Archive for the ‘Real Estate Investing’ Category

May
07

Easy Real Estate Investing

Posted by Phyllis Wheeler
by Phyllis Wheeler

Real estate investing may be a lot of things, but it isn’t easy. At least that’s what a lot of people think.

If you’re investing for short-term appreciation, you are in for a bumpy ride in the current business climate. I think most people would agree that short-term appreciation isn’t a reasonable goal these days.

If you’re looking for long-term appreciation, you need to purchase a property at a price that allows room to pay management fees. Or you can manage the property. Here’s what’s hard to predict: the tenants.

Depending on the local market, commercial real estate can be pretty risky too. So you are thinking about residential real estate. If you manage it yourself, you worry about excess maintenance costs. You worry about finding the right tenant. You worry about creating a lease.

You may decide to try a the truly hands-off alternative: a real estate investment trust (REIT). THis is a publicly traded fund that owns property (usually commercial) and/or mortgages. The value of these funds doesn’t trend with the stock market, so that can diversify your portfolio.

But the fund fees can siphon off your profits. What if you want a simple, low-risk long-term investment ? One where you can file the deed in your safe deposit box?

What do you think of the idea of investing your money in a single-family house, to be rented out? You can choose the house from a variety of local sunbelt markets, and you can take advantage of negotiated relationships with property managers, insurers, and mortgage originators. All this at just five to 10 percent down on each house.

An arrangement like this provides you with a balance sheet with predictable income and expenses. Your tenant will simply pay off the mortgage. In 15 years, you can sell the house and walk off with the equity.

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Apr
23

Why The Monopoly Game Is Bad For Your Wealth

Posted by Kalinda Rose Stevenson, PhD
by Kalinda Rose Stevenson, PhD

Monopoly is a zero sum game based on competition. Since the money supply cannot increase, the players can win only by taking money from other players. The fundamental belief behind Monopoly is lack of money. This means that the only way to get more money is to take it away from others.

This zero sum competitive game reflects the harsh economic realities of the Great Depression. While thousands stood in breadlines, a handful made fortunes. For one to player to win, the others must lose.

Monopoly does not allow players to help each other. The rules forbid partnerships and loans between players.

As a result, Monopoly teaches you that you are on your own. Your goal is to force other players to go bankrupt. As a player, you learn that helping someone else might cause you to lose the game.

What kind of economic model does Monopoly teach? It teaches that wealth comes to the most competitive. The only way to become wealthy is to take money from others.

Monopoly simply reinforces the fundamental belief that the road to success is paved with the bodies of your competitors. It is a belief that is deeply embedded in our consciousness about what it takes to make money and what it takes to succeed in business.

As a success model, what is the effect of a game based on competition for a limited money supply? You don’t have to look any further than the statistic that 96% of the population will reach 65 without enough money to be financially self-sufficient. Instead of congratulating the 4% who somehow manage to create financial freedom for themselves in this economic system, you need to ask, “What is wrong with the game? Why do so many lose?”

The short answer is that many have to lose in order for a few to create wealth. The economic model of competition for limited resources demands that almost everyone must end the game broke for a few to become rich.

What is the result of following the Monopoly model to create wealth? You might be one of the few who wins. If you do, it will be a lonely struggle in a highly competitive game. It’s more likely that you will be one of the losers who could not make enough money to succeed.

This Depression era game is stuck in the mindset and beliefs of a game that doesn’t create money. The winner takes money from others, but does nothing to create more money through transactions.

It’s time for a new game with a new understanding of money. The fact is, you’ll make more money in transactions than you will in takeovers. It’s true that the business world is still full of people who treat business as a zero sum game. But the Great Depression ended more than sixty years ago. Mr. Monopoly had it wrong when he thought that winning meant driving competitors out of business.

When you take off the Depression era Mr. Monopoly glasses, you can see a new vision of money and business. Money is not currency. Money is an idea, and the only limits to money are the limits of your vision. With this vision, you’ll see that you will make more money in transactions than takeovers. In this era, the most enlightened business people understand that you will make more money in joint ventures with others than you will by competing against them.

