Real Estate Bird Dogging-A Great Way To Build Investing Confidence

June 14, 2011 by Kenny Santos  
Filed under Real Estate Investing

One of the problems faced by many newbies (new investors) in the real estate business is lack of confidence. Confidence cannot be built without doing the activity that you are trying to build confidence in. This presents a problem with most people because real estate is not something that you can just practice, you cannot practice buying a house, or practice selling it. You could pretend to buy houses I guess, or pretend to sell houses, but pretending is for kids. This is where real estate bird-dogging comes into play. It gives you a reason to practice, you get paid. Now if money won’t make you practice then nothing will.

Instead of not getting paid for all those hours spent learning the market, you could be making thousands. I cannot think of a better way to learn real estate than getting out and looking for good deals, then finding good deals and showing them to buyers, who pay you for your services. Then after the buyers close you can follow the progress of the home and see if you made a good decision or not. The best part is that during your practice, even if you made a not so great decision you still get paid, and you do not lose a penny.

I started out my investment career as a Realtor. I built my confidence through selling investment properties to other people and watching them make money. After selling 9 homes to other investors and seeing them profit tremendously, I knew it was time for me to start making myself some money.

Eric Medemar is a realtor and real estate investor with 30+properties. He specializes in wholesaling, assigning, and flipping real estate. In 2007 He has already made close to $100,000 flipping properties. His goal is to help at least 170 people skyrocket their investment careers in 2007. http://www.BirdDogBiz.com http://www.TheMillionairesBlog.com

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

A Beginner’s Guide To Real Estate Investing Strategies

December 22, 2010 by Kenny Santos  
Filed under Real Estate Investing

If you’re thinking about investing in real estate to make money, you need to first determine your financial goals. Do you need to make money quickly, invest for your children’s college fund, or build wealth for your retirement? Once you determine your financial goals, you need to decide which type of investing strategy works for you.

Make Money in Real Estate - Fast Cash Strategy

If you’re low on cash, get started by finding a bargain house and selling the contract to another real estate investor. Join a real estate investing club to find investors willing to pay you for finding good deals.

Make Money in Real Estate - Income Property Strategy

If you want to increase your monthly income, look for income property that returns a positive net income from month to month. Start with single family house. Look for a bargain below market value. Fix up the house to generate top rental income. Find houses that will rent for more than your mortgage payment. You may need to go out from your home area to a location that supports this type of return on your money. You can’t pay $300,000 for a home with a mortgage of $1,500 that only rents for $1,000. You might start with a home for around $300,000 that rents for $1,750. You will need good credit to get a loan with good interest rates. In a few years, your rental income should go up. Many real estate investors enjoy thousands of dollars each month generated by income property.

However, some investors don’t like dealing with tenants and prefer to make money in other real estate ventures.

Make Money in Real Estate - Investment Property Strategy

If you want to make money focusing on profits, investment property offers a different strategy. Instead of worrying about rental income, look for property that you can transform and sell or property that will appreciate significantly over time. Besides fixing a house up, you can transform a property by changing it. For instance, some investors buy apartment buildings and turn them into condominiums. Many investors speculate in land and make money by holding the land until new development in the area increases the value.

Examine your financial situation along with your long term goals. You can get started by flipping properties, move onto income properties, and then make larger profits with investment properties. You might end up using a combination of all three strategies to make money investing in real estate.

Copyright ? Jeanette J. Fisher

About the Author: Jeanette Fisher teaches how to find, finance, fix and sell. Free ebooks “Credit Tips” http://worryfreecredit.com “Flipping Houses” at http://doghousetodollhousefordollars.com

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

A Beginner’s Guide To Real Estate Investing Strategies

July 8, 2010 by Kenny Santos  
Filed under Real Estate Investing

If you’re thinking about investing in real estate to make money, you need to first determine your financial goals. Do you need to make money quickly, invest for your children’s college fund, or build wealth for your retirement? Once you determine your financial goals, you need to decide which type of investing strategy works for you.

Make Money in Real Estate - Fast Cash Strategy

If you’re low on cash, get started by finding a bargain house and selling the contract to another real estate investor. Join a real estate investing club to find investors willing to pay you for finding good deals.

Make Money in Real Estate - Income Property Strategy

If you want to increase your monthly income, look for income property that returns a positive net income from month to month. Start with single family house. Look for a bargain below market value. Fix up the house to generate top rental income. Find houses that will rent for more than your mortgage payment. You may need to go out from your home area to a location that supports this type of return on your money. You can’t pay $300,000 for a home with a mortgage of $1,500 that only rents for $1,000. You might start with a home for around $300,000 that rents for $1,750. You will need good credit to get a loan with good interest rates. In a few years, your rental income should go up. Many real estate investors enjoy thousands of dollars each month generated by income property.

