8TH ANNUAL INCOME PROPERTY MANAGEMENT EXPO RETURNS TO PASADENA ON TUESDAY, MARCH 24TH

Income Property Management Expo offers property owners, managers and real estate professionals a full day of speakers, education, an exhibit hall and the nationally acclaimed Maintenance Mania® competition. Held at Pasadena Convention Center on Tuesday, March 24th from 9:00 am-4:00 pm, admission is free.

Presented by National Apartment Association (NAA) and HD Supply, Maintenance Mania will feature leading area maintenance professionals competing in skill-based games for nationwide recognition and cash prizes. A host of seminars will be presented throughout the day on topics including:

* Surviving Statewide Rent Control
* Soft-Story Retrofit Mistakes to Avoid
* Strategic Property Management to Avoid Lawsuits
* New Laws & The Regulatory Environment Impacting Housing Providers
* Tapping Into a $27 Trillion Pool of Funds for Your Projects
* Unraveling the Mystery of 1031 Exchanges

Scheduled speakers include Dan Yukelson, AAGLA; Dennis Block, Dennis P. Block & Associates; Rusty Tweed, TFS Properties; Michael Brennan, Brennan Law Firm; Alexander Rodriguez, Soft Story Retrofit Pros; Brian Gordon & Vince M. Medina, Lotus Property Services; Tony Watson, Robert Hall Taxes & Associates; Mark C. Turok, Exeter 1031 Exchange Services; Patti “Widget” & Chris Verzosa, Widget’s Way and Skyguard Surveillance; Kaaren Hall, uDirect IRA; and Bob Wess & Elizabeth Reynolds, KW Commercial.

An exhibit hall with 100+ vendors will showcase the latest in property management software, analysis tools, energy systems, lighting, roofing, safety equipment, tenant screening, tax planning, financing, insurance, and legal services to improve performance and reduce maintenance costs. Attendees will also have opportunities to foster new relationships, share ideas, get free advice from legal and financial experts, and learn new strategies to increase their return on investment.

Industry partners are Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles (AAGLA), Greater Los Angeles Realtors Association (GLAR), California Association of Housing Authorities (CAHA), Apartment News Publications, Apartment Age Magazine and Apartment Management Magazine. The Expo will be held March 24th at Pasadena Convention Center, 300 E. Green Street, Pasadena, CA 91101. Hours are 9:00 am-4:00 pm. Admission is free. Parking is additional. For exhibitor inquiries please contact (800) 931-6666 or email [email protected]. For pre-registration and agenda updates, visit www.incomepropertyexpo.com.

OFFICER AND HANDS-ON REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRAINER PUTS STUDENT SUCCESS FIRST

By Karen A. Walker

For Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Officer and master real estate investment teacher and trainer Alton Jones and his wife, Rocio, it’s all about relationships, helping others succeed and being your best self. Every day. Every minute.

But while Jones has helped people succeed in real estate investing beyond their wildest imagination, he doesn’t promise, and never himself expected, overnight success. His experience as a police officer prepared him for that.

He knows first-hand that success takes learning, listening, focus, persistence, a good sense of humor, a healthy dose of humility (did I mention persistence?!) and, most importantly, taking action.

That last step—action—can be the most difficult, but simply doing the right things and repeating until it become second nature marks the difference between success and none.

“It’s one thing to talk about it,” says Jones, “but a totally other thing to actually DO it!”

Did you say police officer?

Jones has been an LAPD policeman for more than 34 years. For the first 16 of those years, he served as a full-time, active duty officer. After that—to this day—he serves as reserve officer.

In the last 10 years, Officer Jones has been honored as a Reserve Officer of the Year. Twice!

“Officer of the Year is a big deal,” explains Jones. “A few officers are selected each year and honored for exceptional service during the year. About 600 people attend the honoree dinner, and it’s really a big deal, with any funds raised going to help the families of fallen officers or others in our police family who need it.”

At his more recent honoree event, the main cast and the creator of the TV series THE ROOKIE attended, which made it extra fun.

People skills

Just as in police work, real estate investing involves good training and good people skills. Relationships matter.

Knowing how to talk with a myriad of different types of people can mean the difference between life and death in police work.

“As an officer, especially on patrol, you have to talk with so many different kinds of people—victims, drug dealers, the mentally unstable, drug users on a high, the traumatized, witnesses, violent or less violent criminals,” says Jones. “Good officer safety skills are critical. You also have to be able to get accurate, useful information from witnesses. Those statements have to be able to hold up in court or identify a perpetrator, so you have to know how to ask a question and which information to pursue.

“In addition, sometimes you have just seconds to assess a situation or persons involved. Knowing how to quickly assess and talk with different people can determine if you come home that day.”

In real estate investing, regardless whether you are fixing and flipping houses, negotiating fair win-win deals, managing contractors, or teaching others your proven system for success, it’s critical to develop good people skills and to build strong relationships.

And to build any kind of relationship, you have to be a person of integrity in words and actions.

