For the uninitiated, investing in real estate can seem like a big, mysterious activity that you pretty much have to be born with a special gene to do. They don’t know that you can break it up into several smaller steps, and that it is only a matter of learning how to get through each one.
The following are seven steps you can follow in order to go from being an Average Joe or Josephine to being Joe Cool, real estate mogul. They will at least get you closer to the latter.
1. Realize that it is not outside of your grasp. As one step leads into another, you first have to begin thinking like a real estate investor. And real estate investors think about finding good deals. However, you may not know a good deal if it jumps up and bites you on the nose.
2. That’s why you have to learn some basic accounting. You don’t have to spend 10 years studying under ancient Chinese accounting master, but you should learn how to read financial statements. You should learn about cash flow. You should learn the difference between an asset and a liability, not just take your banker’s word for it.
3. Once you know how to read the language if investment, you will be in a position to learn how to recognize a good deal when you see one. This is a bit trickier. Although you should do plenty of reading on the subject, the best way to learn is through doing. Get out there and look for deals.
4. Learn about the markets you want to play in. If you are thinking about buying a specific kind of property, learn about the markets in the area you are interested in. The market should actually determine where you make your purchase. Look for a community that is progressive, for one thing. A place with a good quality of life. A place with a good economy.
5. Set goals. Determine what you want to accomplish and when you want to accomplish it. Make sure it is within your reach and then take the steps to actually make it happen.
6. Develop your team. You will need to hire professionals to help you with things like accounting and legal issues. You will want people who know more than you do about how buildings are put together to appraise property for you. According to Ken McElroy, author of ?The ABCs of Investing,? the worst thing you could do is skimp on this step and try to be a ?real estate do-it-yourselfer.? That may appear to save you money in the beginning but you will pay dearly in the end.
7. Make your first purchase. When the numbers add up, McElroy says, then it is a good deal. Don’t leap without looking, but if you’ve looked and the numbers add up, then it’s time to jump.
Of course, this is a simplified version of the process, but it is a good way to get an overview. Each one of these steps could be further mapped out. The trick is to do your research and take it at your own pace. Don’t rush. Learn the process. The first purchase will be the most difficult. After that, the real learning starts.
Tags: 10 Years, Average Joe, Basic Accounting, Cash Flow, Economy, Financial Statements, Good Deals, Grasp, Investing In Real Estate, Joe Cool, Josephine, Mysterious Activity, Quality Of Life, Real Estate Investor, Real Estate Investors, Real Estate Mogul, Set Goals, Seven Steps, Smaller Steps
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
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Tags: Buying A House, Dogging, Eric, Estate Business, Flipping Properties, Flipping Real Estate, Good Deals, Guess, Investing, Investment Career, Investment Properties, Investors, Lack Of Confidence, Money, People, Presents, Real Estate Investor, Real Play, Realtor, Reason
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
Tags: Bargain Market, Financial Goals, Good Deals, Interest Rates, Investing In Real Estate, Investing Money, Mortgage Payment, Net Income, Profits, Property Strategy, Real Estate Investment, Real Estate Investment Property, Real Estate Investor, Real Estate Investors, Rents, Retirement, S College, Single Family, Strategy Works, Thousands Of Dollars
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
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Tags: Buying A House, Dogging, Eric, Estate Business, Flipping Properties, Flipping Real Estate, Good Deals, Guess, Investing, Investment Career, Investment Properties, Investors, Lack Of Confidence, Money, People, Presents, Real Estate Investor, Real Play, Realtor, Reason
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:
- Place it in your “buy & hold” inventory if it will produce profitable rental income.
- 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.
- You can assign the purchase contract to another investor for a one time cash payment.
- You can buy the property and immediately sell it to a retail buyer and cash-out.
- You can exchange it for a more desirable property.
- Refinance cash out and use the money for the down payment on another property.
- 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
Tags: Cash Investors, County Recorders, Creative Ideas, Divorce, Good Deals, Investing By The Numbers, Investor, Leases, Money Lender, Mortgage Payments, Ownership Interest, Real Estate Investing, Rental Agreements, Seller Warrants, Signs, Title Insurance, Transfer Of Ownership, Trust Deed, Warranty, Warranty Deed
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:
- Place it in your “buy & hold” inventory if it will produce profitable rental income.
- 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.
- You can assign the purchase contract to another investor for a one time cash payment.
- You can buy the property and immediately sell it to a retail buyer and cash-out.
- You can exchange it for a more desirable property.
- Refinance cash out and use the money for the down payment on another property.
- 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
Tags: Cash Investors, County Recorders, Creative Ideas, Divorce, Good Deals, Investing By The Numbers, Investor, Leases, Money Lender, Mortgage Payments, Ownership Interest, Real Estate Investing, Rental Agreements, Seller Warrants, Signs, Title Insurance, Transfer Of Ownership, Trust Deed, Warranty, Warranty Deed
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
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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