However, some investors don’t like dealing with tenants and prefer to make money in other real estate ventures.

Make Money in Real Estate - Investment Property Strategy

If you want to make money focusing on profits, investment property offers a different strategy. Instead of worrying about rental income, look for property that you can transform and sell or property that will appreciate significantly over time. Besides fixing a house up, you can transform a property by changing it. For instance, some investors buy apartment buildings and turn them into condominiums. Many investors speculate in land and make money by holding the land until new development in the area increases the value.

Examine your financial situation along with your long term goals. You can get started by flipping properties, move onto income properties, and then make larger profits with investment properties. You might end up using a combination of all three strategies to make money investing in real estate.

Copyright ? Jeanette J. Fisher

About the Author: Jeanette Fisher teaches how to find, finance, fix and sell. Free ebooks “Credit Tips” http://worryfreecredit.com “Flipping Houses” at http://doghousetodollhousefordollars.com

Real Estate Bird Dogging-A Great Way To Build Investing Confidence

February 17, 2010 by Kenny Santos  
Filed under Real Estate Investing

One of the problems faced by many newbies (new investors) in the real estate business is lack of confidence. Confidence cannot be built without doing the activity that you are trying to build confidence in. This presents a problem with most people because real estate is not something that you can just practice, you cannot practice buying a house, or practice selling it. You could pretend to buy houses I guess, or pretend to sell houses, but pretending is for kids. This is where real estate bird-dogging comes into play. It gives you a reason to practice, you get paid. Now if money won’t make you practice then nothing will.

Instead of not getting paid for all those hours spent learning the market, you could be making thousands. I cannot think of a better way to learn real estate than getting out and looking for good deals, then finding good deals and showing them to buyers, who pay you for your services. Then after the buyers close you can follow the progress of the home and see if you made a good decision or not. The best part is that during your practice, even if you made a not so great decision you still get paid, and you do not lose a penny.

I started out my investment career as a Realtor. I built my confidence through selling investment properties to other people and watching them make money. After selling 9 homes to other investors and seeing them profit tremendously, I knew it was time for me to start making myself some money.

Eric Medemar is a realtor and real estate investor with 30+properties. He specializes in wholesaling, assigning, and flipping real estate. In 2007 He has already made close to $100,000 flipping properties. His goal is to help at least 170 people skyrocket their investment careers in 2007. http://www.BirdDogBiz.com http://www.TheMillionairesBlog.com

Beginning Real Estate Investing - The Worlds 1 Wealth Builder

February 14, 2010 by Kenny Santos  
Filed under Real Estate Investing

It’s a fact… at least 80 percent of all millionaires have built their wealth in one way or another with real estate and the good news is today it can be easier for you to do than ever before.

“I wish I had bought 5 years ago”… everyday someone asks me; “when’s the right time to buy”?… today! (Real Estate Guru Ozzy Jurock)

Yes, in 5 years today will be 5 years ago! When is the best time to get started? Today. It’s a mistake to think that you’ve missed out, or there aren’t any more good deals out there. Remember Mark Twain’s famous quote… “Buy land, they’re not making more of it!” If you live in a big city and the prices are just too high for you to get in the market, you need to look at smaller towns several hours away where the prices may be just a fraction of what they are in the big city that you live in. You must investigate, locate, then negotiate.

Before World War Two only the rich could buy real estate, but since then there has been an almost unlimited supply of mortgage money. Even better, these days there are so many lenders that they are fighting over each other to lend you money. And gone are the days when you had to have 20% of the down payment in cash. Because of this fierce money lending competition most financial institutions will give you the mortgage you need for 100% of the property cost.

Investing in real estate is also the easiest and safest way to create wealth… can you image going up to your banker and asking for a $200,000 loan to buy some really hot stock you just learned about? I don’t think so. But find a great property and you’ll have no problem because there’s no chance it will lose it’s value, unless there is a natural disaster and for that there is insurance so this doesn’t have to be a risky business.

Top reasons why real estate is better than any other investments:

1. You build equity while using it (living in it)
2. It’s a tax shelter
3. Possible investment returns of 40%, 50%, or more
4. Great leveraging with OPM (other people’s money)

… with a small amount of money you can control a large amount of assets - if you put $10.000 down on a $200.000 property that means with just a 5% down payment you control a $200,000 investment.

Also, with some creative strategies, you can buy real estate even if you have no money. You can’t do that with gold, silver, bonds, stocks, and art. Look seriously at real estate investing, it’s the world’s number one wealth Builder!

Get more free tips and information on beginning real estate investing and how to build your wealth the way most millionaires have through investment techniques such as flipping and foreclosures at http://www.Real-Estate-Wealth-Builder.info
John Ferreira is a successful musician, recording artist, investor, webmaster living in Canada touring and surfing the world!