Knowledge alone isn’t enough

“It’s one thing to talk about it, but it’s a totally other thing to actually DO it!!” says Jones, who gets his students quickly to action.

Again, the comparison to police work is clear.

In the training process you learn how to talk to different people, what you need to ask and what to do in different situations, what information you need, and so forth. But learning it in a classroom doesn’t make you successful.

It’s a different story when you get out on the streets and you’re talking with real people, or in the chaos of an incident and trying to sort it out.

Same for the investor.

Practice (i.e. taking action) sharpens people skills until the right thing to do in negotiating an opportunity or managing contractors becomes second nature.

Never stop learning: Mentors matter

Alton always says, “It’s OK to copycat, as long as you copy the right cat.”

Jones got into the rehab, fix and flip business in 2009. But he didn’t do it alone. He chose his mentors well. He invested in himself and in his success, and he hasn’t stopped to this day.

Even with the success he and his wife have achieved and continue to achieve… even with his rapid rise to being asked and encouraged by his mentors to become a teacher for others, beginning in 2013… even with his popular books and with the success he and his wife continue to nurture and grow in themselves and others… even with all that, Jones continues to listen and learn from others.

Two of his stand-out mentors are Ron LeGrand and Dan Kennedy.

From his mentors, Jones learned early on that to be successful you must be purposeful in all you do. You must run your business as a business, not as a hobby.

He learned what to do and how to do it.

He also learned to expect uphill battles and set-backs, even after you’ve achieved remarkable success.

It is what it is.

Be prepared. Go forward. Keep your eyes on the prize, on doing the right thing, and on serving others.

Knowledge alone isn’t enough

“The majority of people will tell you ‘no,’” says Jones. “So what? You have to rise above. There’s EGO, but you gotta drop the “e” and just GO!

“In the police department you have to have the will to live. You learn and you have to face the reality every day that there are people who want you dead, but you have to — you MUST — have the will to LIVE. That keeps you doing the right things, following the good skills and training you received.

“In developing a real estate business, you have to have the will to WIN. That keeps you focused on the end goal. It keeps you going forward.”

Good mentors tell you the truth. They also practice what they preach.

The best mentors don’t just deliver knowledge. They don’t teach swimming lessons while standing on the edge of the pool. No. The best mentors lead by example. They get in the pool with you and show you how it’s done. They insist you get into the water and learn how to swim for yourself. And they’ll be with you every step of the way, IF you allow it.

When Jones holds training sessions and boot camps, he tells it like it is. With a smile, he calls himself a minister of truth. He doesn’t deliver what attendees might want to hear. He delivers the reality, the truth.

Rehab 2 Riches

It was an unexpected honor when Ron LeGrand, in 2016, not only praised the system for success Alton and his wife had developed, but when he also strongly encouraged Jones to launch his own training courses on that very system.

Alton’s Rehab 2 Riches courses, bootcamps and more soon followed, to popular acclaim by attendees.

“I believe what we do changes lives,” says Jones. “People who come to one of our events, they’ll make a life-changing decision at that event. Those relationships made at our events can take you from $0 to self-sufficient.”

Jones smiles when he talks in his bootcamps about the importance of building a Million Dollar Rolodex of exceptional resources for your business. “These days there are a lot of people who don’t know what a rolodex is,” he says. But it hasn’t held any of his students back. They still understand the point.

Jones practices in three markets—southern California, Dallas and Memphis. Of all these, however, his preference is his beloved southern California.

For more information, go to Rehab2Riches.com.

Alton Jones says that in this business there are five things you have to do to succeed:
1. Locate prospects
2. Pre-screen prospects
3. Construct and present offers
4. Follow-up
5. Close quickly

Books by Alton Jones include:
• Ask Me How I Know? Four biggest house-flipping mistakes that made me millions, by Alton Jones

————————

Karen Walker is the founder and executive producer of The Mentors Radio Show (TheMentorsRadio.com)

Real Estate Investing: A Market Correction is Coming

By Tim Houghten

It’s inevitable. A market correction is coming. The market has been on a high for years now. In 2018 alone, the Dow Jones Industrial Average broke a record high 15 times. If history has taught us anything, it’s that the market cannot sustain those highs for that long without a correction. Real estate markets across the country are still very hot. Even with the “cooling” that some markets are seeing, real estate prices are still well above records and competition is hot. “A cool-down has been predicted for over in a year in our local market. However, I’ve yet to see it. Sure there are some longer list times for sellers but properties are still selling in record time over asking price. It’s still a hot market,” says Eric Jones, Director of Sales and Marketing for Freedom Real Estate Group.

With all that being said, the question on every wise investor’s mind: how can I prepare myself for the next recession? The short answer, diversify. The long answer, diversify into buy and hold, long-term strategies.

“The short-game (fix and flip) is good. It’s instant return. But you get hit hard by the tax man. Buy and hold has some of the best tax advantages of any asset class,” Jones stated. “Depreciation, property taxes, mortgage insurance and more are all deductible expenses. Plus, with fix and flips, it’s simply not a long-term strategy. It’s not a way to build true wealth.”

