Wondering What to do NOW In Real Estate? (Part 1)

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By Jimmy V. Reed

So what do you do when the market is flooded with so much
Competition? How do you really get Wealthy in Real Estate? Getting fed up!?? How about Real Wealth Deals???

It seems everyone has started buying any and everything in real estate and the worst part is everybody is in real estate and everyone in real estate is claiming to be some kind of Expert! There is so much overload on what you should do and how you should to do it. It can certainly drive a person crazy just starting out in the business. Well it can also drive a 30 plus year Seasoned investor crazy too!

human-3175027_1280So, what happened? Well Social Media and the Internet has given everyone access to everyone and everything real estate. To top it off you can get a lot of new wanna be investors mixed in with those who are really serious and interested in investing, that in return creates so much run around that it sometimes all seems like a big waste of time. All these Experts are saying you need to be on Facebook, Craigs List, every Internet site there is. Market everywhere & to everyone, and yet I think when you send an email these days everyone just gets use to hitting the delete button from all the overload of emails, they no longer even really read them.

Now let’s step back to the days of old, by the way everyone out there will also tell you old stuff wont work. But give me a minute and I can explain, “yes it can”! See there is a higher level of investing from what I call Real Networking. You see most investors today go to all these free Networking events, well because there free! Broke people tend to be the majority at most of these Networking events. Go back in time yet even still today and you find that the Wealthy still Network like they always have. They’re at their Monday Golf games, or their every Tuesday lunch meeting with the 2 to 4 people that they have done business with over the years.

yacht-4292334_1280You see the Wealthy hang out with other wealthy people. They want the people around them to be smarter & wealthier than themselves. And no matter what the investment or the technique they use to get it done there are some basic principles that never change. So, let’s talk about some of the most important.

First most people may start out just like I did, broke! So, they go straight for the greatest technique Wholesale! But now days it’s changed a lot. If you are in a market where prices are soaring and everyone and their mother is your competition, then it’s going to be tough! You also must look at where you are looking for your potential deals? Is it on Social Media? MLS? Keep in mind now days everyone likes to market that they have an “OFF Market Deal” as they scream that out over the Internet to the whole world. So, what do you do?

Well first let’s list other ways to make Money vs get Wealthy. Second thought lets just go for Wealthy! However, before I do let me help a little with Wholesale. How about Wholesaling Notes. You may have less competition. Or look at Probate but not a list! Check out other articles or our website about these and other ways to find deals with less competition at www.JimmyReed.net.

Now Wealth, real Wealth is really just this simple, whether you like it or not. “You Buy & Sell to create Cash! And You Buy & Hold to Become Wealthy!” If you just keep buying and selling you will always be working a job. Regardless if you are Wholesaling or Flipping Rehabs, it’s just work, a JOB!

sale-3701773_1280Holding Houses or any real estate that pays you Monthly is the first step to becoming Wealthy. By the way holding houses verses holding notes both are great, but the notes do eventually come to an end. Holding assets that produce income in the right Markets will always keep you in the Cash Flow regardless if you work or not.

I’m sure you’re asking yourself well how are you going to do that with no money, well you’re not, but someone may be able to help you. That is exactly how I got started back in the late 80’s. I found a partner with money to put down to get a house we could buy, fix and sell. However about 6 months in it became a buy & hold asset instead. I won’t go into all the details but basically it became one of my first rentals.

Now I know many will say I don’t want a rental, or I don’t want to manage property, or even the most popular “tenants will just tear it up”. Well I can agree with you on all of that. However, after 30 plus years of investing this one strategy of Buy & Hold has truly been how we have made the most money over time. We have had every issue you can think of from damages to drug raids even fires, you name it and it has happened to us.

taxes-646511_1280-1024x538So, get over it! Here is what you need to focus on, one you have tax benefits, two you have Monthly income, and third you can refi the property several times over the years you hold title on it. Lastly you can even use that refi money to purchase more rentals. Start to build your portfolio and start creating a line of credit with the equity. So much more I can tell you, but I want to get to the bigger picture here.

After having rentals for many years including apartment buildings, duplexes etc… I decided to kick up my Wholesale machine the last couple of years, and low and behold I can’t seem to find any REAL Wholesale Deals! All those new people have driven the market up and created so much competition its just not as easy to get great deals as it use to be. However, via our Network and searching in the areas that have less competition we do find some great deals. But again, prices are nuts and the rehab has gone up all because our Market is HOT!

So now to what this whole article is really about, and that is going to Markets just outside the major Markets. See I live in what we call here in North Texas as the DFW Market. Over the last several years we went from some 5 plus million people to over 7 million plus. Outside buyers from higher priced markets such as California, New York, etc… have driven up our prices with all the demand. So, everyone has jumped into the real estate game.

new-home-1664284_1280So, as you have probably figured out, I like to be in my own little arena where no one else is playing or at lest very few. I aim for the strategy most investors are not, and buying rentals is one of those. Especially if that rental is NEW Construction. Yes, we are starting to do something a lot of Texans in the past just would not do, and that is travel outside our markets like the Californian Investor has done for years.

Only thing is we don’t have to travel that far. You see we have found some really hot markets anywhere from a 30-minute drive up to a round 3 hours outside the booming DFW Market. Best of all I’m now buying New Construction houses with all the higher end fixtures, flooring, even all brick construction. Best of all they cost less than that 1960 or 1970 home I buy in my backyard that still needs $30 to 50k in rehab on top of the purchase price. Even after those houses are rehabbed, they still are older houses.

So, let me tell you this article will be a two-part piece. This first part we will look at some of these new construction properties in these out of the Metroplex market. Yes, they still have a high demand and do cash flow as rentals. In the next issue (Part 2) we will talk about these properties and how to take the standard rental and have the option to turn it into a VRBO, for in many cases you will triple the Cash Flow!

So lets begin with the market where I am buying New Construction for rental only just less than an hour to hour and half outside the DFW Market. By the way we even have a great Property Manager we work with from our real estate club who can manage them.

What I’m purchasing are properties that are typically 2-1 or 2-2 brick houses with all the high-end fixtures and flooring and even include the stainless steel or black appliances. These properties are smaller but there is a demand for the price point as a rental and even as a resale later.

architecture-2804069_1280The little town they are in was voted as the number 1 Historic Downtown in the USA. And let me tell you the Market is rocking with just a few Investors. Many DFW Investors don’t even know about how Hot the Market is here. Here is a little glimpse of it.