A Beginner’s Guide To Real Estate Investing Strategies

January 14, 2010 by Kenny Santos  
Filed under Real Estate Investing

If you’re thinking about investing in real estate to make money, you need to first determine your financial goals. Do you need to make money quickly, invest for your children’s college fund, or build wealth for your retirement? Once you determine your financial goals, you need to decide which type of investing strategy works for you.

Make Money in Real Estate - Fast Cash Strategy

If you’re low on cash, get started by finding a bargain house and selling the contract to another real estate investor. Join a real estate investing club to find investors willing to pay you for finding good deals.

Make Money in Real Estate - Income Property Strategy

If you want to increase your monthly income, look for income property that returns a positive net income from month to month. Start with single family house. Look for a bargain below market value. Fix up the house to generate top rental income. Find houses that will rent for more than your mortgage payment. You may need to go out from your home area to a location that supports this type of return on your money. You can’t pay $300,000 for a home with a mortgage of $1,500 that only rents for $1,000. You might start with a home for around $300,000 that rents for $1,750. You will need good credit to get a loan with good interest rates. In a few years, your rental income should go up. Many real estate investors enjoy thousands of dollars each month generated by income property.

However, some investors don’t like dealing with tenants and prefer to make money in other real estate ventures.

Make Money in Real Estate - Investment Property Strategy

If you want to make money focusing on profits, investment property offers a different strategy. Instead of worrying about rental income, look for property that you can transform and sell or property that will appreciate significantly over time. Besides fixing a house up, you can transform a property by changing it. For instance, some investors buy apartment buildings and turn them into condominiums. Many investors speculate in land and make money by holding the land until new development in the area increases the value.

Examine your financial situation along with your long term goals. You can get started by flipping properties, move onto income properties, and then make larger profits with investment properties. You might end up using a combination of all three strategies to make money investing in real estate.

Copyright ? Jeanette J. Fisher

About the Author: Jeanette Fisher teaches how to find, finance, fix and sell. Free ebooks “Credit Tips” http://worryfreecredit.com “Flipping Houses” at http://doghousetodollhousefordollars.com

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High Profit Real Estate Investing–make A Good Deal Every Time!

December 7, 2009 by Kenny Santos  
Filed under Real Estate Investing

Knowing what a Good Deal is Is the Key to Success in Real Estate.

Knowing what a Good Deal is Is the Key to Success in Real Estate.

Knowing and being able to negotiate good real estate deals every time is the key to real estate investing success. What to look for, and how to calculate your profit, cashflow and risk exactly and then evaluate the deal is revealed. These techniques apply to all real estate investments including foreclosures, short sales, rehabs, flips, muliti-family, lease option and owner financing.

Dear Investor,

Take this little survey: The most important key to Real Estate Success is:

1. Finding Motivated Sellers
2. Funding Your Deals
3. Negotiating
4. Knowing a Good Deal when you see one.

Yes all of them are important. And if you answered #4 you’re right on the money. Why, because if your deal is a not good one, all your other skills and marketing and power will not make you money, and may even lead to disaster.

On the other hand, if you can unfailingly target good deals, you will always be successful and all the other skills and your marketing methods will serve to increase your success.

It’s a lot easier to state the question than give the answer. Why?

SO… WHAT IS A GOOD DEAL?

It’s a lot easier to state the question than give the answer. Why?
Because it depends on many factors like:

> Market value and purchase price
> Expenses, carrying costs, repairs
> Cashflow and profit
> Holding time
> Loan terms
> Risk factors
> And more . . .

And most importantly, it depends on the type of deal you’re doing. For example, if you have a loan on a property that you intend to rent or sell on a lease option, the terms of the mortgage, future tax increases, and current area rents are critical to consider in insuring a positive cashflow. However, if you are planning to do a short rehab job, and sell or just flip to another investor, rental income is irrelevant as are future tax increases.

IT’S WHAT YOU DON’T THINK ABOUT THAT CAN GET YOU

The thing that trips up many investors, is that in our enthusiasm to do a deal that we’ve found, we don’t take into consideration “hidden” costs.

For example, if you’re doing a renovation and you’ve done your due diligence on contractor costs, have you also considered your carrying costs such as mortgage payments, utilities, etc. not only during the renovation, but also the time it will take to sell and close with a new buyer?

Or if you’re using a realtor to sell the property, have you calculated the effect of a 6-7% commission and the closing costs the seller will pay on your bottom line. A 10% profit margin can shrink pretty quickly to zero under those circumstances.