To lessen the risk of any big swing in the market, the answer is to diversify your investment portfolio so all your eggs aren’t in one basket. The problem many individuals faced in 2008 was that most of their 401k or other retirement accounts were tied up in stocks and mutual funds. When the market tanked, so did their accounts. Now imagine if half of those funds were diversified into buy and hold real estate. For many, the outcome could have been vastly different. Here’s why.

The key to cash flowing, rental properties is that even during a down economy, they’re still cash flowing at the same amount. In some cases, even higher. Let’s look at it this way. If you were getting an 8% return on your stock investments, and the market crashes, you’re likely going to be reduced to 2%-4% if you are lucky. With rental properties, the rent amount stays the same. Your mortgage stays the same. Your property management fees, if you have them, stay the same. Essentially, if you were getting 8% returns on your property before, you’re still getting that. In a down economy, rents rarely go down. You may not be able to get rent increases during that time, but you will at least have a steady, consistent amount of cash coming in each month.

Rental properties tend to weather a down market in a consistent or even appreciating way. Not necessarily appreciating in value of the asset but appreciating in terms of cash flow being received. In a bad economy, a few things are happening. People simply aren’t buying homes. Credit is tighter. People are scared. The pocketbook is squeezed. Instead of purchasing, individuals and small families tend to continue renting during a recession. In addition, those that may be losing their homes to a foreclosure turn to single-family or duplex style rentals since it’s more private and familiar than a large apartment complex. Therefore, demand may actually increase in a down market which is a huge win for rental property owners.

With all that being said, a down market is definitely not the time to sell your rental properties. It’s a buy and hold strategy. During a down market, it is always best to hold these properties unless there is some absolute reason you must sell. When the market begins to climb again, then you may want to consider selling to upgrade to another investment property in a better neighborhood or better yet, purchase two and double your cash flow.

The best part of investing in rental properties is investors are wealth building while cash flowing. Very few investments offer this kind of opportunity. With a buy and hold strategy, you are receiving the benefit of monthly cash flow while also building a portfolio of tangible assets that will always – no matter the market – have value. “If you have the right plan, with a decent amount to invest, you can quickly scale up to a very healthy portfolio. We worked with a dentist who had $400k to invest and wanted to receive $10,000 a month in cash flow so he could retire. We built a plan and got him to his goal in three and a half years. He was able to retire early. However, not only did he keep receiving the cash flow each month, now he has tangible assets that he can sell off if he ever needed to and can pass on to his children and grandchildren,” Dani Lynn Robison, Co-Founder of Freedom Real Estate Group stated.

Something else to consider is how you are using the power of inflation to your advantage. Most 401k plans aren’t able to keep up with inflation. With the small returns and high managements fees, unless you are able to invest a lot in those funds, you may not even be able to keep up with the rate of inflation. However, with rental property, you are working with inflation to win in two ways. First, your mortgage payment doesn’t change. Let’s say when you purchased the property it was a $500 per month payment. If the market tanks, it’s still a $500 payment on a fixed rate loan. If the market is great, same payment. When the market is doing well, your asset, if all goes as planned, is increasing in value. You’re actually earning value on the asset while effectively reducing the value of the money you’re paying due to inflation. Second, you will likely be able to increase the rental amount between 1%-5% per year. That’s additional cash flow and value you will be receiving yearly.

Finally, it’s important to note that this is an investment and with any investment, there is inherent risk. No investment is guaranteed. However, real estate is one of the most proven, asset-based investment classes in history. Most millionaires were either made through investing in real estate or find large value in investing in real estate. As you explore this investment opportunity, look for markets that do not have super highs or super lows in market crashes (like 2008). States affected greatly were Florida, California and Arizona. One of the cities most notorious for being hit hard in the crash was Las Vegas. These may be markets to steer clear of. If a market crash occurs again, it may cause migration out of those areas resulting in rent losses. “Consider markets that may seem ‘boring’ like many in the Midwest including our market – Cincinnati and Dayton, Ohio. These have proven to weather a down economy and not have big drops in real estate values or population. These are the markets where you truly win.” Eric said.

Diversification is the key to weathering a down turn in the market. More specifically, investing in buy and hold rental properties not only is a proven strategy to survive and even thrive in a down market, but one that holds many positive attributes such as consistent cash flow, numerous tax benefits, and true wealth building.

Future Proofing Your Money In Uncertain Times

By Fuquan Bilal

Do you know where the markets are headed now? How can you future proof your money, even if you aren’t sure?

Where is the World Headed?

The beginning of 2016 seemed to spur an extended run in real estate and the economy. Then in 2018 it seemed that the stock market and real estate market became exceedingly frothy. Stocks and properties in some sectors where trading at great highs. Predictions of a new crash and deep recession seemed almost certain to play out. Yet, while there are certainly some cracks in the markets, the doom and gloom has really taken the country by storm. How long will it last? Or is this just the new norm?