Yes, this little town is booming with growth and not enough properties for the growth. More importantly hardly any affordable rentals in the area. And when you find something for rent that is close to being affordable its most likely a mobile home.

So, opportunity has arrived! We can get these homes anywhere from around $158 -$165k and they can rent from $1,300 to $1,400 a Month. Keep in mind you have a new product, so repairs are very minimal. Then, because of the lake access and the properties being less than a few miles from the Square they could also be used as VRBO and Airbnb. We will talk more about that in next Month’s article.

Imagine having brand new construction houses in the hottest little Market in the US just South of the DFW Area which is rated 4th largest Metropolitan area in the US. Just 30-minute drive from Fort Worth and another 45 – 75 minutes from Arlington, and Dallas.

Granbury TexasAt the time I’m writing this Linda the owner of Realty 411 & REI Wealth has asked us to help out at her October 2020 Texas Expo. Last year we did a bus tour for rehabbing properties. This year if all goes to plan, we will be doing it again, but this time the Bus training is going to Granbury for New Construction Investing!

Make sure to keep an eye out in the magazine and Realty 411 Marketing emails so you can make it to Texas for the Lone Star Expo! Also don’t forget next Months magazine with part 2 of this article.

So, in closing for this first article was to help get you out of the box of doing what everyone else does. When we travel the country speaking at clubs and Expos, we always talk about how to Wholesale in today’s market and also how to look in areas most do not such as Probate. Sometimes we will even do a 1- or 2-Day Training in the area to teach on these subjects and more. This year part of our full day events we will include these new construction opportunities along with using them as VRBO and Airbnb as another avenue for increased cash flow.

We also cover how to make more money tax free with these investments using a Roth IRA. So, you may also want to consider opening an IRA to hold these Buy & Hold investments. Yes, you may not have much money in them when you start. But you can open one and then start to wholesale properties, or even wholesale notes so you can start to get some cash built up. Then you are also building your wealth for the future. Typically, with an IRA you are building that wealth tax free. So, using a Roth does have some real advantages.

The main thing is position yourself so you can maneuver positively so no matter where the market turns. If you keep your eyes on the market and not so much on the quick buck, you can become very successful even Wealthy at this real estate game!

Be Blessed with Success!

Jimmy Reed

jimmy

Jimmy V. Reed

Jimmy V. Reed of Fort Worth, Texas has been investing in real estate since 1987. In 1991, he started conducting full-day training sessions on Wholesaling. He then began teaching and mentoring others throughout the country. He is currently the founder of the Fort Worth Real Estate Club www.1REclub.com and has his own real estate training company that includes Wholesale, Probate, Mentoring & a Biblically based Debt Free training course and more!

More info available at www.JimmyReed.net

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

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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.

Molding a Million Dollar Marketing Mind Set

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By Kathy Kennebrook (The Marketing Magic Lady)

When you are getting started in the real estate business, I know that putting a solid marketing plan in place is going to be one of your first priorities. This will be the main strategy that will separate you from your competition.

Decide what your focus is going to be regarding the type of properties you initially would like to purchase in your Real Estate Investing business and create a plan of action that will begin to bring in motivated sellers in droves and create deals for you. If you don’t know what exit strategies to use, make getting educated one of your top priorities. Getting a good education in the buying and selling of real estate will quickly separate you from most of your competition. You can check out my website at www.marketingmagiclady.com for some really powerful tools for your Real Estate Investing business.

Don’t be afraid to do what those around you will not. Dare to be different and consistent in your marketing efforts and the results will be amazing. Niche your marketing and become an expert in your market place. Become educated within your market place so you know what your property values are and what your personal target market is going to be.

The first step that I take is to find out what my real estate market is doing. Are there a lot of pre-foreclosures? Do you live near a military base where a lot of people are being transferred? Are you in an area where there are a lot of ugly houses you can purchase inexpensively and then wholesale? Have you run demographics to find out what kind of income levels there are within your market area? Is the market slow and are there a lot of houses for sale?

If this is the case, then you know that it is a buyer’s market and there are a lot of good deals to be had. You just have to learn to be a little more creative in the way you sell your properties. If there are very few houses for sale and they are high priced, then it is a seller’s market and you need to adjust your marketing strategies accordingly. This is all part of discovering your niche within your market. Don’t allow yourself to be influenced by various advertisers or those who profess to be real estate experts in your area, take the time to discover what works best for you in your marketplace and stick with it.

The next step I suggest is to figure out what your marketing budget is and which marketing strategies will reach the highest number of sellers within your budget. For example, your budget may include signage, business cards, direct mail, flyers, ads, websites or a combination of all of these.

You should always have between three and five marketing strategies in place at any given time so you are reaching the largest segment of your market in a variety of ways. This way a higher number of potential sellers will see your message. For example, you may reach sellers by using direct mail that would never see your message in any other way.

I continue to test and track my results just as you should so you can make sure the marketing dollars you spend bring in the highest number of quality leads. If necessary drop the things that don’t work well and put that money back into the marketing techniques that are working well for you.  This is also how you will learn which marketing strategies work best for you.

Track your real estate market changes so you can change your marketing accordingly as you go along. Using this strategy in your real estate investing business will assure that you always have the highest number of quality leads possible coming in. More quality leads mean more deals and more dollars coming into your business.

Be aware of the special problems of your market. Are there a lot of layoffs? Are there a lot of folks who are part time residents? Is yours a very high end market with a lot of luxury homes? Discover these special differences and market directly to these folks. Figure out what it is that everyone before you has done and then you do it differently. Believe me when I tell you that this one strategy alone can make you big profits in your business.

For example, in my market almost no one does direct mail on a consistent basis, so I have made this my personal niche. By doing this, there is virtually no competition for properties whatsoever. Figure out what your niche is by figuring out what your competition is not doing and do more of it yourself. We created specific direct mail campaigns targeting specific sellers who are more likely to work with us. Then we send out our message on a residual basis and watch the deals continue to come in.

Make sure you take the time to begin to build your dream team along the way. These are the people who are going to be helping you to locate deals and get them closed and then sold. This is how you make huge profits in the real estate business, by surrounding yourself with team players who want to see you make money so they can make money as well. There are many ways to use your vendors as “bird dogs” to find deals for you that you have virtually no marketing cost in whatsoever until you actually purchase the deal. At that point you would probably want to pay them a finder’s fee. This is a good way to keep them motivated to help you find even more deals.