About the Author:
by Andrew W John

There really are not many people in the world that go home knowing that they have changed the lives of many people for the better during the day. However, Dean Graziosi is one person who can. He was raised by a single mom who worked for only $90 doing two jobs, this guy is not sharing knowledge he gleaned from someone else. He has lived this success, going from someone who always wore used clothing to school, to being a man with millions.

Of course there are many people out there that will tell you stories of how they went from being poor to great riches, and many sell books and seminars, telling people how they can get rich quickly. However, many are just teaching lies. You’ll find that Dean teaches you more than the possibilities, but he teaches you how you can actually be successful. There are now schemes that are supposed to help you get rich quick. However, what you learn from his sites and materials is how you can use real estate investment to change your life and you’ll find tools to actually help you be successful.

Dean Graziosi’s Think a Little Different Real Estate Course is more than just examples of successful things others have done. From Foreclosure Alerts in your area, through monthly live teleseminars and Advanced Education with a personal mentor, no loose ends are left to unravel your plan. A detailed and proven pathway to success is what you get…and you will reach your goals.

Whether you read Dean’s book Totally Fulfilled, gather materials and use tools from his website at DeanGraziosi.com, watch Dean’s video Be a Real Estate Millionaire, or subscribe to his highly successful real estate investment training materials, you’ll be following in the footsteps of thousands of highly successful real estate investors. They got there using these tools and the extensive knowledge gained from Dean’s real-life and repeatable strategies for wealth.

Sure, for those who use seminars, using hype and hope can work. However, Dean provides real help with great tools that really will help you to be successful. So, over time, you’ll actually really get those results you are looking for. Yes, it’s more than just some hype.

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Apr
08

More than Just Motivation

Posted by Andrew W John
by Andrew W John

More than likely you know someone who is very successful and seems to succeed no matter what they are doing. They may start a business and then make it grow into a huge wealth maker. Of course these people may encounter a problem where they fail, but you’ll soon see them up and starting a new venture. You take a look and they are then getting another enterprise going and their finances are doing great again.

Sure, you could think that it is all about luck or that they have been motivated by seminars on motivation for business use. However, when you use motivation just for motivation’s sake, it really does not work all that well for most people. You may wonder why. Well, motivation can pump you up and excite you, but it is not always what causes people to be successful. People who are successful, even after problems and failures can succeed because of a mindset that does not allow for failure. So, the mindset, knowledge, and confidence can do more than just simple motivation when it comes to success.

Of course when you hear the presentation of a motivation speaker, you can’t just expect confidence to automatically appear. Knowing how to get to person and business success can help you out. You see, it is more than hype, because you need to know the best approaches to achieving success. When you learn the fundamentals to success, you can gain confidence and get the mindset of being successful. Once you have the right knowledge and the right tools, you really can never fail in any of your activities. This is the knowledge that Dean Graziosi is trying to offer to people all around the world today.

So, when you think about motivation, think instead of the materials you can gain from Dean Graziosi and his materials that will help you to find motivation from inside of yourself. It all has to do with what you know and how you take that knowledge and implement it into your life.

About the Author:
by Andrew W John

Author, public speaker, consultant, educator, and investor Dean Graziosi is one of the most sought after and popular real estate investment coaches in the country. For more than a decade Dean has shared his personal, business, and real estate experience and expertise with people all over the USA. Not only are his techniques innovative and his methods unique and original, but he has a special ability to convey his vision of success to others - regardless of their level of know-how, training, skills, or education.

The proof of this comes from Dean’s results themselves. They are both verifiable and proven. He’s earned his own livelihood buying and selling properties, and has made money whether the market has been in a bull or bear cycle. He began his path to personal wealth when he was young man, with only a high school education. In fact, he bought his first investment property while he was still a teenager, fixed up the apartment building he purchased, and then built upon that success with a financial formula that now gives him both a national reputation and substantial wealth.