Certain, Uncertainty

There’s a lot of uncertainty out there. There is a lot of confidence too. Yet, if we can be sure of one thing, it is that there is likely to be even more uncertainty through the next election, and well into 2021, depending on who wins.

Asset prices of tech stocks, commercial properties, and some residential ones do seem historically high. There are many factors delicately holding that in balance. Global politics, big stock market influencers, new trends in how we do business, new technology, and housing costs are some of them.

History suggests that everything will keep going up over the long run, but that it is also inevitable that there will be dips and corrections in various asset classes along the way. Yet, even the most experienced analysts and those with the most data seem to be having a hard time timing these fluctuations.

Future Proofing Your Money

There are a lot of factors that seem to be at odds with each other on the current landscape:

  • Cryptocurrency investors betting against the dollar and stock market
  • Low unemployment versus new technology and robots replacing jobs
  • Low interest rates versus tightening lending
  • Rising housing costs versus rising numbers of properties with negative equity
  • High rents with institutional landlords eating up more of the housing market

All stocks won’t vaporize permanently. Housing will be a constant need. Whether the economy continues to perform great or not, housing will just be in more demand.

The individual tactics and strategies that work will fluctuate over time. Some months may be better for flipping houses and mortgage notes, others for income properties, or private lending, and so on.

The key to success is investing in solid assets that produce passive income, and being diversified.

The problem is that most individual investors and even small real estate businesses can only realistically expect to really be good at one or maybe two strategies. You’ve got to master many things just to be an expert in notes. The same applies to wholesaling. Trying to master too many things on your own normally leads to being mediocre in all of them.

Instead, master your own business, and hedge your bets and future proof your money (income and net worth) by outsourcing investments in other categories.

Investment Opportunities

Find out more about investing in secured debt and real estate, go to NNG Capital Fund

Fuquan Bilal

Fuquan Bilal founded NNG in 2012 with the principal mission of capitalizing on the growing supply of mortgage notes in the interbank marketplace. Mr .Bilal utilizes his 17 years of residential and commercial real estate success to identify real estate opportunities and capitalize on them. To date, he has successfully managed three private mortgage note funds that primarily invest in singlefamily performing and non­performing mortgage notes. His financial acumen and proprietary set of investment criteria enable him to purchase underperforming real estate assets at a deep discount of face and market values, thereby increasing the value of the assets. This, coupled with his ability to maximize the use of leverage, enables him to build strong, secured portfolios with solid passive income flows.

HOW TO DEAL WITH DAMAGES DONE TO YOUR PROPERTY

By Glenn Mananeng

To some landlords, owning a rental property is not only an investment, but it can also be their sole source of income to feed their own family. There can be times where being a landlord can be too much especially when dealing with problematic tenants. A common problem that owners have to face is dealing with the damage left by tenants. Just because you have tenants it doesn’t mean you have nothing to worry about so you should just sit on your couch and wait for the rent money. Any major damage done to your property is your worst nightmare. Repairing it is one thing, dealing with evictions because of the damage done is another headache. Proway Property Management is here to help you out when it comes to dealing with such a problem.

Identify the type of damage done

Give the benefit of the doubt to your tenants. Reevaluate whether the damage done was intentionally or by accident. Knowing why and how the property was damaged in the first place is crucial before making any judgment as a landlord.

Accidental

– no house can last an eternity, your property will also undergo normal wear and tear. This is the usual case, especially when the property has been uninhabited for quite some time. The timing might be awful sometimes but these are not something that we can predict. If this is the case, then it might have been bound to happen anyway in the near future and as the landlord, you are responsible for fixing it. Under the Landlord-Tenant Law, the former is responsible for maintaining the property to keep it safe and habitable.

Intentional

– in cases of a bad tenant, they may leave the property in bad shape especially if they had a negative experience with their eviction. Bad tenants are more or less people who simply don’t want to take any part of maintaining the property. Even if they’re not the owner, they still need to partake in the maintenance of the house to some extent.

The damage has been done. What now?

In situations of involuntary damage, an agreement between you and your tenant should be cemented in order to agree on how to go about repairing the damage. In these cases, you’re most likely facing the brunt of the costs. It doesn’t have to be always but it pays off to be prepared for something unannounced. A sudden faulty heating insulator or problems with plumbing or electrical systems should be fixed right away before any major risks that may put the tenant and landlord harm develop.

If the damage was intentional, however, some serious actions need to be done. That’s why it’s important to take before and after pictures of the property as part of your agreement with the tenant. Although showing the house to them is necessary, taking photographic proof before your tenants settle in gives you the added assurance that the damage wasn’t there before. Generally speaking, the tenant is responsible for covering the cost of repair in those circumstances.

Proper use of the security deposit

Not every tenant agrees to pay for the damage even with hard proof. The security deposit can be used to cover the damages in this case. Under Michigan’s Landlord-Tenant Law, the deposit is limited to the amount equivalent to one and a half month’s rent. The deposit should not be used in cases of wear and tear and should be strictly limited to cover damages due to the negligence of your tenants.

