Real Estate Bird Dogging-A Great Way To Build Investing Confidence
May 12, 2012 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.
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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 Guide:Real Deal Killers
May 5, 2012 by Kenny Santos
Filed under Real Estate Investing
There’s a lot of deal killers that you’ve got to keep your eyes peeled for or else you’ll say “another deal down the tubes.” Some of these deal killers can include attorneys, realtors, and other investors.
However, I’m not going to touch those in this article. I want to go over one of the deal killers I see many investors making that have no clue there making… Talking numbers to quick.
The fact is you’ll dig yourself an early grave as investor by going in for the kill to early by talking about the house numbers. More often than not, investors talk money to quickly when meeting with sellers. And as a result, the seller’s door will shut, while the investor may never get the second opportunity.
So, you wanna increase your profits and the likelihood of getting an offer accepted?
Then get the motivated seller to like you first. When they like you, they’ll feel they can relate to you and a certain level of trust is earned and thus your chances of getting the deal closed just drastically increased.
Use the phone as much as possible to collect enough data to see if the deal is worthwhile, but when you meet in person, it’s better to get to know the seller and find a common ground before you ever talk about the house and the house numbers.
It’s better to back away from the money issue all together and build a strong rapport right from the gate. A couple of years ago, I was assisting a knucklehead investor in another market that was looking at a deal that had about $40K in equity. He’d met with the owners and got nowhere, so he called me to see if I’d meet with them for a percentage of the deal.
At the time, I had a few deals in the works in this area myself, so I agreed. He’d met with these people already and they’d talked by phone on several occasions but he couldn’t land the deal. I spent a little over an hour and learned more in that hour than he knew after three or four meetings. I took an interest in them by listening to their family history, how many kids they had, and yes I walked away with the deed. They did the deal because they trusted me because I invested in them first.
Make sense?
This is so simple to do, yet often overlooked. I know you can pull this off, so listen up.
Look for items that you can make small conversation with to build a level of rapport. Here’s a brief list:
- Awards on wall - Vehicles in Drive - Children pictures on wall - Diplomas displayed on wall - Artwork
It’s literally amazing how much you can learn by just looking at the walls and walking up the driveway. When walking up to the door, pay close attention to the gutters, the way front door looks, the mailbox, and the landscaping. Does it look overgrown, does it look in need of repairs. If so, the seller could be facing some financial hardships. Just be aware of what’s going on by observing what you see with your own two eyes. This alone could open the door for you conversationally plus let you know what type of situation the seller may be in.
About the Author
Derek Pierce is a full time real estate investor that got his start investing in real estate when he bought his first property in September of 2000. Now, he reveals the real estate investing secrets he swears by at http://www.thereisecrets.com
Tampa Real Estate: Investing in Property Foreclosure
April 30, 2012 by Kenny Santos
Filed under Real Estate Investing
When a person purchases a home, a loan must be taken on a regular basis. The lenders, which are banks in general, keep the title to the home as collateral. When the person is ineffectual in paying the dues in time, the ownership of the home is transferred to the lender. The transfer of ownership is what is called foreclosure.
Buying foreclosure has been compared to playing poker. Considering as an investment, it has its own risks. First the lenders will check out if there are any junior liens. When they find any pending loans, they pay off everything so that they themselves have clear title to the property. Once this is done, the lender adds up all costs to the loan amount to be recovered, and again resells the property so that they can convalesce the expenses together with the loan amount. This is an ideal time for investors to buy such property. Buying a Tampa real estate property that has been foreclosed already presents many gains.
The foremost and well-known benefit is the fact that all Tampa real estate properties bought from lenders will have clear titles as well as ownership rights, thereby saving one the hassles of undertaking any research. In addition, the foreclosure is not meant for profit booking. Hence, when the lenders sell foreclosed property they need their money back, so they are ready to sell the property cheaper than what it could have obtained in open market under normal conditions.
The first step of buying foreclosed Tampa real estate properties is to collect some relevant information. The best thing to do is to create a database that allows one to segregate data on all the properties and markets in clear sets. The next step is to directly get in touch with the owners of the foreclosed Tampa real estate property and start negotiating with them.
First-time buying foreclosed property on your own can be risky. Thus, one must seek the help from real estate agents. One of the risks involved in buying foreclosure, particularly at an auction, is it gives just a week to deposit all the cash. If one fails to do so, all of the money that has already been deposited might be lost at particular instances. However, as one keeps on making investments, valuable experience will be gained regarding bad construction, poor soils, problems with septic systems, and the like.
