Is creative real estate right for you or should you go the traditional route? You'll discover the differences, the pros and the cons of both approaches and which one is right for you. First let's take a look at what each one looks like: With traditional real estate, an investor... Buys investment properties on the MLS. Finds deals by calling up a real estate agent. Buys foreclosures that are listed on the MLS. Buys foreclosures at the foreclosure auction sale. Buys properties … [Read more...]
8 Stupid Mistakes That Can Kill Your Real Estate Investing Business
September 30, 2012 By Leave a Comment
8 Stupid Mistakes That Can Kill Your Real Estate Investing Business When you were a baby, you made tons of mistakes.You learned to walk on your own by walking, falling, getting up, walking again, falling…You hit your head, you cried, and you learned to be more careful… but, what would have happened if you one day decided to give up walking entirely?You said: “This walking thing is just too tough for me, y’know I keep hitting my head, bumping my butt, its just waaaay too hard. I think … [Read more...]
The Power of Appreciation and Leverage: Boost Your Real Estate Returns
September 26, 2012 By Leave a Comment
The Power of Appreciation and Leverage: Boost Your Real Estate Returns If you’ve read any of my blogs on BiggerPockets, http://www.biggerpockets.com, you’ve probably noticed that I am a believer in real estate appreciation. Yes, real estate can and has lost value in recent years; but over time, real estate generally increases in value. This is especially true if you happen to time the market effectively. I have not been shy about the fact that I believe now is a very good time to buy … [Read more...]
How to Invest in Real Estate When Everything Is Too Expensive
September 23, 2012 By Leave a Comment
How to Invest in Real Estate When Everything Is Too Expensive The most inexpensive property I’ve ever bought was for $16,000.00. It wasn’t in terrible shape, but it did need a good deal of work to get it up to a rent-able standards (about $30,000.00). The most expensive property was over a half-million for an apartment complex which I still own and love dearly.However, in some areas of the country, those prices are simply not realistic. In fact, in some areas you can barely buy the … [Read more...]
The Six Pillars of Real Estate Investing Success
September 16, 2012 By Leave a Comment
The Six Pillars of Real Estate Investing Success I’ve been thinking a lot about ”success” recently.Not only about success in real estate investing, but also success and just plain happiness in general.No doubt, there’s been a ton written about “the steps to success” in real estate investing. Reading what’s here on BiggerPockets is a tremendous way to learning so many of the skills needed to achieve success in real estate.There’s been a lot less written about the mindset or … [Read more...]
Real Estate Investing Without Cash: Leasing Your Credit
September 11, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Real Estate Investing Without Cash: Leasing Your Credit Rather than re-hash the same “getting started in real estate without cash” article, I thought I would take my post in a different direction.Let me explain. . .A few weeks ago, Todd, a former co-worker, and I went out to dinner. During our meal, the topic of real estate investing came up. Todd shared that he had wanted to invest in real estate, but just never had enough capital to get started. I asked him why he let money stand … [Read more...]
Best Real Estate Investing Book Ever Written
September 11, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Perhaps I am a bit bias when I claim that my new book, "How to be a Real Estate Investor," is the best real estate investing book ever written. This is the book I wish I would have read (I wish it would have been written) when I first got started investing in real estate. It provides a complete picture of how to become a successful real estate investor in today's market and covers all aspects of investing, from the more traditional techniques all the way to the most advanced creative strategies. … [Read more...]
Six Reasons Why Real Estate Trumps Investing in Stocks and Mutual Funds
September 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Six Reasons Why Real Estate Trumps Investing in Stocks and Mutual Funds I experienced a drug induced hallucination when I was 10. Laughing gas from my dentist caused me to visualize colorful puzzle pieces crawling all over the ceiling of the exam room. Hopefully, you have never endured this “wacky awake dreamlike state” but take my word for it, you feel out of control.To this day, I still feel a lack of control when I’m in the dental chair. Someone else is put in charge of my mouth and … [Read more...]
The Top 100 Ways To Make Money In Real Estate
September 2, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Have you heard my “toilet story?”Let’s just say it involves a plugged toilet, three college-aged tenants, three weeks of procrastination (with continual use of that plugged toilet), and my bad mistake of not hiring a plumber. It was a low point in my investing career but a turning point as well. I realized the type of investor I wanted to be and the type of investor I did not want to be. I no longer work on toilets.It’s been years since that event, but I still think of it when I hear … [Read more...]