I suggest that you make sure that you take a portion of the profit from each deal that you do, especially in the beginning, and put it back into your marketing so you can continue to grow your business. At the point at which you decide you have enough deals coming in each month, you will be able to determine exactly what your monthly marketing budget needs to be in order to bring in the number of deals that works for you.

Remember to set specific goals for your business and yourself and strive to meet those goals each and every day. By doing this, you are planting seeds of success for today and for your future. You won’t be able to see a clear picture regarding where you began or where you are going unless you do this. This is one way to keep focused and keep your business on track.

For everything you need to know about locating motivated sellers, buyers and lenders for your real estate investing business and creating a business plan to buy and sell properties quickly, visit Kathy Kennebrook’s web site at www.marketingmagiclady.com. While you are there be sure and sign up for our FREE monthly newsletter!

Kathy Kennebrook

Kathy Kennebrook is the ultimate success story. She spent over 20 years in the banking industry before discovering the world of real estate. After attending some real estate seminars this 4 foot 11 mother of two got really excited and before you know it she’d bought and sold hundreds of properties using none of her own money or credit.

Kathy holds a degree in finance and has co-authored the books- The Venus Approach to Real Estate Investing, Walking With the Wise Real Estate Investor, and Walking With the Wise Entrepreneur which also includes real estate experts Suze Orman, Robert Kiyosaki, and Dr. Wayne Dyer.

She is the nation’s leading expert at finding highly qualified, motivated sellers, buyers and lenders using many types of direct mail marketing. She is known throughout the United States and Canada as the Marketing Magic Lady. She has put together a simple step-by-step system that anyone can follow to duplicate her success.

Kathy has been speaking throughout the country and across Canada for over 14 years and has shared the stage with Ron LeGrand, Dr. Phil, Dan Kennedy, Mark Victor Hansen, Ted Thomas and Suze Orman to name a few.

Kathy is going to share with you how she generates a seven figure income by mailing a handful of letters throughout the year to highly selected targets by knowing exactly what to send them, who to send them to and exactly how to deliver her message. She will teach you the secrets of pre-screening and automating your marketing and follow up systems to put your entire Real Estate business on auto-pilot.

 

Justin French on Business Strategy, Leadership, and SDIRA Wealth

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Justin French is the kind of CEO who understands collaboration is the core of innovation. With a growing team that is now nationwide, French’s focus is on the strength of its people.

“I have always believed one of the best investments you can make, as a leader, is in the people you surround yourself with,” French said. “Great leaders never try to do everything on their own. They know a great company is built by everyone performing at their peak level. I spend most of my day working directly with my team and our affiliate partners so I can better equip them to be successful. In return, all of us at SDIRA Wealth are collectively raising the bar and achieving our goals.”

French uses his business-oriented insights to empower his team. He takes inspiration from one of the greats.

“Steve Jobs is a true innovator of our time,” French said. “He wanted to change the world. He did. He made an impact on everyone. He was successful not because he suddenly realized personal computers were his passion. That was not it at all. He knew computers could change the world. He wanted to be part of something bigger than himself.”

French said he admired Jobs’ dedication for making things simple to use, and this simplicity mindset is something French helps cultivate at SDIRA Wealth.

“What we do as a company is remove the barriers of having to deal with headaches of real estate, leaving our clients to enjoy all the benefits of it inside of their retirement accounts,” French said. “Making something simple requires harder work on the front side. You have to have the right talent and put enough time in to define the process. It’s worth it in the end because you have a product that is innovative and easy to use.”

His big-picture thinking combined with detailed actions has helped French make SDIRA Wealth a game-changer for retirement planning.

“The traditional way of retirement investing has been broken for a long time. Many people don’t know the 401(k) plan was never meant to be the main source of retirement funds that it is today, and sadly, pension plans have almost disappeared entirely. The problem is the money people are setting aside for retirement isn’t producing enough of a return for them to actually live on and maintain their standards of living in the future.”

To solve the problem, French said they had to answer three questions. What do people want? What do people need? Can we bring value? SDIRA Wealth’s solution answered all three.

“All great companies solve a problem and create value,” French said. “We don’t look at ourselves as a real estate investment company. We are an education company that provides a great product and solves America’s retirement epidemic. Real estate just happens to be part of that solution. We made the process simple and easy for everyone.”

French and his team are passionate about educating people about the benefits of real estate and Self-Directed IRAs.

“Our team is obsessed with educating others about all the benefits that Self-Directed IRAs bring with the power of real estate,” French said. “Most of the wealthy are already doing it. Look at Mitt Romney. He educated himself and took action for him and his family.”

Many people who invest in real estate are doing it the hard way, according to French.

“People expend a lot of their time finding properties, dealing with the headaches of being a landlord, trying to find ways to finance and leverage, and connecting all the players it takes to make a real estate transaction work,” French said. “That’s ok if you want to be an active investor. But what if you wanted the investment to be passive and to use your retirement dollars while still following all the rules and regulations?”

Complexity mixed with French’s drive for designing simplicity created perfect storm for a solution.

“Where there is complexity there is opportunity,” French said. “When companies focus on making things simple and easy for the end client, that’s when you start to innovate.  We made real estate as easy as a stock.”

French said part of making it easy has been about solving challenges.

“People want protection from market volatility, they want a higher rate of return, they don’t like hidden fees, and they want to have control of how their retirement plan is designed,” French said. “We have been able to solve all four. We do this with our solution by utilizing an asset that has been creating millionaires for decades. That’s residential real estate.”

From those four problems, SDIRA Wealth created the acronym PACT, which stands for People Achieving Change Together.

“PACT started out small but now has become a movement across the country with our affiliate partners,” French said. “It also represents the four main benefits our clients love about SDIRA Wealth’s investment solution, which are protection, acceleration, control, and transparency.”

After building and honing the solution, French started focusing on telling people about it by launching a nationwide affiliate campaign.

“We are blessed to work with some amazing affiliate partners who are wealth advisors, investment firms, and big-name influencers. They have same values and beliefs we do of disrupting status quo when it comes to retirement investing. They have been waiting for something like this.”

