If you’re completely new to real estate investing then the only sort of investing strategy you’re likely aware of is rental properties.

Landlording has been around since there have been houses and people to rent them to, and it will continue to be a wealth builder. In fact, most of the ‘no money down’ real estate strategies you hear about still include rentals as part of their plan. Still, there are other ways to make money from real estate investing out there.

The next most ‘traditional’ method is to buy a fixer-upper, fix it up, and then sell it for a profit. This is commonly referred to as ‘rehabbing’ and is a very good way to make a lot of money in a relatively short period of time. Most rehabbers won’t even look at a property unless they can make at least $20,000 of profit, and this is usually within 3-4 months time. Rehabbers tend to be experienced investors with available money, or have partners who help provide any extra cash required.

But if you’re just starting out you likely won’t have access to large amounts of money. One way to get involved in this area of real estate investing without needing any money at all is to ‘flip’ houses to these rehabbers. What this entails is you going out and finding these fixer-uppers, noting all the work required to fix the place up. You then place a low offer in to the owner, taking into account the fix up price and some built in profit. Once you have the house under contract you then flip it to a rehabber for a small fee. This can result in several thousand dollars for you, without you having to spend a dime. ‘Flipping’ properties can be a great way to start your real estate investing career.

Another ‘no money down’ technique that’s popular on the late night infomercials is called ‘lease optioning’. This is basically a rent to own strategy that allows you to control a property without ever taking ownership of it. It’s a slightly more complicated strategy that warrents its own article, but it does allow you to make money in several different ways, each without ever having to spend any of your own money. If you’re not put off by longer term investments then lease options are definately worth more research.

There are other strategies that involve foreclosures and getting the home owner to sign the deed over to you, but for now I’d suggest learning more about flipping and lease options as entry-level real estate investing strategies.

How do you find properties that would make good real estate investments? Again, an entire article can be devoted to that, but there are basically two ways: you go looking for them, or you get them to come to you. The first way involves reading the newspaper classifieds and scanning the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). This is where having a great real estate agent is a must - they can get you more details on homes than you can view on the mls website, and can often let you know of great deals before they even become available to the general public.

Having home owners contact you means setting up an advertising campaign. This can involve placing ads in the newspaper, placing bandit signs at strategic locations around town, starting a direct mail campaign, etc. There are many ways to let people know that there’s a new real estate investor in town, and it would be in your best interest to try each of them to see which ones work best for you.

Whether you decide to go looking for deals, have them come to you, or both, they key is to be persistant. Real estate investing is a numbers game - most of the time you won’t be able to make the deal work, but every time you do it translates into thousands of dollars for you. The more owners you talk to, the more deals you’ll be able to do, the more money you’ll make.

I hope this article gives you a bit of an idea of what the world of real estate investing is like. There’s a lot to learn out there, and all of it is very interesting. Find the area that interests you the most, then get out there and start talking to home owners. Don’t be discouraged if you’re getting turned down a lot - just remember that when it does pay off, it will pay off big!

About The Author Adem Hamidovic is a part time real estate investor and operator of www.ProfitPiggy.com, a website devoted to new and experienced real estate investors alike. admin@profitpiggy.com

A Real Estate Investing Primer

A Real Estate Investing Primer

 by: Adem Hamidovic

There are a great many books and web sites devoted to real estate investing out there, but most of them concentrate on one specific area of investing. It’s often hard to find a general description of real estate investing, one that lists the various real estate investing strategies and how to get started. That’s what this article will set out to do.

Before beginning, you must understand that real estate investing is not a get rich quick scheme. Real estate investing can, and will, make you wealthy, but it certainly won’t happen overnight and it will require work. As you perfect your technique and gain experience, the amount of work needed to gain a lot of money will reduce, but it will take effort and persistance to make it there.

If you’re completely new to real estate investing then the only sort of investing strategy you’re likely aware of is rental properties.

Landlording has been around since there have been houses and people to rent them to, and it will continue to be a wealth builder. In fact, most of the ‘no money down’ real estate strategies you hear about still include rentals as part of their plan. Still, there are other ways to make money from real estate investing out there.

The next most ‘traditional’ method is to buy a fixer-upper, fix it up, and then sell it for a profit. This is commonly referred to as ‘rehabbing’ and is a very good way to make a lot of money in a relatively short period of time. Most rehabbers won’t even look at a property unless they can make at least $20,000 of profit, and this is usually within 3-4 months time. Rehabbers tend to be experienced investors with available money, or have partners who help provide any extra cash required.

But if you’re just starting out you likely won’t have access to large amounts of money. One way to get involved in this area of real estate investing without needing any money at all is to ‘flip’ houses to these rehabbers. What this entails is you going out and finding these fixer-uppers, noting all the work required to fix the place up. You then place a low offer in to the owner, taking into account the fix up price and some built in profit. Once you have the house under contract you then flip it to a rehabber for a small fee. This can result in several thousand dollars for you, without you having to spend a dime. ‘Flipping’ properties can be a great way to start your real estate investing career.

Another ‘no money down’ technique that’s popular on the late night infomercials is called ‘lease optioning’. This is basically a rent to own strategy that allows you to control a property without ever taking ownership of it. It’s a slightly more complicated strategy that warrents its own article, but it does allow you to make money in several different ways, each without ever having to spend any of your own money. If you’re not put off by longer term investments then lease options are definately worth more research.

There are other strategies that involve foreclosures and getting the home owner to sign the deed over to you, but for now I’d suggest learning more about flipping and lease options as entry-level real estate investing strategies.

How do you find properties that would make good real estate investments? Again, an entire article can be devoted to that, but there are basically two ways: you go looking for them, or you get them to come to you. The first way involves reading the newspaper classifieds and scanning the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). This is where having a great real estate agent is a must - they can get you more details on homes than you can view on the mls website, and can often let you know of great deals before they even become available to the general public.

Having home owners contact you means setting up an advertising campaign. This can involve placing ads in the newspaper, placing bandit signs at strategic locations around town, starting a direct mail campaign, etc. There are many ways to let people know that there’s a new real estate investor in town, and it would be in your best interest to try each of them to see which ones work best for you.

Whether you decide to go looking for deals, have them come to you, or both, they key is to be persistant. Real estate investing is a numbers game - most of the time you won’t be able to make the deal work, but every time you do it translates into thousands of dollars for you. The more owners you talk to, the more deals you’ll be able to do, the more money you’ll make.

I hope this article gives you a bit of an idea of what the world of real estate investing is like. There’s a lot to learn out there, and all of it is very interesting. Find the area that interests you the most, then get out there and start talking to home owners. Don’t be discouraged if you’re getting turned down a lot - just remember that when it does pay off, it will pay off big!

About The Author Adem Hamidovic is a part time real estate investor and operator of www.ProfitPiggy.com, a website devoted to new and experienced real estate investors alike. admin@profitpiggy.com