Background reading of crucial information is very important before one gets into foreclosure investing. Foreclosure laws in Florida, priority of liens, bidding at auctions, title insurance, and bankruptcy are some of the key areas that one should be familiar with. One will be able to make better and safer decisions if equipped with the right knowledge.
Property investment is not an easy game, and must be played only with caution and care. Little concerns for the person whose property is up for foreclosure are necessary for this process. But one can easily cut down the process of foreclosures into three primary stages. The first stage is pre-foreclosure, second stage is foreclosure auction and the third and final stage is bank owned foreclosures.
As the foreclosure process unfolds, the potential for profit will belittle, the later one gets the foreclosure property. For those who are ambitious enough to attempt the full- time task of foreclosure investment, one must learn to have to learn how to find pre-foreclosures since these normally offer the utmost leverage and profitability that is crucial to the most discounted properties that are available from bank-owned properties.
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Earl Juanico http://www.tampa-realestate.biz |
Getting Started in Real Estate Investing
April 18, 2012 by Kenny Santos
Filed under Real Estate Investing
Investors need to realize that, as they embark on their real estate investing venture, although they’ll be doing most of the work and (hopefully) seeing a nice profit, the entire process is a collaborative effort.
No one would successfully be able to start a new job without the proper training, and only a fool would be able to turn a solid profit on the stock market without the proper guidance. So it is with real estate investing. Gone are the days of quick-and-easy buying and flipping with enormous profits. Investors need a plan if they’re going to succeed, and they’re also going to need some help.
Investing as a collaborative effort
It’s possible to know a great deal about real estate and be particularly savvy, but there are some things that need to be left to the professionals. While the Internet can be a tremendous source of information and help with research, it just will not tell anyone what is really going on with a house. It’s important to actually get out there and see the property.
An online home appraisal will not detail the quality of the house and the condition that its features are in. Internet reports will not indicate if there are new carpets or no carpets, or what sort of fixtures are in the bathroom, or what sort of kitchen and what sort of appliances there are. In order to do this, investors need to get out there - and often times, call in the pros for another opinion.
Throughout the investing process - and not just the first one, but with each and every property purchased, professionals are needed to aid investors:
An attorney. A lawyer will help an investor wrangle through any/all legalities of buying real estate. Any contracts that come as a result of the transaction must be written up by a lawyer.
Title or escrow company. The best ones to go with are the ones that work mostly with investors; they’ll speak the same language.
An insurance agent. Not just any insurance agent, but one that specifically deals with real estate contracts and such.
A CPA. Since investing should be treated as a business, an accountant is needed to help with finances and profits. The theme here is to find one that understands real estate and investors.
A mortgage broker. Again, it’s good to stick to one that understands investors and has experience with investors.
A contractor and a plumber. If the investment property is a fixer-upper, a contractor will need to come in to determine if any structural or cosmetic repairs are needed. A plumber should also be referenced as they will determine the conditions of the pipes, (if there are any leaks or major problems). Overhauling the plumbing for a house can be an enormous undertaking, just like with making structural repairs. Investors should keep a fair distance from houses with structural issues as these tend to kill the profit.
Just as lawyers specialize in an area, so should the pros that work with investors. This helps to keep everyone on the same page - and operating in harmony.
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Discover exactly how Sal Vannutini combined two of the easiest (yet brutally powerful) real estate investing strategies and made an insane $31,510 Profit In Just 49 Days… And How You Can Do The Same!”. |
Real Estate Investing - Finding And Working With The Right Realtor
March 17, 2012 by Kenny Santos
Filed under Real Estate Investing
My Realtor isn’t speaking to me. No, I don’t think I’ve done anything to offend him, but he probably wouldn’t tell me if I had. I am pretty sure I don’t owe him any money either. And before you ask, he does have the ability to speak. He just doesn’t have the desire. So what’s the problem, you ask?
The truth is there is no problem, because my Realtor never speaks to me. Well, perhaps “never” is the wrong word. Rarely is more like it. He just happens to be a man of few words, and our communication (if you can call it that) almost never exceeds 15 words total.
For example, my cell phone rang yesterday and I saw it was my Realtor.
Me: “Hello.”
Him: “Hi. Did you get the key?”
Me: “Yup.”
Him: “O.K., bye.”
Me: “Bye.”