Real Estate Pros: It Is Time For “Business As Unusual”
August 21, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Real Estate Pros: It Is Time For “Business As Unusual” I love talking real estate! I usually get the opportunity to meet and talk to new and even experienced investors once or twice a month at different events around the country. These are always educational style events for investment groups and the room is usually full of questions about my families businesses. By far, the biggest question we get is about how we have continued to grow when it seems like so many are having … [Read more...]
What is Driving You to Invest in Real Estate? Understanding your “Big Why”
July 17, 2012 By Leave a Comment
What is Driving You to Invest in Real Estate? Understanding your “Big Why”If you work full time and have decided to become a buy-and-hold real estate investor, you have chosen a path that is long, paved with many obstacles, and full of chances to make mistakes. That said, it is also a tremendous way to establish retirement income, secure financial stability, and eventually live financially free without the need to work for someone else.As a 10+ year veteran of buy-and-hold real estate … [Read more...]
Successful Women Real Estate Investors: 3 on 3 Interview Series
July 13, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Successful Women Real Estate Investors: 3 on 3 Interview SeriesIn the previous two installments of the three on three interview series the focus was on a specific investment strategy or type of business (spec-building & flipping & rehabbing distressed property), but this one will focus on a group of people, successful women in real estate. Real estate investing is often regarded as a male dominated business, but more and more often women are making it to the top of their respective … [Read more...]
Purchasing a Real Estate Investing Guru Program? Read This First!
July 5, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Purchasing a Real Estate Investing Guru Program? Read This First!There are a lot of fantastic reasons to start investing in real estate: financial freedom, family security, supplemental income, fulfilling the entrepreneurial spirit, escaping the nine to five and more. However, it is often the salesmanship of a smooth talking “guru” that convinces someone to take action. They often promise access to a “secret” real estate investing strategy that will unlock a small fortune with very … [Read more...]
Invest With the End in Mind
June 13, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Invest With the End in MindMore investors than ever are choosing to invest in real estate right now. It’s no surprise considering values are incredibly low, interest rates are at historical lows, rents are strong and most people agree that prices will recover over the coming years. With so much investing activity from a diversity of experience levels, I have noticed that many investors simply want to “invest” without taking the time to really map out a strategy.While there really … [Read more...]
Don’t Quit Your Day Job: Real Estate as a Career or Investment?
June 10, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Don’t Quit Your Day Job: Real Estate as a Career or Investment?Do You Like Your Job? I used to be a personal banker in a large national bank and I absolutely despised it. Each day was worse than the previous one, so I spent all my free time devising a way to get out of that job. It took me almost a year, but after I quit I never took another job again. I fell head-over-heels in love with real estate investing and haven’t looked back since. I manage property, flip houses, and have a number of … [Read more...]
Should You Partner with Family When Investing in Real Estate?
June 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Should You Partner with Family When Investing in Real Estate?For those who know me and my family, you can easily guess my answer to the question, “Should family members go into real estate investing together?” Our business was formed as and still remains a family affair. Although it has worked well for my family, there are many instances where this is just a bad idea. Lets talk about it:You need 3 things in place for this to be a good idea:1. There must be a long-standing, healthy … [Read more...]
Pros and Cons To Mobile Home Park Investing
March 30, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Pros and Cons To Mobile Home Park InvestingMobile Home Parks, A Lucrative Real Estate Niche Not Many Investors Know About. Here’s What You Need To Know About Investing in a Mobile Home Park…Mobile Home Park Investments – Pros and Cons To Mobile Home Park Investing is a post from: Real Estate Investing Blog For Real Estate InvestorsRead the full post here... … [Read more...]
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An Average Weekend for Someone Who Works Full-Time and Invests in Real Estate
An Average Weekend for Someone Who Works Full-Time and Invests in Real Estate Like many of you, I work a demanding full-time job. My “day job” as I call it, includes a lot of airplane flights, ridiculous schedules, and many days when I have no idea what city I am in, given back-back-back-back business trips.Thus, I have to find time to maximize my non-working hours if I want to be successful with buy-and-hold real estate investing. As you might imagine, this means I have to focus a lot … [Read more...]