Internet innovations have benefitted real estate investors enormously, saving cost, time and streamlining the business. Here are several internet tools that will make your business more effective and efficient.    Listing service websites serve a basic industry purpose – to compile all the listings of property currently for sale, as well as provide information on property sale prices, time on the market, canceled listings, recent sold property and more.  A major change brought by the internet to real estate investors is broad access to property information that used to be hidden from all but licensed agents and brokers.   The Read more…

Learning to invest in yourself is the most important step in your real estate investing journey. I highly recommend all real estate investors read these practical, inspirational books with close attention. These books not only presented techniques that have been invaluable to my real estate investment success, they boosted my self-confidence and helped awaken an inner fire for successful investing in real estate. “Rich Dad Poor Dad,” by Robert Kiyosaki. – This was the first book to give me a push toward real estate investing. The principles in the book are so simple a child could understand them, yet they Read more…

Partnership-building starts with this basic principal: BE the partner you hope to have.Real estate partnerships combine different strengths and skills to get a project done.  Partnerships match money needing a project guide with someone who can complete a project.  It is critical to find and establish strong connections with the people who can invest capital and provide services, and the key to attracting their attention starts with your own qualities and self-confidence.   Attracting the right business partners is very simple… always do what you say and say what you mean. How do you do this in a way that Read more…

Economic recoveries spur rising prices in housing markets, but the 2013 recovery has an extra incentive for housing investors – historically low interest rates.   The Federal Reserve has continued to keep interest rates down, adding some rocket fuel to the opportunities available to housing investors today.   Housing prices are on the rise as the economic recovery gains momentum. The rise in housing prices is following the largest housing “bust” in history. Unprecedentedly low interest rates allow investors the opportunity to have ridiculously low mortgage payments allowing for massive cash flow on rentals The Fed is less likely to push Read more…

“Rich Dad, Poor Dad” is the book that first changed the way I used to think about my goals in life and how I might achieve them.  Robert Kiyosaki’s book has been recognized by PBS and Oprah Winfrey, among others.  In fact it is the best selling finance book of all time! Kiyosaki’s ideas have gained traction even with parts of the public awareness that aren’t entirely familiar with the book.  What is the big takeaway that has influenced so many people?   Kiyosaki points out abehavior that isvery different between families that spring from generations ofwealth,the Rich Dad, and Read more…

Hard money lenders, companies that lend short-term bridge loans outside of a bank, can be a huge help when it comes to fix and flip deals, but you have to do your part to make sure the deal works out.  Hard money loans aren’t always easy to come by and if you need one you need to assure them that you will repay the loan. Here are the top three things they are looking for: 1)      A plan. The number one thing hard money lenders are looking for is a plan for making good on the investment. They want to Read more…

What better investing opportunity is there than to be in on the upswing of a recovery? The U.S. housing market today offers an immediate, historic chance for those who make the decision to invest now and be part of making profits from the recovery. And of course, another chance to hesitate…which I’m afraid for those who do will have you saying years from now…“shouldacouldawoulda.”   A few stats supporting the sustainable recovery of the average price of existing homes: Standard & Poor’s Case-Shiller Home Price Index Data of the U.S. housing market shows that over the past year, for existing Read more…

Finding a fix-and-flip property can be tricky. Not all properties are created equal—especially if you are buying a foreclosure or bank owned REO.  It’s worth your time before you buy to carefully analyze the costs and projected profit for these properties. 1)      Take a contractor with you on a walk through. Obviously you should walk through the property a couple times to get a feel for the condition it’s in. Take a contractor who specializes in fixing or “rehabbing” properties and have them give you an estimate of what it will cost to fix up. 2)      Research comparable properties. Find Read more…

The question many people ask is “has the real estate market recovered?”  I think a better question to ask is “should I be buying”? The answer to both questions is yes. The reason you should still be buying everything you can get your hot little hands on is because real estate is still below replacement cost in many areas. But, even if it is not below replacement cost in your area, the average price right now is still at historically low levels. On top of these historically low prices, we are also sitting with  the lowest interest rates in history. Read more…