If the tenant moves out or gets evicted, you should return their deposit together with a notice of damage. This itemizes the deductions to their deposit. The notice should be given to the tenant within 30 days after they’ve moved out. Tenants can file a dispute with the deductions about their security deposit within 7 days of receiving the notice.

We differentiated intentional and accidental damage done to the property. We also mentioned that the security deposit can be used for covering the costs of damage done by the tenant to the property if they refuse to pay up. However, it’s easy to mistake damages and routine maintenance wherein the deposit shouldn’t be used to cover up the latter.

For example, the deposit shouldn’t be used just because the property needs a new paint job which it really needs in the first place. If the tenant has been staying for years in the property, adding a new paint job is considered as routine maintenance. However, if the walls were newly painted and the tenant left the walls in a state of filth or even allowed their kids to draw on them, deducting from their security deposit would be justifiable. The verdict whether or not to use the deposit relies on the landlord’s standard practice and the appliance’s life expectancy. An example for a commonly damaged appliance are AC units. These have a life expectancy of 10 years. Replacing the unit doesn’t allow you to use the tenant’s deposit because it’s old and faulty. If the unit was newly bought and damage was done by the tenant, deducting from the deposit is plausible.

If the damage exceeds the amount of the security deposit

After calculating the costs of the damage and the security deposit isn’t enough to cover it, you can file a case in small claims court. Remember, under Michigan Law it is illegal for a landlord to take more than the limited amount of the security deposit. That’s why garnishments (money judgement against a previous tenant that owes you money) is a legal tool that you can use as a landlord in these cases.

It doesn’t matter if it was intentional or not though cause at the end of the day, damages to your property will still give you a headache either way. As much as possible, a landlord should provide a habitable living space for their tenants. Dealing with these problems is part of the long list of responsibilities along with being a landlord. If you don’t want to deal with the said hassles, Proway Property Management is the answer to what you’re looking for. We’ll take care of everything so you can literally sit back and just wait for your money to come. Contact us now by phone: (734)744-5080 or by email: [email protected]

What Is A Real Estate Syndication?

By Fuquan Bilal

Real estate syndications are a term that is trending again. What are they?

Among the real estate investment opportunities on the landscape today are real estate syndications. How do they work? What are the advantages of syndicated real estate deals? How are they different from other investment strategies, and who are they for?

Real Estate Syndications 101

Syndications is basically another word for partnerships.

A syndication is an industry or technical term for when investors partner together to acquire, improve, manage and dispose of real estate assets together.

The one main difference between syndications and other types of partnerships is that there is generally one active partner to the deal. Also known as the ‘sponsor’. The sponsor is the one with the experience, connections, teams and systems to handle everything. The other partners bring their capital. Everyone shares in the rewards.

Syndications can be large or small, have few or many partners, and can partner on everything from pools of mortgage notes to value add multifamily apartment deals to ground up new construction projects.

Who Are Real Estate Syndications For?

Real estate syndications are typically reserved for accredited investors. Meaning those with higher levels of income or solid net worth.

This can include highly paid professionals like doctors, lawyers and tech workers. As well as celebrities, athletes, lottery winners and heirs to sizable inheritances. Entrepreneurs, family offices and real estate or private equity funds also often participate.

How Are Syndications Different?

The main differentiator of a syndication is that everything is done for you and you tend to get a split of all the profits, in contrast to investments where you may just receive a yield.

For example, a syndication for mortgage notes or apartment buildings may pay out cash flow dividends as income comes in, and then distribute a share of the gains on exit. So, you may get a percentage of the rents every quarter, and then a slice of the pie when resold. There are many combinations possible. For example a 90/10 split would mean the sponsor gets 10% of the profits and the other partners split the first 90%.

If you are an accredited investor, syndications can be highly attractive in providing a more direct investment and larger share of profits than simple investing in a fund or stock, and yet don’t require the time and headaches and risk of flipping houses or managing your own rentals or note workouts.
Investment Opportunities

Find out more about investing in secured debt and real estate, go to NNG Capital Fund

Fuquan Bilal

Fuquan Bilal founded NNG in 2012 with the principal mission of capitalizing on the growing supply of mortgage notes in the interbank marketplace. Mr .Bilal utilizes his 17 years of residential and commercial real estate success to identify real estate opportunities and capitalize on them. To date, he has successfully managed three private mortgage note funds that primarily invest in singlefamily performing and non­performing mortgage notes. His financial acumen and proprietary set of investment criteria enable him to purchase underperforming real estate assets at a deep discount of face and market values, thereby increasing the value of the assets. This, coupled with his ability to maximize the use of leverage, enables him to build strong, secured portfolios with solid passive income flows.

THE IMPORTANCE OF A TITLE SEARCH IN BUYING INVESTMENT PROPERTIES

By Glenn Mananeng

It’s important that when buying a potential investment property, there are no legal issues that may arise after it is purchased. With that in mind, properties with a clear title is very important. Unique Wealth Education is here to let you know the ins and outs of a title search.