Through his own accomplishments he has now amassed nearly $100 million dollars in revenues, plus an impressive portfolio of lucrative properties and other income-producing assets. He wrote and published Motor Millions, a step-by-step guide to creating your own nest egg through buying and selling automobiles, then followed up with books about real estate, including one of his most popular titled Think a Little Different. The book shows how to build personal wealth - and create a quality life with more time for yourself and your family - through investments in real estate. In addition to authoring books, Dean also produces audio and video learning tools and he enjoys an ever-expanding online presence that includes Web sites, blogs, and a virtual library of extensive investment resources.

He has appeared on national television since 1999. His name is fast becoming a household name throughout the US. He lives in Phoenix, Arizona and travels for both pleasure and work. His goal is to introduce others to his vision of personal growth and developed, as well as financial success.

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Apr
07

Dean Graziosi: Living the American Dream

Posted by Andrew W John
by Andrew W John

Author, public speaker, consultant, educator, and investor Dean Graziosi is one of the most sought after and popular real estate investment coaches in the country. For more than a decade Dean has shared his personal, business, and real estate experience and expertise with people all over the USA. Not only are his techniques innovative and his methods unique and original, but he has a special ability to convey his vision of success to others - regardless of their level of know-how, training, skills, or education.

What’s the proof of his expertise? His results themselves. His results are both proven and verifiable. He’s earned a good livelihood buying and selling properties, and has made money whether the market has been in a slump or fast paced. He began his own personal path to wealth when he was young, with just a high school education. In fact, his first investment property was bought while he was still a teenager. He fixed up that apartment building and then built on that success with financial formula that now lets him have both a national reputation as an expert in this area and substantial wealth.

Through his own accomplishments he has now amassed nearly $100 million dollars in revenues, plus an impressive portfolio of lucrative properties and other income-producing assets. He wrote and published Motor Millions, a step-by-step guide to creating your own nest egg through buying and selling automobiles, then followed up with books about real estate, including one of his most popular titled Think a Little Different. The book shows how to build personal wealth - and create a quality life with more time for yourself and your family - through investments in real estate. In addition to authoring books, Dean also produces audio and video learning tools and he enjoys an ever-expanding online presence that includes Web sites, blogs, and a virtual library of extensive investment resources.

He has been appearing on television since 1999. His name is quickly becoming well known throughout the US. He lives in Phoenix, Arizona and travels for both work and pleasure. His ultimate goal is to introduce others to his vision of personal development and growth, and to help them attain financial success as he has.

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Apr
05

Selling your home by Yourself

Posted by May C.
by May C.

The idea of selling your home without a realtor may sound a little intimidating at first, but it is much easier than people make it out to be. Selling your home without a realtor has become a growing trend and a lot of people do it every day, you can too. The key is to get a basic understanding of the whole process.

Usually, realtors get six percent commission of the price you list of your home. If you are selling your at $250,000, the realtor’s commission will be $15,000. That is at six percent of the usual commission. That is a lot of money to lose. If you are looking to save thousands of dollars in realtor commission, then selling your home without a realtor is a viable option you should consider.

If you think you are up for selling your home without a realtor, you can get started by getting a FSBO (for sale by owner) kit at any office supply store or purchase it online. The key to selling your home without a realtor is the internet. The internet provides opportunities for you to sell your own home. You can successfully market your home by providing ample information about your house and put up a lot of photos of the property on sites that are for FSBO listings. These sites will give you the exposure you need to market your home, and is cost-effective.

This does not mean that FSBO is for everyone. It is not. You will need to put in a lot of your time and effort to be able to do it.

Although you can save thousands on realtor commission just by using your own time and effort to sell your home, there a many advantages you can get too just by having a realtor do it for you. Having a realtor will take out much of the worries and stress related to trying to market your home. In the end, it all comes down to deciding what are you willing to sacrifice money or time.

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by May C.

Buying a house is a truly exciting experience in your life, but buying a new house will not be as exciting if you think about the mortgage payments you will have to be paying for later, so before you make that purchase, be sure that you make the right financial decision with your lender.