SDIRA Wealth helps affiliate partners best serve their clients in their market.

“By offering an additional product to accelerate their clients’ portfolios and reach their goals faster, our affiliate partners stand out in their market and attract more cliental,” French said. “Many say it’s the ace in their back pocket that has allowed them to satisfy their clients needs in ways they were not able to before. Their clients see they truly care to represent all the investment choices allowing their clients to win in the end.”

French said affiliate partners are passionate about solving America’s retirement challenges.

“Our affiliate partners understand the benefits of real estate,” French said. “They are excited about what we are doing and see the benefits of what our solution solves. Every week we interview new potential partners. Most of them come through our website or meet us at events.”

French’s success stems from his skills of finding and developing talent.

“The people you surround yourself will always determine your success,” French said. “One of my mentors always reminded me, ‘Show me your team and I’ll show you your success.’ This has always stuck with me and has always been true. With every successful team I have built over the past 20 years, the one thing I have always been very involved with is the interview process. It is vital we are always selecting natural market leaders and influencers who fit our culture and have the ability to make our company better.”

French has three tips for entrepreneurs who are striving for success.

One, “take time everyday to reflect and be thankful.”

“Always remember to have gratitude for the things you already do have,” French said. “Practicing thankfulness has changed my mindset and my life. It’s easy to think about what you don’t have as we are always working toward building our future. When you develop an attitude of gratitude you become thankful for everything that happens to you in life. Don’t be so focused on the finish line that you forget to enjoy the journey.”

Two, “stay true to your vision.”

“Find something you are good at,” French said. “Create something that will bring value to others. Focus on it. It’s easy to get sidetracked into creating new features, getting involved in wrong projects, listening to too many people’s ideas. In the end if you believe in what you do and your product can solve a problem, you are going to bring value to a lot people. If you can do that, success is just the byproduct of adding value and serving others.”

Three, “write down your goals to create accountability.”

“It’s proven people who have their goals written down attract more success,” French said. “As soon as you start working toward a goal you will encounter resistance and hurdles. By writing things down you will overcome these obstacles by focusing on your goal, making the challenges feel like small road bumps. Even more effective is sharing these written goals with someone who can help follow up with you. If you focus on your goals and take action the results will soon follow.”

Cogo Capital: Still Dishing Out the Dollars to Fund Property Deals

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By Tim Houghten

Cogo Capital’s founder, Lee Arnold, reveals his unique approach to funding real estate entrepreneurs, and how millions of dollars are being poured into nationwide deals through Cogo Capital.

This is Your Moment & Cogo Capital Wants to Fund it

Lee Arnold says Cogo is attracting a windfall of new loan requests from real estate investors. Many requests are coming from other lenders who are starting to throttle their funding, revise their appraisals downwards, and turn away all but the most experienced investors.

Meanwhile, Cogo Capital says it is funding 99% of all the incoming applications that meet its parameters. It certainly helps that Lee’s firm is willing to loan up to 90% LTV and 100% of rehab costs, and still beat any competitor’s offer. As a direct lending solution, they also have the ability to fund fast and make common sense underwriting decisions.

Cogo makes loans on:

  • Non-owner occupied residential properties
  • Commercial real estate
  • Land development deals
  • Fix and flips
  • Wholesale and ‘wholetail’ deals
  • Rental properties

While Cogo helps others grow their real estate portfolios, it is also making strides and growing too. Cogo just added ID and AZ to its markets, leaving very little territory unserved — they even offer loans in Alaska and Hawaii.

In our exclusive interview with Lee, he mentioned that while there is no question the US real estate market is going through a correction, he does not see a crash coming like we experienced in 2008. He says “there is too little inventory, and too much demand.”

And he should know a thing or two about market cycles. Because he started investing in 1996, he’s been through 3 major dips already. Through strategic and purposeful action, and a whole lot of grit, he is still in business. As a result of these experiences, Lee looks at correcting and declining markets with optimism. He points out that even a modest correction is great news for serious real estate investors. It weeds out the looky-loos, allowing the actual, hard-working real estate investors more room to buy and sell and/or buy and hold.

He commented that for years the serious investors have “been tolerating the HGTV wannabes,” who have driven up prices by overbidding on properties. He believes many of these “fly-by-night” investors will become stuck in the months and years to come because they don’t know how to operate in a normal or declining market. Serious investors do.

If you’ve been waiting for better value deals, this is your moment, and this lender wants to fund your deals.

Enter The Circle of Wealth

Cogo Capital is just one of the group of companies in Lee Arnold’s portfolio.

His other companies include:

The Lee Arnold System of Real Estate Investing, which trains real estate investors on how to find and purchase profitable deals

  1. Secured Investment Corp, which provides a platform for lenders looking to earn double digit returns in one-off loans or through one of its long running funds
  2. Lake City Servicing, which gives lenders peace of mind and true passive income by servicing their private loans for them

While Cogo Capital is open to any investor, Lee says those who have gone through the Lee Arnold System often enjoy an 1,800% increase in their chance of getting funding. Because they have gone through the comprehensive educational arm of the company, these clients know what to look for, how to make the right offers, and how to structure their transactions.

Through this methodically designed system, Lee has been involved in more than $1B worth of real estate transactions. That includes flips, fund transactions, and making private mortgage loans. From this viewpoint, this industry veteran noticeably sees things very differently than the average newcomer, bank loan officer, or infomercial guru.

He believes in only making loans to investors who can be successful. He’s more interested in the client’s success than the possible equity grab should the loan go into default. Therefore he’s not afraid to tell you when you are taking on a lot of risk for less-than ideal reward, even if your loan request checks all the boxes.

And even if you come to Cogo, and you don’t quite make the cut, or you are taking on a new project you really don’t have experience in, Lee says he can introduce you to other experienced investors in your area who you can partner up with. That way you can secure the funding and get the deal done.

Lee Has Lofty Goals for His Clients

Lee encourages all his clients to begin building their wealth and real estate portfolio with wholesales and fix-and-flip projects before they venture into the realm of rentals. Why? Because when buying rentals too early, they won’t have the bankroll to weather any of the potential challenges common to rentals. One AC unit blown, one roof lost in a storm, one non-performing tenant or drawn out eviction, and you can end up in foreclosure yourself.