What’s that, like, eleven words, twelve if you count “O.K.” as two, which is a stretch? The thing is, we both like it that way. This is one of the main reasons I choose to work with him. We both share the idea that business communication doesn’t have to be filled up with a lot of small talk or chit chat. We both feel like we get more done that way.
I’m not saying this is the only right way, but it is my way, and that’s one of the things I look for in my team members, especially my Realtor. It also illustrates an important point about choosing a Realtor to help you in your Real Estate Investing business. Choose someone you will enjoy working with, and who will complement the way you operate.
If I tried to work with a “Chatty Cathy” or “Gregarious Greg” it wouldn’t last for long. We would drive each other nuts. Life is too short for that. So I look for people who have a style similar to my own. I recommend that you do the same.
What Makes A Great Investor’s Realtor?
Here are a few other things to consider when looking for a Realtor.
One. What type of Real Estate do they specialize in? You are looking for a Realtor with a lot of experience working with investors and investment property, not primarily residential homebuyers. You and I, as investors, have vastly different priorities and concerns than people looking for a place to live. Your Realtor needs to thoroughly understand the difference. Some Realtors don’t enjoy working with investors. Mine does, and yours had better.
Two. Do they handle a lot of foreclosure listings? In many areas, the majority of the foreclosure listings are handled by just one or two offices. That’s the case in my town, and my Realtor works for one of those offices. His agency handles about 45% of all the foreclosures in my city.
I’m sure you can guess what that means! Not only do I see those listings first, but I get all kinds of insider information and tips when I place my offers. Not illegal or unethical information, but market insights and competitive intelligence that I wouldn’t get from anyone else, because they aren’t in a position to know. Often, this has made the difference between getting a deal and missing out.
But How Do I Find One?
Start by looking for the one or two agencies in your area that handle the most foreclosures, and then meet and talk to the Realtors in that office. You’ll quickly find the agents that know and enjoy Investment Real Estate. From there it’s just a matter of getting to know the one who will be able to work with you, and who will give you what you need.
It’s important to remember that you have a part to play in the success of your relationship. Even though you’re the customer, any Realtor with the experience you’re looking for will also expect a few things from you, and you should be prepared. During the interview process, be sure to let the Realtor know that you will be willing to do a few thing that will make his or her life easier.
The first thing is respect, especially for his or her time. These are busy professionals, and they simply do not have time to hold your hand and drag you all over town looking at property. After all, you’re going to be looking at a lot of houses, but buying only a small percentage of them. So tell your Realtor right upfront that you won’t expect them to take you through each and every house.
All you really need them to do is provide you with the listings in your target neighborhoods, get you access to houses occasionally that you can’t get into on your own, pull comps, and submit your offers. Once they understand this, most Realtors who know Investment Real Estate will be happy to work with you.
The second thing you should do is make sure your Realtor gets paid. You may be thinking, what about the commissions? Well, often in my investing business I am looking at tons of houses but not finding anything to buy. It seems to go in streaks. Even when I’m not buying, my Realtor is still doing the same amount of work for me, but getting nothing in return. To keep him happy, I will hand him a check every now and then. Nothing major, just a token to let him know I appreciate his efforts.
I’ve been laughed at by other investors because I do this. Maybe they think I’m a sucker- I’m not sure. One thing I am sure of is that my Realtor has a very few investors at the top of his mind when a really good deal becomes available. Can you guess who one of those few people is? If you want to be remembered for all the right reasons, show your Realtor- and all of your valued team members- a little tangible appreciation from time to time
Speaking of appreciation, you should personally demonstrate yours to your Realtor at least once a year. Why not take him or her and their spouse out for a nice meal? No, I don’t mean a Chicken Wrap down at the Sonic. I mean you should really spring for a nice meal at a fine restaurant. Spend a couple of hundred bucks, and don’t skimp on the wine and dessert. Let them know that what they do for you all year matters, and you consider them a very valuable resource. Trust me, they will never forget.
Third, and in my mind most important, you should follow through on all your commitments. Tell the Realtor that you won’t make offers on properties if you don’t fully intend to close- no matter what! I know investors that get offers accepted all the time, thinking to themselves, ‘If I have to back out, it’s no big deal.’ It may be no big deal to them, but to the Realtor, and other parties to the transaction, it’s a very big deal. These folks have long memories, and they don’t soon forget someone who chronically wastes their time. Apart from the purely ethical considerations, you should follow though on every commitment you make. After all, it’s your reputation on the line. At the end of the day, your reputation is really all you’ve got, isn’t it?