Find a lender with a history of doing business with your agent. The relationship between the lender and your agent can help you get that loan program that best suits your financial circumstances. If they have established a good business relationship previously, then they can work as a team and help each other achieve their goal, which is to get you that loan that works for you.

If you are a home buyer who does not know how to go about with the whole home buying process, all the paperwork could be very intimidating and confusing. Ask for your lender’s or agent’s assistance. They can give you the information you need in order to make a sound decision.

There should be more than one financial program you can choose from. Study and evaluate the pros and cons of each option you have. Even if you feel that the lender has your best interest, do not just accept what option the lender offers you without examining it thoroughly and going through the other options.

If there are terms or real estate vocabulary that you do not understand, or if there is anything about the entire home-purchasing process that is unclear to you, you have to ask the lender or the agent to clarify them for you. A good lender or a good agent will be happy to.

Lenders want to help you get that loan, so give them accurate information in your requirements. Talk to your lender about getting a fixed loan and find out if you have that option.

About the Author:
by May C.

Selling your house is a very exhausting inconvenience. Between work and your family that you have to worry about, you won’t have time to find a buyer for your house. Having a well-trained, experienced, real estate professional will help you find a buyer for your property at a good price.

First thing you should know, selling your home “as is” actually costs you more. Making repairs and doing some minor improvements will increase the value of your home and will often profit as much as three to five times the cost of the repair at the time of the sale. Your agent can help point out the repairs that will considerably increase the value of your property.

The more accessible your house is, the better chances you will have in finding a buyer who is willing to meet your asking price. Make sure that you make your house is accessible to prospective buyers.

Advertising is a very vital part of finding prospective buyers, so have to ensure that your agent is doing a lot of advertising and doing more innovative strategies than just the traditional system of generating prospects. Like with any product being sold on the store, packaging helps attracts buyers, so as with your property, make it as attractive as possible. Clean up your house, every room and every corner. Cut the grass on your lawn; cover up that crack on your wall. You need to be doing your part and help market your house too, by tidying up your house.

If you are undecided about selling your home, wait until you are sure and ready to sell it before you put it out in the market. You do not want to put off any potential buyer about your inability to decide on time and may lose him by the time you are ready.

Take an active role with your agent and start networking with other people like your friends and business associates. A lot of properties get sold just by networking.

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Apr
05

The Principles of a Short Sale?

Posted by May C.
by May C.

Many people purchase their homes thinking that they would be staying in it for a long long time, but then unpredictable events happen wherein they are forced to move.

Homeowners forced to move due to some unforeseen or unexpected events, like job relocation or reassignment, divorce, death, or maybe financial difficulties.

Of course, when homeowners move, they will have to sell their house, which before might not have been a problem, but in our current market has become a problem for most people because of the falling housing prices.

Housing prices have been going down in some regions, over the past year. It’s harder to move now because the prices are going down and the profit is not sufficient for you to settle the outstanding loan as well as the closing costs.

There are many things that could happen as a result of this; Default, bankruptcy, or foreclosure. All of which will have a negative impact on your credit rating for a long time.

A good option that has a comparatively lesser impact on your credit would be to do a short sale.

A short sale is when the lender agrees to accept a mortgage payoff that is less than outstanding loan.

Typically, banks or lenders would not want to do that, but the foreclosure is often a long and expensive process. Banks are under strict regulations and if a certain percentage of their outstanding loans are considered bad debt, they can be fined and sanctioned. So, banks are actually eager to get rid of the property, so long as it does not hurt them more if they do a short sale.

You have to be truly experiencing financial hardship, to be eligible for a short sale. You will have to disclose your assets, and there are documents that the borrower needs to submit to the lender to get the short sale approved; Financial statements, tax returns, pay stubs, medical bills, stocks, bonds, divorce decree, etc. Along with these documents, you will need to write a “Hardship Letter” to explain your financial difficulties.

You will have to put your house on the market. Once you sell the property, you will have to supply more documentation; A copy of the purchase agreement, a copy of the comparative market analysis, and a net sheet that shows how much you net from the sale of the property

The amount of debt forgiven is considered as income and is taxable, and you will have to report the income to the IRS.

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