Instead, Lee teaches his clients to take a very different and intentional approach to real estate investing. He has two stated goals for them:

  1. Get up to $250k liquid cash in the bank as fast as possible with flips or wholesaling
  2. Then get to $1M in net worth to become accredited investors. At this point they can qualify to participate in more exclusive investments like one of the Secured Investment High Yield Funds, which historically pays out 12% returns over the last five years straight.

You Can Keep Your Skin at Cogo Capital

One of the big things that separates Cogo Capital from the rest of the pack is its favorable terms on funding.

Historically, most private money lenders demand more ‘skin in the game’ from borrowers. Lee says Cogo would rather you keep more money in your pocket so that you can go out and do more deals.

Cogo loans up to 90% LTV and 100% financing for rehab and repair costs. So, as a flipper, you just need 10% of the purchase price down, your closing costs, and enough cash to get you through the first renovation milestone.

For a quick way to estimate how much you should really be paying for a property, how much you should be budgeting in rehab, and what you can expect to borrow or pay out of pocket, CogoCapital.com offers a simple, easy-to-use tool. It will take your ARV and the level of rehab needed (light, medium or heavy) and base it on the living square footage of the home. This tool will then give you your MAO (Maximum Allowable Offer) and a clear insight on how to plan your investment.

There are three other factors impacting rate and terms:

  1. Credit
  2. Experience
  3. Cash in bank

Although Cogo does look at credit, they love helping new investors and accept borrowers with bad credit and inexperience. That being said, if you come to the table with good credit and experience, you do get a bump up in terms. Average funding time is just 72 hours, depending on the project and how quickly you provide the needed details on the deal.

Need Some Education?

Take Him Up on His Offer to Pay for Your Funding Tour Tickets

For those that want to meet the team in person and learn more about how to profitably do real estate deals in this market, Lee highly recommends getting out to one of the upcoming live Funding Tours.

These 3-day events show you how to find deals and discounted properties, put you on a bus to tour opportunities so you know what to watch out for in the field, teach you how to write offers, and even get you funded live.

Find out the event dates near you at www.FundingTour.com.

This year the $497 tuition fee is even being paid for by Lee’s fund company, so you can attend absolutely free!

It All Starts with the First Deal…

…And Cogo is ready to fund it for you!

Get started at CogoCapital.com, run your deal scenarios, get your proof of funds letter so you can make stronger offers, and discover a new partner for fueling your investment goals with Lee Arnold and Cogo Capital.

 

 

 

Kribbz: How Kent Clothier Is Reinventing Real Estate Now

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By Tim Houghten

Putting More Power, Speed & Money in the Hands of Home Sellers and Investors

This could be HUGE for you…

It is no secret that there has been LOTS of room and need for disruption and increased efficiency in the real estate world. Yet, despite all the hype about digital mortgages, crowdfunding, Zillow, and crypto, nothing has really changed.

Sure, it’s easier to find a property listing online with your phone today. Maybe you can even sign the contract on your laptop. That’s been about it.

There have been a lot of well meaning techies wanting to help, but who don’t get real estate. Then a lot of real estate players wanting to do things better, who don’t get the technology side.

Enter Kent Clothier…

If you’ve been in real estate investing for 5 minutes you should have heard of Kent. He’s the guy who with his family has built and managed 4 companies on the Inc. 500, at the same time. That alone may be a world record.

Kent’s family’s company, Memphis Invest, des somewhere around 900 real estate flips a year. In other words, he’s not one of those gurus who bought and sold a couple houses in the 80s or in 2008 and thought he could write a book and crown himself a ‘guru’.

He’s known for developing some great real estate investing software, real estate training programs, hosting live events alongside people like Grant Cardone (the 10x guy) and his mastermind groups. He has created the 1-800-SELL-NOW, The REWW Academy, Real Market Experts and The SMART Suite System.

If you know Kent, you know he has a real handle on his why, and he isn’t the type to just sit back on his laurels. When he does something new, he does it with great partners, solid funding, top notch tech teams and specialists, and he has people watching the details around the clock.

The bottom line is that he knows his stuff, he cares about helping people get traction, he understands what the community needs and how to package it for them using the best technology (and humans) available.

We caught up with Kent just as he landed in San Francisco to help raise a truckload of money for what is hands down the most innovative nonprofit yet – charity: water.

He was incredibly generous in giving us an exclusive interview and breaking the news on his latest venture. One which could really make a difference for home sellers and real estate investors.

Challenges in the Real Estate Space

No matter which side of the table you are on, there are probably some things you’d like to change about the real estate transaction process.

For Home Sellers

The process of selling real estate is still hyper inefficient, costly and frustrating for homeowners.

First off, there are those huge real estate broker commissions. And, despite it often not taking any more work to sell a fabulous looking million dollar home than a $350,000 home, the system means you pay a lot more in commission. Equally, if you have a property that’s too cheap, then agents will often tack on a bunch of fees to make up the difference anyway. All that to often just hand off your property address to an assistant to put it on the MLS.

Fair compensation for a job well done, greater speed and eliminating liability is one thing. Yet, for all that agents get paid (and a few good ones are worth it), worse is that locking yourself into a year long listing agreement with an agent doesn’t even guarantee you a single prospective buyer, offer, or sale. How do you plan your life and finances around that?

During this time you are accruing a gang of holding costs that could include: Property taxes, insurances, maintenance, association dues, utilities, interest, principal mortgage payments, and maybe more.

Add that all up and you can be throwing away tens of thousands of dollars of your home equity, years of hard labor paying down the mortgage every month, or the only inheritance your family left you. Sad, but true.

Savvy home sellers get this. They know how to do the math. Though few really factor all of this in. So, more would like to simply go right to a cash paying, professional investor, and just get a deal done and over in a few days. Yet, until now this market has mostly been flooded with endless cheap websites, and newbies who run local Google Ads for a few weeks, and then disappear right before you need them.

For Investors & Buyers

Real estate investors and buyers face a lot of the same frustrations. Even if they have all cash and want to buy fast.

The biggest standout challenge is connecting with serious sellers. Finding those who aren’t burned out on junk marketing, getting to make them an offer, and just getting to sign purchase contracts. Kent says the average experienced investor who does the real math on their lead generation knows they are probably easily spending $3,500 to $5,000 a deal once they finally get one to the closing table. That’s okay, if they are making $50,000 on that property. Though they can bleed a lot more in drag time and dealing with the stress of gaps between deals.