READ THOSE LOAN TERMS CAREFULLY

Or have you taken into account, not just your loan to value ratio on the property, but your investment to value ratio (e.g., the total of all outstanding loan balances plus the additional funds you’ve put in from your own cash or borrowed from your home equity line or friends and family)?

And on the income side, have you calculated how long you should hold the property to receive a significant profit from the pay down of the mortgage. With a new 30 yr loan, you may have to wait 5-10yrs to get the same pay down you’d get after a few years from a 30yr loan that’s been seasoned for 10 years.
And did you carefully read the note contracts to take account of adjustable rates and pre-payment penalties?

CHECKLISTS AREN’T ENOUGH

A number of courses and real estate gurus will give you checklists. That’s helpful in not forgetting something, but it doesn’t help you with the laborious and complex task of putting all the numbers together.

There’s just something about working with the actual real numbers, that brings the reality of the deal into actual focus. Our hopes and wishes dissolve before the actual profit and loss calculations.

Moreover, the numbers can pinpoint the weaknesses in a deal, and point the way to a solution. No mere checklist can do that.

WHAT ABOUT RISK?

I think you’ll also agree that a Good Deal, is not just High Profit, but also, most importantly Low Risk. Many a dream of a golden future has come crashing down because some little thing went wrong.

Many a would-be mogul, is now working at a 9 to 5 because their killer deal was wrecked by an unforseen glitch. This is what we mean by high risk.

The successful investors do deals with low risk. Deals that are so robust that even if almost everything went wrong they’d still come out with a profit.

BUILD IN A SAFETY MARGIN

For example, suppose you have a rental with a positive cashflow. Is your cashflow high enough or your option payment big enough, that even if you had to evict your tenant for non-payment and it took you 2 months to fill it with another cash-paying customer, you’d still come out ahead?

Or, is your investment to value so low that even if you had to offer your buyer a big discount for a quick sale, you’d still walk away from the closing table with a fat check?

In real estate things can and usually do go wrong. It’s Normal. So, wouldn’t you like all your deals to have these kinds of safety margins?

FIXING THE PROBLEMS WITH YOUR DEAL

Now, if you knew in advance that your risk was too high, or your cashflow was too low, or your profit over the life of the deal wasn’t enough, you’d want to think of solutions.

This is what is meant by being a “transaction engineer”. Find the solution, fix the problem, test it on the numbers, and then negotiate it into the deal.

And if you can’t find a solution (but there always is one) or the seller won’t accept itNEXT!

A RISKY DEAL IS NEVER WORTH DOING!

I can tell you from real experience, a bad or risky deal is NEVER WORTH DOINGno matter how enticing the vision. The personal stress, heartache, and loss of confidence can be even more harmless than the potential financial loss. In the words of an ex-president’s wife, if you are faced with doing a bad dealJust say No!

WHAT’S THE ANSWER?

Some experienced investors have a feel for good deals, and can avoid trouble most of the time. Others only do a particular type of deal and use a rough “rule of thumb” to evaluate their risk and profit.

However, what’s really needed is a “calculator” or computer program that will take in all the variables and

> Calculate the exact profit and cashflow for all kinds of deals.
> Measure and Evaluate the financial risk in the deal
> Use standard and safe criteria for what constitutes a good deal
> Suggests alternatives to fix what is wrong

A DEAL EVALUATION TOOL

We’ve taken tons of real estate courses and looked at all kinds of real estate software, and nothing has come close to what we as investors need. So we decided to create our own Deal Evaluation Tool.

Well after several months of testing and improvement, we now use it for all our dealsshort sales, subject to, lease option, rehab, wholesaling, and even some commercial.

Since we can try out different “what-if” scenarios, it’s kept us away from some real pitfalls, and helped us negotiate better profit margins. We wouldn’t “leave home without it”.

CONSTANTLY MEETING THE NEEDS OF INVESTORS

Well, some other investors wanted to try it, so we put it on our website. Much to our delight we now have a community of users and a users group that shares their insights about doing deals and creative ways to use the Deal Evaluation Tool.

Their suggestions, are leading to a rapid improvement of already incredibly useful tool. There is just nothing out there like it. We’ve also put a demo up for those investors who would like to get a feel for using it. And we hold classes for new users.

Knowing all the numbers, and having evaluated our risks with the Deal Evaluation Tool gives us more confidence in negotiating deals with sellers and more consistent high profit real estate deals.

And that’s what we all want, isn’t it.

Best of Success,

Richard Odessey

This article may be reproduced in its entirety only if unaltered and the resource box is included.

About the Author: Richard & Michelle are experienced investors & founders of the premier site on the internet - http://www.InvestorWealth.com: training real estate investors to do high profit deals. Offering Free Teleseminars by the top real estate investors, how-to tools and kits and hands-on training with personal advice from experts from the comfort of your home

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