“Jogging” into Real Estate: Setting the Pace for Your Investing Success

“Jogging” into Real Estate: Setting the Pace for Your Investing SuccessWhile first getting started in real estate, the issue I had to deal with most was the pace at which I moved.  Move too slow and you’ll never get any momentum behind you and lose out on credibility. Move too fast and you get overextended and end up wearing a straight-jacket in a padded room. It’s a very fine line that the beginning investor must learn to toe, along with the experienced investor learning to … [Read more...]

Setting Up Your Database for Your Real Estate Investing Business

Setting Up Your Database for Your Real Estate Investing BusinessIf you’ve been following my past few articles on direct mail campaigns and the use of databases to help manage thee campaigns, you’re probably asking how exactly to set up such a database. Once you have decided on a database for your real estate business, the next thing you need to do is set it up.  I gave this a considerable amount of thought before I dove into this process.  Your database needs to be easy to use; in the end, … [Read more...]

Tips To Set You Apart As A Real Estate Professional

Tips To Set You Apart As A Real Estate Professional Providing great Customer Service had nothing to do with easy to remember 800 numbers and even less to do with under cutting other investment companies on price points.  What real estate investors really want in today’s investing environment is competence, intelligence, transparency and availability.  They want to do business with people that help them feel comfortable with making investment decisions in such a different real estate … [Read more...]

You Bought an REO Now Where To Start?

You Bought an REO Now Where To Start?First, Let me set the stage for you.  You are a buy and hold investor.  You have done all the work required to learn your market and make a great purchase. The escrow just closed and the REO property is now yours.You have a lot to do and you need to know where to start.Each REO property offers its own challenges. I will highlight how I would run the project start to finish as a buy and hold investor:Prepping Your REO For The Tenant The first thing I would … [Read more...]

The Upcoming BiggerPockets Summit Will Set the Bar Higher

The Upcoming BiggerPockets Summit Will Set the Bar HigherThough licensed many years earlier, I didn’t attend my first seminar/conference until 1977ish. It was a seminar on real estate counseling put on my an icon in the business. Same with the next two I attended, both led literally by real estate icons. Then it was on to CCIM training in 1980, one of the worst real estate years in my memory. The classes were taught by licensees who were doin’ what they taught. They worked for or owned real … [Read more...]

Setting Goals For The Upcoming Year

Every year in December, I begin the process of setting goals for the upcoming year. I actually spend quite a bit of time looking back at what worked and what could have been better.  I try to do an honest assessment of the year, and part of that assessment includes admitting that you fell short in some areas which can be tough to do. Another factor comes in to play when you realize that some of your habits (or lack of them) played a part in the end result.Do you have any habits that are getting … [Read more...]