Even once they get one under contract, then they get the pleasure of navigating the hyper-inefficient due diligence process. They’ve got to find a lot home inspector, get photos, have title done, and access a variety of fragmented records systems to know what they are really buying and how much it will really cost them.

There are thousands of real estate investors hungry for properties, it’s just a matter of fixing this disconnect and streamlining things.

Kribbz: Crushing it for Buyers & Sellers

This is where Kent Clothier’s Kribbz comes in!

Kribbz for Home Sellers

At Kribbz.com home sellers get a fresh new experience. It is a platform where they can list their home absolutely FREE.

Better than free, Kribbz sends out a representative who takes awesome photos and video for them, for free too. Kribbz does a ton of due diligence like having a professional home inspector come out to determine what repairs if any will need to be made by the new buyer. Then all the private and public data is pooled together online for the buyers.

No real estate agents do this. Not even for $100,000 in commission.

Then, when the property is put up on Kribbz, it kickstarts a 24 hour auction. Within 24 hours the seller will absolutely know for certain what their home is worth for cash in an immediate sale to a qualified buyer.

The seller isn’t even required to take the offer. So, they get all this, find out for sure what they can get for their home in the market, without all the Realtor commissions or showings. Deal done. Get on with your life.

Kribbz for Buyers

Kribbz kicks all wasted time and speculative expense on due diligence and marketing to the curb for buyers.

You see a property online. Make a cash offer. Win bids. Close ASAP.

Better yet, you get all of this prime info upfront. You get legitimate photos and video, an inspection report, and know the value and rehab costs right away. No guessing. No waiting weeks to find out if this is even a deal while your capital is tied up and your time is going down the tubes.

Kent says this can save buyers 95% of the time they care currently spending. Imagine how many more deals you could do, and how much more you could make, if you had 95% more time!

Plus, behind the scenes of this technology, Kent’s team has built it from the ground up with blockchain. While local municipalities still need to catch up, this is engineering what’s next. Ultimately Kent sees this unique technology bringing all the privacy of crypto to real estate, with all the transparency buyers need to instantly be able to evaluate properties and purchase them as easy as anything else online.

That will be awesome when it kicks in. Yet, right now buyers can use Kribbz to gain more time and profitability, while sellers can get insane value help in really selling their homes fast.

Kribbz expects to be national within 3 years. So, vendors like home inspectors who are reputable and can handle a high volume of business should reach out to the platform to apply to be preferred providers in new destinations as it expands.

Try it out for yourself now at Kribbz.com

 

Enhanced Diligence for Turnkey Investing

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By Bruce Kellogg

What About Enhanced Diligence?

In the beginning, commercial real estate brokers invented the term “due diligence”. Lacking a specific definition, it basically means, “Check it out”, when making a real estate purchase. Nowadays, the term has received wider use in home purchasing, turnkeys, syndications, and more, but its application still has no formula. This article aims to correct that for turnkey investing with what can be called Enhanced Diligence.

Initial Philosophy

When an investor purchases a turnkey property in a distant location from a rehabber who installs a tenant and arranges for property management, the investor is buying a property. The rehabber might move on, or go bust. The manager might prove ineffective. The tenant might move out. What is surely left is the property. The investor owns it. This is why Enhanced Diligence is so important. It has got to be done!

Exterior Issues

Common sense suggests purchasing a property with a hardy exterior, especially in areas with harsh winters or hot, dry temperatures. Basically, this means the less wood, the better. Think of tile or concrete roofs, brick/block/stone/vinyl exterior walls, and vinyl windows. Arrange these for your purchase as best you can.

Repairs “Done With Permits”

Most turnkey projects with substantial rehab work will involve the need for building permits. Common examples include roof replacement, gas line routing, electrical wiring and service upgrades, and moving “load-bearing” walls. So what? Turnkey operators will say that their repairs were “done with permits”, but this doesn’t say everything. A turnkey operator might “pull permits” for some repairs, but not others, usually in order to save costs. Or, they might purchase permits at the Building Department, but not call for the required inspections, and not have the permit “finaled” (i.e., all signed off). For example, paying a $22.00/hour “handyman” to reroute a gas line is much cheaper than paying a $60.00+/hour licensed plumber to do the job. This matters because people could get hurt by improper work, and insurance claims will be justifiably denied if this is discovered.

Enhanced Diligence by investors involves obtaining copies of all permits from the turnkey operator, then comparing them to the Building Department file for the property. Most departments have this online now or, if not, permits can be requested by mail and enclosing the required fee. This is public information.

If any of this does not go smoothly, or check out, take a hike.

Obtaining Inspections

In principle, the author recommends obtaining a “property inspection” report by a licensed contractor even if the turnkey operator discourages the idea. In fact, that might be even more reason to order one! The cost is usually $450-600, depending upon the size and complexity of the property being inspected. Look especially for two kinds of findings: 1) building code violations and, 2) health and safety hazards found. An example would be exposed electrical wiring. It is important to negotiate corrections to all of these and, if not satisfied, again, take a hike.

Now, some cities do inspections before rehab properties can be transferred. The investor needs to decide whether this is sufficient. One of the author’s consulting clients purchased a turnkey house where four city inspections were to be done. So, on a $62,000 house, the client felt he saved $450. It’s a business decision.

Property Manager

If the turnkey operator arranges for property management, or is providing it themselves, it is important to interview the manager. The “Property Management Interview” questionnaire in Attachment #1 can be used. It can also be used to hire a new manager in the event the present manager needs to be replaced. Enhanced Diligence also includes obtaining and checking licenses, professional certifications, and references for the property manager. Three references is probably enough.

Tenant Estoppel Certificate

If the property comes with a tenant, or several, rents will be pro-rated, and security deposits will be transferred in escrow. Just the same, the investor should insist that each tenant fill out and sign (all tenants) the Estoppel Certificate in Attachment #2. This avoids any possible disputes with the new owner over terms of the tenancy.

Evaluating the Numbers

Attachment #3 is a typical turnkey offering circular. How does an investor analyze it?

Start with “List Price”. Ask the turnkey operator for at least three closed sales in the past 3-4 months within ½ to one mile. See what you get. If this information is insufficient, order an outside “fee” appraisal. This will help if you are paying cash, but it might not be necessary if you have a lender who will be ordering an appraisal of their own. Then make the seller an offer! Why pay list price?