Who does a title search?

Title company – they conduct extensive research on the property using public records and legal documents to identify the owner, liens, and if there are any loans and property taxes due.

Lender – they conduct a title search to verify ownership of the property and any other judgements for or against it before approving a loan that uses the property as collateral.

A buyer can also do a title search on their own, although it’s not usually recommended. Not only is the process time-consuming, you’ll be prone to making some kind of mistake along the way if you don’t have the knowledge needed when it comes to legal matters. However, this should not hinder you from wanting to know the basics of a title search. After all, you want your purchase to have no strings attached as much as possible.

Understanding the basics of a title search

This will minimize the chance of you regretting the property after acquiring it. The process won’t be as complex and tedious as it usually is if you do it the right way.

STEP 1: Chain of Title

The “chain” refers to a sequence of transfers pertaining to the historical ownership of the property. This will show the list of owners from the current one back to the original owner when the property was first built. This can be obtained from your County Clerk’s public records.

Back then, this step took too much time cause you had to check records dating back to almost 100 years in order to complete the search.

The importance of this step will determine the credibility of the property title. If you happen to pass by a “cloud” or any missing part of the chain, this might indicate that an incorrect deed was done during somewhere along the way. This could also mean that the owner changed their name to reacquire the title. In this case, a quiet title suit is done as a security measure.

Quiet title suit – this is done in order to settle any dispute over the ownership of the property. Think of it as reinforcing the weakest part of the chain so it won’t break. The owner goes to court and describes all of the title defects with an attorney. The judge will “fix” these defects with a court order declaring that the claimant (in this case, the current owner) is now the true owner of the property.

STEP 2: Tax Search

The second step of the title search determines whether the property is up to date with its taxes. Any overdue or unpaid taxes can create a lien against the property. Let’s say that you finally purchased the property and you skipped this step, this can lead to the government placing it up for sale again just to cover the unpaid taxes.

Title insurance – this is done to prevent any overlooked late or unpaid taxes on the property and make it as clean as possible. Without this, the financial burden will be transferred to you as the buyer.

STEP 3: Site Inspection

Inspecting involves a lot more than just dropping by and checking if the property is ok. This should be done to make sure everything matches the records of the property such as the lot size or any signs of an easement. When you are granted an easement, this means you have the legal right to use or enter the property of the owner without possessing it. These are typically granted for utility companies and are usually not removable.

STEP 4: Name and Judgement Search

Any judgement or state and federal tax liens against the current or previous owners must be looked up. It’s up to the current owner to settle any of these judgements or state and federal tax liens found while owning the property. Judgement decrees, unpaid taxes, and liens can have claims over the property. In other words, these defects can complicate your ownership even after purchasing it. A title insurance policy is a good preventive measure against these judgements and insures these items are removed at the time the policy is issued typically at the closing of the sale.

STEP 5: Closing the Deal

The final step is the green light for the buyer to begin the process of purchasing the property with a clear conscience knowing that all legal hurdles have been cleared. Once the deal has been closed, the title company issues a title policy.

Title policy – is the title company’s guarantee that protects you as the new owner in the event that any unknown issue affecting the property comes up after it’s purchased.

Following all of these steps will ensure a smooth transaction between you and the seller. Although we mentioned that a third-party entity usually does this on your behalf, it doesn’t hurt to know the legal aspects of this very important process. Contact us by phone: (734) 224-5454 or email: [email protected]. We also invite you to our monthly meet-up every first Thursday of each month to share experiences and hopefully do business with fellow real estate investors.

Turmoil: The Storm Of Change & How To Thrive In It

If you’re in real estate you’ve probably smelled the storm just over the horizon. The question is where it will hit, when it will hit, and just how bad it will be? More importantly, how can your business and portfolio not only survive in the eye of this storm, but thrive?

Meet Bruce Norris

You may already be very familiar with The Norris Group and their exciting hard money lending programs. Leading the company is President, Bruce Norris.

Bruce Norris has been investing in real estate for over 35 years. He’s been involved in thousands of property and financing transactions. We could fill this page with his accolades. Yet, what he is best known and most respected for in the industry is his reports.

There have been others who appear to have successfully called downturns. Others have created names for themselves in good times and betting on the market going up.

What’s unique about Bruce is that he has proven to be able to successful predict both market crashes and upturns. He has been called on by many organizations up to the highest levels to share his expertise and insights on market trends. That includes the California Builders Industry Association, California Association of Realtors and Mortgage Bankers Association.

In our exclusive interview Bruce told Realty 411 that he started out flipping houses in 1981. He admits that like many new investors he knew little about timing the market. He ended up with 7 brand new custom homes that weren’t selling. He learned some tough lessons.