Now that you know what to look for in a Realtor, and how to go about finding one, I’ll expect to hear from you soon. Share your stories with me and I’ll choose the best to create a new DealFile, featuring you!
Now, go make more offers!
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Tom Dunn is a successful real estate investor and author of the popular DealFiles Real Estate Investor Stories free newsletter. You are welcome to share this report, unedited and in it’s entirety, with anyone you like. You may not remove this text.? 2006 by Tom Dunn. Website: http://www.dealfiles.com e-mail: tom@dealfiles.com |
Real Estate Investing - Avoiding The ‘Frequently Made Mistakes’
February 25, 2012 by Kenny Santos
Filed under Real Estate Investing
Real estate investing has been the American dream. However, it’s not for the faint-hearted, many have lost money because they made mistakes. It’s a risky business so you need to know the ‘how to’s or you could join the ones who lost money rather than made it.
You know what some real-estate gurus tell you - Real estate investing is easy! It’s as simple as finding a low-priced property, getting it painted, plant some greenery, and wait for buyers to fight for it - so they say. They entice you into real estate investing by telling you it’s possible without even putting in a dollar.
A common scenario is someone who invests over a couple of thousand dollars for one of these Real estate investing seminars with some hot-shot investing guru. Excited about the prospect of making enough money to retire on, they become convinced that real estate investing is their answer. Only a year or so later, and they’ve realized that investing isn’t a quick fix, and it takes more than a seminar to be successful.
There are many pitfalls that new investors can make which we can only cover a few of - but at least it’s a start. Here are three of the main ones.
If you go into real estate investing emotionally, and not as a business venture, you’ll definitely lose out. What does this mean? Well, say you find a property that you immediately fall in love with. It’s so cute, it’s got a pretty garden, it’s got character etc. You will be making an emotional buy and not an objective one that should be considering the suitability of price, for tenants, and even resell prospects.
The less knowledge you have about real estate investment, the more risk you’ll be taking. Investing blind means buying real estate as if your eyes are shut - such as blinding believing all you’re told at real estate seminars or agents. You must do your research; read and read and then read some more on the subject; ask others who have been successful and learn from them. Just a little lack of knowledge could mean that you end up with a bad buy.
Many real estate investors have fallen due to lack of cash flow. This is the key phase for survival in the investing business. Not having cash reserves makes your position very risky and shaky. Sure you can use your credit but credit needs repayment. And that investment property will have hidden costs. The more pressure you’re under the easier it is to make silly mistakes. Make sure you allow for sufficient cash flow.
Research is only as good as knowing what to look for. An example; say you were investing using the ‘fix and flip’ technique which means re-selling quickly for a profit.
Say you buy a property that looks like it fits all the requirements. You spend a little bit of time researching and checking zoning requirements. All seems good and you spend money and time doing it up. Only to find out that you hadn’t checked requirements carefully enough and you’ve created an apartment block with too many apartments for the zoning area. Guess who’s going to be out of money? Do your reading for knowledge and your research for reducing risk.
So, you’re ready for your property to be tenanted. Don’t rush in and accept the first people who apply. It’s very gratifying to know that someone wants to live in your newly acquired property, and the cash would definitely come in handy with bank bills to pay. But it is well known by long-term real estate investors that bad tenants cost a lot more than a couple of weeks waiting for the right ones to come along. Screen your tenants - choose carefully. Getting references is a good start.
Summary:
To succeed in real estate investing you need to read for knowledge and research to reduce risk. Then you won’t get sucked-in by real estate investment gurus offering you the world for nothing.
About the Author
Brooke Hayles
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Tampa Real Estate: Investing in Property Foreclosure
February 6, 2012 by Kenny Santos
Filed under Real Estate Investing
When a person purchases a home, a loan must be taken on a regular basis. The lenders, which are banks in general, keep the title to the home as collateral. When the person is ineffectual in paying the dues in time, the ownership of the home is transferred to the lender. The transfer of ownership is what is called foreclosure.
Buying foreclosure has been compared to playing poker. Considering as an investment, it has its own risks. First the lenders will check out if there are any junior liens. When they find any pending loans, they pay off everything so that they themselves have clear title to the property. Once this is done, the lender adds up all costs to the loan amount to be recovered, and again resells the property so that they can convalesce the expenses together with the loan amount. This is an ideal time for investors to buy such property. Buying a Tampa real estate property that has been foreclosed already presents many gains.