“Gross Rent”? Ask the property manager for “comparable” rents if the property is vacant and about to be rented for you. If there exists a tenant, then the rent amount is probably realistic.

Expenses is where dishonest turnkey operators are apt to take advantage. They underestimate expenses intentionally, or omit some altogether. This is how they jack up the cash flow, “cap rate”, and “ROI “ numbers. (More on these shortly.) Attachment#4 is a list of common expenses. Working with the turnkey operator and property manager, the investor needs to get an amount for each expense, or a reason why it is not applicable (e.g., no snow removal in San Diego.) Then compute your own cash flow. Don’t take the promoter’s numbers!

“Operating Expenses” per Attachment #4 often run 45-55% of gross rents, even on new or rehabbed properties. If you are given a lower number, dig in and find out why. It could be legitimate, or not, but you need to get the answer.

“Vacancy Factor” is a prime area for falsification. The example in Attachment #3 shows 8%, which equates to a bit less than one month. But what if the turnover crews are busy, or the market is slow, or the code inspector is in training for a week? The author’s experience is that 12% is more realistic, if not 15%!!!

“IRR”, Internal Rate of Return is a calculated figure used to compare alternative investments like bonds, rentals, annuities, and others. So is “ROI”, Return on Investment. Describing these exceeds the scope of this article, but the investor is warned that unscrupulous turnkey operators use expense and rent manipulations to enhance these figures to attract investors seeking an unrealistically high “yield” on their investment. Any IRR or ROI above 12% should be dissected to see how it was obtained. A real estate investment expert should be consulted, if necessary.

“Annual Appreciation” assumptions are often made and used by turnkey operators to project high future returns. A conservative investor would not assume anything. Or, even take into account the possibility of a decline in rents, or property values. We’ve seen these before, haven’t we?

Additional Diligence

Obtain and check at least three references of clients from the turnkey operator. Check any real estate and contractor licenses for current standing, bonding, insurance, any disciplinary actions, and complaints. If not satisfactory, take a hike. Go see the property, if possible!

Conclusion

Among other things, the author consults for prospective turnkey purchasers. Some have already lost five-, and six-figure sums investing with dishonest and/or incompetent turnkey operators. Please, please adopt Enhanced Diligence as presented here.

Investors are invited to hire the author to help them evaluate turnkey, syndication, joint-venture, and other investment opportunities.

 

Bruce Kellogg

Bruce Kellogg has been a Realtor® and investor for 36 years. He has transacted about 800 properties in 12 California counties. These include 1-4 units, 5+ apartments, offices, mixed-use buildings, land, lots, mobile homes, cabins, and churches.

Mr. Kellogg is a contributor and copy editor for two national real estate wealth-building magazines: Realty411, and REI Wealth Mag.

He is available for listing, selling, consulting, mentoring, and partnering. Reach him at [email protected], or (408) 489-0131.

The Best Inheritance You Can Leave Your Kids

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By Fuquan Bilal

What inheritance are you leaving your children?

I know you would probably expect me to say “mortgage notes,” or “passive income properties.” Those are great investments. They might be some of the best types of assets to pass on in an estate. Yet, there are some things which are far more important!

Financial Independence

We all know school has become all but worthless. With the exception of those schools and colleges the big funds and local governments which have turned into cash flow centers and real estate investments. You can do 13 years at school and walk out not even knowing how to use a debit card.

Savvy parents are working harder than ever to teach their kids about money. About how to budget, save, invest, make sure they understand the benefits of financial stability. Some are even teaching them about self-directed IRAs.

Those things are all important. I do all of those things.

Yet, I believe there is something even MORE important. That is teaching them how to be independent.

After all, that’s our one main job as parents. It is to teach them how to survive and thrive on their own.

Instilling Independence in the Next Generation

I rented some units to some college kids. It was amazing to see how they were still clinging to their parents for support at 19 and 20 years old. I don’t know about you, but I was far more independent and had to do a lot more for myself since I was 15. Maybe even 11.

I learned the value of work and hustle at a very young age. I did my own laundry and learned how to cook at 11, and handle personal hygiene.

My kids are now 10 and 16. We used to play mental math games on the way to school. I’ve had them plan meals, go to the grocery store and hunt for deals, and now figure out how to do it all online. I teach them real estate and how to get out in the field.

I’m pretty sure they can stand on their own two feet if they had to.

I want to be sure they won’t have to depend on others for the rest of their lives. Even on me. Knowing how to invest is a big part of that, but mindset is even more important.

Take the Lead

As I reveal in my new book, you can, and should pump positivity into them as possible. Build their minds and spirit. Let them know they can do anything they want. BUT – you’ve got to live it too. Practice what you preach. You can rock their world and shake their mindset big time. Do it well, and consistently and they can also become some of your best accountability partners! They’ll keep you in check.

Lead by example. Do what you want them to do, and explain it. That means budgeting, investing, following your dreams, and stepping up to do difficult things. Teach them to embrace adversity and challenges in order to get stronger in all these areas, so they can get more of what they want and are capable of.

Teach them smart investing and money management and how to stand on their own, who they can get help from and learn from, and to problem solve. With these, they’ll be able turn the smallest monetary inheritance or property portfolio into even greater multigenerational wealth. Failing to do this, and ignoring these conversations while you have the chance, your heirs can blow your multi billion dollar inheritance, property empire and lifetime of discipline and sacrifice in a matter of months.

What inheritance are you leaving your kids? I’d love to know what do you do to build these things into them.

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.

Choosing the Road to Wealth

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By Kathy Kennebrook (The Marketing Magic Lady)

More people are becoming millionaires today than ever before in the real estate business. So what makes these wealthy entrepreneurs so different? They chose the road to wealth and real estate as the vehicle to get there.

When choosing the road to wealth, there are some important distinctions that set the truly successful folks apart from everyone else. Some of those include the ability to visualize a specific outcome, pursuit of a dream, constant motion and a relentless determination to reach the goal. Giving up is not an option. Like the saying goes, “Quitters never win; winners never quit!”

I have found in the real estate business that there are two kinds of people, the “doers” and the “wannabes”.  There are truly focused folks who get up every morning with a clear and defined direction who want to make their business work no matter what it takes. They pursue their dream relentlessly and continue to grow on a daily basis, garnering all the education they can along the way to take them even further along in their business.