Then in 1995, his son graduates college. He bought him a Honda Civic. Then a few days later found a house for sale in California that cost even less than the Honda. He saw incredible opportunity. Yet, really wanted to dig in and understand the markets, how to time them, how not to lose money, and how to invest his own money in the safest and most profitable way.

This led to his first report that he published in 1996. In 2006 he released a report calling the most recent major housing crash and foreclosure crisis. In 2012, he invested in line with his report and went all in on real estate. The market has gone up 100% since then.

Turmoil: The Coming Storm Of Changes

Now the real estate industry is once again feeling a lot of uncertainty. Perhaps with the exception of Bruce. There has been a lot of talk about a new recession and crash. While many investors keep engaging in the market. This year’s presidential election is no doubt to to bring many more attempts to send us all on an emotional roller coaster ride full of fake news.

Bruce says “There are no real estate I am afraid of.” He’s mastered looking at historical and current charts and overlaying the data, and remains bullish on the market.

What does concern him is a new era of legislation and policies which are wild cards with the potential to be extremely disruptive to investors in some of the most progressive states, like California.

He feels this is such a pressing issue that more investors need to be alert to that he has set up a panel and new event on February 1st, 2020 to equip investors with this critical information.

Major Factors That Could Impact The Market In 2020 & Beyond

State Politics

One of the big issues today is what things can be changed by popular vote versus by proclamation of state government, regardless of how its constituents feel. This puts residents at danger of rogue actors.

California has certainly become the poster child for aggressive new rules lately. Among them are sweeping rent controls, Prop 13, taxes, and the new ban on freelance workers which has the potential to create massive unemployment.

Then there is also city and state pension issues and the fact that many are not going to be guaranteed the money they were promised, or have already been counting on.

Fed Manipulation

Student debt, health insurance, guaranteed income programs, climate change laws and other major policies could all impact the markets on a large scale. We may see a lot more of this after the upcoming election.

Technology

5G is likely to be one of the biggest game changers of the next decade. Yet, the US continues to be behind in this critical technology and factor in global competitiveness.

Other technologies may become more essential for remaining competitive and profitable in this new landscape.

Surviving & Thriving

While these factors could throw some serious curve balls at California investors, and New York is rarely far behind, Bruce is still confident in the US property market.

Looking at the charts he says even California is more affordable than it used to be. He points out that at least for now we’ve been enjoying the lowest unemployment rates in the last 50 years, and interest rates remain low. Put in perspective, he believes the market justifies more sales, more building and higher prices. He says this is even truer of Florida. The Sunshine State which is enjoying great population growth, has no state income tax and isn’t as crazy at enacting these new sweeping rules.

So, what’s Bruce doing with his money?

A look at The Norris Group website shows they are still lending to investors. In addition to their traditional rehab loans and refinancing rentals, they are also now lending to build and flip investors in Florida, and on ADUs for rent in California.

Their investors are getting attractive 6% to 10.5% returns on capital invested in first trust deeds and mortgages without pooling their money. Far better than a lot of operators are promoting today.

Get Smart

Get all the details on these factors, what to watch out for and their potential impact at Bruce’s upcoming event. Then master restructuring your portfolio and making new moves in 2020 with confidence. Register for the event at TheNorrisGroup.com/Turmoil

Uber of Self Storage

By Anita Cooper

“A house is just a place to keep your stuff while you go out and get more stuff.” – George Carlin

If you want to build wealth through investing it’s important not to become myopic when thinking about what you’ll invest in.

As a seasoned real estate investor, developer, and property investment educator, Scott Mednick has a keen sense of the marketplace and the foresight to keep ahead of changes in the market.

“I’m kind of new…I started about 30 years ago and I started in Commercial Real Estate with – back then it was Coldwell Banker, today it’s CBRE – selling apartment buildings. I did that for a few years and then sort of got the bug to work for myself, so I started building custom homes back in the 80s…

“My timing was not good.  I got right in before the market crashed, so my home building career didn’t last long.  I started working for banks as a general contractor, fixing up the REO properties for them. I remodeled about 2500 houses, here in Southern California, and in 1997, the market changed pretty quickly; at that point, I started buying and selling houses myself and have been flipping properties for over 20 years now.

“I’ve been investing here in Southern California as well as Florida, Texas and Las Vegas, but I primarily invest in  Southern California – as I like to stay close to home where I can keep an eye on my projects.

“I’m  a licensed real estate broker, so I often broker my own deals. However, even though I am a general contractor, I do hire a GC to run my projects.  It’s been a long road, but it’s been a lot of fun…”

Using knowledge and experience gained from years of investing, Scott helps other investors do what he’s done.

“I train investor’s how to buy and sell houses. Having done hundreds of flips – there’s not much I haven’t seen.  I have over 30 years of real estate experience and I manage a fund buying value-add self storage properties across the United States.”

Just as he helps investors learn how to buy and flip properties, he’s helping them build up their portfolios through investing in storage facilities.

In case you were wondering, the self-storage industry is no small market…

According to Self Storage Association – a not-for-profit advocacy and support organization for the self-storage industry, there are approximately 49,000 primary self-storage facilities.