The foremost and well-known benefit is the fact that all Tampa real estate properties bought from lenders will have clear titles as well as ownership rights, thereby saving one the hassles of undertaking any research. In addition, the foreclosure is not meant for profit booking. Hence, when the lenders sell foreclosed property they need their money back, so they are ready to sell the property cheaper than what it could have obtained in open market under normal conditions.
The first step of buying foreclosed Tampa real estate properties is to collect some relevant information. The best thing to do is to create a database that allows one to segregate data on all the properties and markets in clear sets. The next step is to directly get in touch with the owners of the foreclosed Tampa real estate property and start negotiating with them.
First-time buying foreclosed property on your own can be risky. Thus, one must seek the help from real estate agents. One of the risks involved in buying foreclosure, particularly at an auction, is it gives just a week to deposit all the cash. If one fails to do so, all of the money that has already been deposited might be lost at particular instances. However, as one keeps on making investments, valuable experience will be gained regarding bad construction, poor soils, problems with septic systems, and the like.
Background reading of crucial information is very important before one gets into foreclosure investing. Foreclosure laws in Florida, priority of liens, bidding at auctions, title insurance, and bankruptcy are some of the key areas that one should be familiar with. One will be able to make better and safer decisions if equipped with the right knowledge.
Property investment is not an easy game, and must be played only with caution and care. Little concerns for the person whose property is up for foreclosure are necessary for this process. But one can easily cut down the process of foreclosures into three primary stages. The first stage is pre-foreclosure, second stage is foreclosure auction and the third and final stage is bank owned foreclosures.
As the foreclosure process unfolds, the potential for profit will belittle, the later one gets the foreclosure property. For those who are ambitious enough to attempt the full- time task of foreclosure investment, one must learn to have to learn how to find pre-foreclosures since these normally offer the utmost leverage and profitability that is crucial to the most discounted properties that are available from bank-owned properties.
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Earl Juanico http://www.tampa-realestate.biz |
Top Real Estate Investing Sites - What They Have To Offer And How To Find
January 24, 2012 by Kenny Santos
Filed under Real Estate Investing
Top real estate investing sites, among the thousands of the websites available on the Internet today, are those that offer you something of real value. Otherwise, most of the sites that boast of helping you in investing in the real estate are just a waste of the time. With more and more websites in this regard coming up every month it has become more necessary to be able to weed out that has nothing concrete to offer you and discover the really useful sites that can serve your purpose.
Quality Of The Content
The best way to describe the top real estate investing sites is these are the sites that offer you quality content. Whenever you perform a search on the Internet, you look for the content or the information related to the topic of your interest. A site is useful for you only when it can supply high quality information to you regarding real estate investment.
An important feature of the top real estate investing sites is that they offer you exclusive content. These are totally different from the sites where you can find only the rehashed work. There is no point in reading the reprint of the articles written by someone else when you can go through the content written by the original writers. So, sidestep these websites and look for the ones with unique content.
Helps In Achieving The Goal
Another important quality of the information provided by the top real estate investing sites is that it helps you in achieving your goal. These are much different from the websites that are just intended to make some sales without offering any helpful information. A quality website is not only useful for the investors but also for the forums, reports, blogs, articles and other product offerings.
These quality websites try to offer you the quality information in an attracting manner. Even the best of the content cannot entice you to take the action if it is not presented in a charming way. Presentation of the content can make a great difference to the appeal it can make to the reader. One more advantage of these good websites is that they suggest you the books, videos, coaching programs and courses so that you can learn better skills and build a successful career in the real estate investing business.
The good news for you that you can get almost all the information on the Internet that is necessary for real estate investing. Most of this information is available free of charge or at a very nominal fee. The more important thing is that you should know where to look for the required information and how to conduct the search so that you can get the desirable results.
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James Klobasa, once broke with no job and $20,000 in debt made a choice that changed his life forever. That choice was investing in Real Estate. With the founder of, The Little Building Co. you too, can learn at Real-Real Estate Investing |
Real Estate Investing: Tax Certificates
December 26, 2011 by Kenny Santos
Filed under Real Estate Investing
Investors have used tax certificates to make money for a long time now as investing in tax certificates is a secure investment as the investors have the right to foreclose on the property if the home owner is delinquent in repaying the lien or the deed. It is a common practice for almost all the states to hold tax sales as a way of collecting the arrears in payment from delinquent homeowners. The homeowner is given sufficient warning (for about a year and half) and if they still do not pay the arrears, the tax authority will inform the homeowner and list the property in their tax sale list as well as publish it in a newspaper a few weeks before the sale.