Then there are the people who go to seminars or buy books and tapes and do absolutely nothing with them once they get them home. I have personally witnessed this over and over again.  They have one excuse after another why they can’t do this business.  For them, the status quo is the easy way in any situation.

I used to be one of those people who did absolutely nothing. I continued to work day after day at a job I hated, and I had every excuse there was for not getting started in the real estate business.  So I can relate. You could say, “I’ve been there, done that.”

There were three main things that held me back:

  1. Lack of focus.
  2. A true desire.
  3. Abundance of fear.

You can absolutely tame all three. I am living proof that you can. The biggest change that occurred for me finally was the desire to succeed.  An even greater desire was to get back all the money I had spent on courses and seminars.  As I always say, “Whatever it takes to make you move forward!”

I discovered there were some very easy ways to get focused and get on track.  One was to define the specific reason I wanted to succeed.  For me it was to get back the money I had already spent on educational materials and to get rid of a job I hated.  At the time, my job entailed being on the road for long periods each week which resulted in my not being home much, something I very much wanted to change.  I spent many years in a “dead-end job” making a lot of money for other people.

For you, it may be putting money away for your kid’s education, taking a trip you’ve always wanted to take or maybe becoming involved in charities you want to support. Whatever that reason is for you, commit it to paper and out loud to those around you. There is nothing I know that will force you to take action more than committing to a goal out loud. Become persistent in the realization of your dream. Use the knowledge you already have and move forward from that point.

Visualize your success!  Every extraordinary, successful person has visualized their success in their mind and then on paper first.  Their dreams were put into action, resulting in a reality of success.  Bottom line, this is the outline of the road to wealth.  Unfortunately, most people get stuck in the “dreams” part of that road to wealth.

Enlist the help of your local real estate club or a mentor to stay on track. If there isn’t a real estate club where you live, contact other investors in your area and form your own group. This is a great way to network and get the support you need. I had a mentor early on in my business and I attended meetings of our local real estate club on a regular basis. I found this to be a great way to stay focused and excited about the real estate business.  I continued to work with other investors in my area who were already doing the business.

If people around you are telling you it won’t work, don’t let them “steal your dreams”. Only you can make the decision to be financially free. I know that lots of my friends and family members thought I was crazy to want to do this business. I’m glad I didn’t listen! Hang around with like-minded people, wherever you can find them. Learn from people more successful than you.  Hang around with people who make more money than you do. Decide what it is you want to do for your business on a daily basis and implement a plan of attack.

Enlist the help and support of your spouse and children or a partner while growing your real estate business. There are lots of things they can do to help and you’ll achieve a feeling of team work which will keep you moving forward. Write a specific list of goals you want to achieve, no matter how small. Set goals for tomorrow, next week, next month, next year. This is one way to create a road map you can follow toward attaining your goals and growing your real estate business.

Do whatever it is you need to do to keep moving in a positive, forward direction. Don’t let the “naysayers” get you down. They just want to keep you where they are. Don’t take advice from anyone who makes less money than you do. You have a right to live the kind of life you want, so be willing to do what it takes to attain it.

Real estate is one of the best ways I know to grow wealth quickly. If you believe you can’t change your attitude about the opportunity to create wealth through real estate, I assure you that you can. You just have to make the decision to choose the road to wealth.

That road to wealth is to stay focused and to never give up.  Success can be yours…today!

For more information on Kathy Kennebrook’s systems for the Real Estate Investor be sure and visit her website at www.marketingmagiclady.com. While you are there be sure and sign up for Kathy’s FREE monthly newsletter and received $149.00 of real estate tools absolutely FREE!!

Florida Land Trusts

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By Randy Hughes

Oftentimes I am asked, “Which state should I form my land trust in?” As a continuation of the subject discusses in my last newsletter, you now understand that you do not have to form your land trust in the same state where you live or where the property is located. In fact, there are many benefits to using an “out-of-state” trust to hold title to your investment property. I have covered these benefits in previous newsletters. This newsletter will concentrate on Florida Land Trust Law. In future issues I will explain other major state land trust statutes.

The Florida Land Trust Act, 689.071 covers real and personal property. “Beneficial Interest” means any interest, vested or contingent and regardless of how small or minimal such interest may be, in a land trust which is held by a beneficiary. “Beneficiary” means any person or entity having a beneficial interest in a land trust. A trustee MAY BE a beneficiary of the land trust for which such trustee serves as trustee.

I have talked before about Florida being the only state that I am aware of that will allow the trustee to also be the sole beneficiary (because of the Merging of Interests Doctrine). Other states allow for the trustee to be one of multiple beneficiaries, but not the trustee if she/he is the ONLY beneficiary. Personally, I would NEVER make the trustee and beneficiary one-in-the-same because it defeats the purpose of anonymity of ownership by exposing the beneficiary to public scrutiny.

Personal Property. The Florida Statute goes on to say, “In all cases in which the recorded instrument or the trust agreement, as hereinabove provided, contains a provision defining and declaring the interests of beneficiaries of a land trust to be personal property only, such provision is controlling for all purposes when such determination becomes an issue under the laws or in the courts of this state. IF NO SUCH PERSONAL PROPERTY DESIGNATION APPEARS IN THE RECORDED INSTRUMENT OR IN THE TRUST AGREEMENT, (emphasis added) the interests of the land trust beneficiaries are REAL PROPERTY (emphasis added).

This section of the Florida Statue stresses the fact the if you do not state either in the Deed to Trustee OR the Trust Agreement that the Beneficial Interest is “personal property,” it will be deemed as “real property.” Which is exactly what you do NOT want. I think to make it unmistakably clear, you should put in BOTH the Deed to Trustee AND the Trust Agreement that the Beneficial Interest is personal property!

Land Trust laws are not changed very often for any State, but three years ago Florida amended their Land Trust Statute which effectively made it not possible to sue the Trustee or Beneficiary of a Land Trust. This was a powerful change that made Florida’s Land Trusts even more popular to use. You might consider using a Florida land trust.

I encourage you to learn more by going to my FREE online training at: www.landtrustwebinar.com/411  or text “reasons” to 206-203-2005 for my free booklet, “Reasons to Use a Land Trust.” You can also reach me the old fashion way by calling me at 866-696-7347 (I actually answer my own phone unlike most other businesses in America).