The total amount of storage space among these facilities is estimated at 2.6 billion square feet, generating approximately $32 billion in revenue each year.

Other fast facts:

  • Facilities across the nation are about 90% occupied
  • There are, on average, about 540 units at each facility across the country
  • The percentage of households in the U.S. using these units is estimated to be about 9.3% (as of the first quarter of 2018)

Through his company Square Storage, Scott buys self storage properties located in diverse markets, buying only those facilities where there’s an opportunity to add value and the demand for storage, retail and housing are strong.

Some of the reasons why a self-storage facility may be doing poorly include:

  • Mis-management
  • Under-capitalization
  • Not enough storage space
  • Insufficient or ineffective management tools

Anyone who’s been investing for a while understands the need to diversify their portfolio. Self-storage facilities are the perfect accompaniment, either through ownership, as part of a REIT, or other investment vehicle.

Says Scott, “It’s also the perfect business model, because in a down market when homeowners loses their house, they put their stuff in storage and they move in with mom and dad.

“And then, the economy comes back, they get a new place, they get their stuff. But usually when the economy comes back they’re so happy to have money again they buy too much stuff, so the extra stuff they put back in storage…so it’s the perfect cycle.

We are seeking accredited investors to partner with us in the self storage business. If you want to be a part of the next commercial real estate boom, give us a call and we can explain why self storage is the next big thing. This is your chance to get into the Uber of real estate.”

 

Scott Mednick

Founder

SquareStorage.com

949 632 2600

 

BUILDING WEALTH IN REAL ESTATE: HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE?

By Glenn Mananeng

This is a question on the mind of investors. There is no definite answer for this. This topic is always up to debate no matter how you look at it, as wealth is measured differently by every individual. Here are a few factors you need to know when building wealth – allow us here at Unique Wealth Education to teach you some important pointers to consider:

#1 Wholesaling

This is the easiest point of entry for the majority of the investors, as it requires the least amount of capital. You find a seller who wants to put their property for sale and find a buyer for that property on “as is” condition without the fixing part to try and get the market value higher. After the property has been sold, you’ll get a cut on the sale. Basically you are the intermediary that builds a buyers list to locate undervalued properties using a multi-pronged approach. This relies heavily on how good and how broad your real estate network is.

#2 Fix and flip

You don’t have to be an avid real estate investor to know what fix and flip is. Anyone who has cable and passed by HGTV has a basic idea of what it is. You buy a house below the average market value, renovate it, sell them for a profit! This is one of the most widely used real estate investment strategies used around the county.

Keys to fix and flip investing success:

· Preparing yourself by understanding how to locate undermarket valued properties in the right locations
· Understand values (make sure you are comparing apples to apples and going with the highest comp when doing our due diligence as a conservative approach)
· Aligning yourself with multiple capable and competitively priced renovation contractors to not only give you a bid prior to purchasing the home, but also to deliver as agreed on
· Understanding how far to go with finishes and layout changes to keep within the budget and comps in the area
· Stay away from potential losers such as foundation issues and bad layouts
· Having a sales strategy in place prior to the purchase that accounts for commissions, closing costs, holding costs, etc…
Contrary to “reality” real estate shows, getting rich doesn’t happen overnight. The longer it takes to flip the property, the more expenses you would incur for maintaining it while waiting for a buyer. Working with getting coached by or partnering with a seasoned investor is a huge advantage, as you learn best practices and pitfalls to avoid, which only years of experience can provide.

#3 Rentals

Mortgage Paydown

Let’s use a rental property as an example. In a normal scenario, you have a tenant who is essentially paying the rent in exchange for living privileges. If you bought the rental property with a mortgage, your loan will eventually cancel itself out over time. Why? The rent you receive from your tenant is basically used to pay the loan, which is increasing your equity in the property. The money left over is your cash flow divided by the amount you put down to come up with your CAP rate. This is a GREAT way to build long term wealth.

Cash Flow

We can all agree that this is very important. For those who are new in the game, cash flow is basically the income you get from your investment property (usually rental properties). This is a major factor in generating a high return for your investments and savings. Once you increase cash flow by accumulating properties, this allows you to plan your income and determine the course of future investments.

Taxes

If taken into account optimistically, you’ll see a lot of tax benefits when it comes to real estate investments. Consult your CPA to see how you can depreciate properties that you are holding onto for rental income and also discuss with them acceleration methods used to front load depreciation to give you more capital to buy more and keep building your portfolio.

The answer to how long it’s going to take, as you might’ve guessed already, is up to you. Your real estate skillset, determination, experience, and risk management are major players in this ballgame. it’s all about how smart you invest in the industry. If you make due diligence and play your cards right, you’ll one day realize that you’ve gained a considerable amount of wealth already. Unique Wealth Education can help you in your real estate career in helping you avoid common mistakes & pitfalls, is something that we take to heart very seriously. Contact us at(734) 224-5454 or email us at [email protected]to learn more.