Tax sale auctions are held annually or semi- annually, quarterly or monthly and the tax authority makes up a certificate lien or deed, as applicable in that state for amount in arrears and sells it. The investor who bought the tax certificate must be repaid within a certain period called the redemption period, which may depend on the state. Should the homeowner fail to repay the investor, no matter what the value of the tax certificate the deeded rights to the property is handed over to the investor. Should the homeowner redeem the tax arrear, the investor is again assured of a high interest ranging from 16% to 25%, which is a high return on the money invested.
Types Of Tax Certificates: Tax Lien Certificates; This system is practiced in about 18 states. The county governments sell only their right to the tax lien or their tax claim on the property. This lien is a high priority lien, so the property can be assumed clear and free from any other claims. It does not provide full ownership like a tax deed certificate does, but is considered a low-risk investment with high yields, as the certificate is secured by the title deeds to the property. The county takes care of the redemption or foreclosure hence is hassle free. The lien does not subject the investor to landowner liability. The lien is made up of the tax arrears, penalties, assessment and other charges.
Tax Deed Certificates; This system is followed in 17 states where the full ownership and possession right is sold to the investor. The investor has to pay a fraction of the market value of the property to get possession. He has the rights of the landlord and can move into the property, possess or occupy it.
Investors have gained a fortune by just investing modest amounts in these tax certificates. Some people may invest as little as $8,000 and own a property worth $150,000! Therefore, real estate investing in tax certificates is a win-win situation, if carefully monitored. There are online firms that offer services and products to help you in real estate investing through tax certificates.
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Alexander Gordon is a writer for www.smallbusinessconsulting.com - The Small Business Consulting Community. Sign-up for the free success steps newsletter and get our booklet valued at $24.95 for free as a special bonus. The newsletter provides daily strategies on starting and significantly growing a business. Business Owners all across the country are joining “The Community of Small Business Owners? to receive and provide strategies, insight, tips, support and more on starting, managing, growing, and selling their businesses. As a member, you will have access to true Millionaire Business Owners who will provide strategies and tips from their real-life experiences. |
Real Estate investing is getting faster and easier
November 13, 2011 by Kenny Santos
Filed under Real Estate Investing
It takes time and effort for a real estate investor to locate a deal. There are lots of properties for sale, but finding the deals is not always easy. Fortunately, many tools and websites are available which provide valuable information and make it easier. Now, an investor can do most of their analysis on a property before they even see it.
One example is a subscription site called Real Quest (www.realquest.com), which allows subscribers to look at liens, tax records and comparable sales. Another site, www.zillow.com even shows an aerial view of some properties. In addition, many of the counties across the U.S. now have free access to tax records on-line. And, of course, if the investor is a licensed agent they have access to the MLS. Taking advantage of these and other on-line resources, an investor can calculate the retail value of a property without even seeing it.
Figuring out the offer amount is important, but most deals are won or lost in the relationship developed with the seller. When meeting or talking to a seller an investor must listen. Why are they selling? What is their financial situation? Where are they moving to? It?s most important to build a rapport. Just listen; there will be plenty of time to ask questions. If the investor can give the seller what they need, it?s much more likely a deal can be made. And, it?s not always about the price; sometimes they need something else, like a certain closing date, help with moving costs, etc.
Some investors who focus on rehabbing properties don?t have time to screen sellers and locate deals. That?s where the value of a wholesaler comes in. A wholesaler spends their time locating and negotiating deals and then selling them to investors who rehab properties. The good wholesalers know how to talk to sellers and negotiate the deals. They provide a valuable service when they buy right. Sometimes they can even provide financing for the rehabber.
Unfortunately, a problem occurs when wholesalers have to hold properties longer than they plan. When that happens, holding costs are passed on to rehabbers and prices increase.
The good news is, the Internet is just starting to change that too. Wholesalers can now use on-line real estate investor auctions, e-mail lists or other creative Internet strategies to quickly find buyers for their deals. And thanks to the Internet, the wholesaler can cut their holding costs and pass those savings to the rehabber. As a result, everyone wins.
If you?re a real estate investor and you?re not using the Internet to locate, analyze or sell your deals, you?re missing out on a great opportunity to save time and cut your costs.
Tom Wood is a real estate investor and broker in St. Louis. He operates an on-line auction site www.reiauctions.com for real estate investors all over the U.S. to buy and sell their deals.

